These mini cherry crumbles are super easy to make and so delicious! They're healthy, vegan, and gluten free and make the perfect summer dessert.
Crisps and crumbles are THE dessert of summer, at least to me. I'm not a big fan of no-bake recipes, so a nice fruity crisp topped with cool and creamy ice cream is my idea of a summer treat.
This healthy vegan cherry crumble is just so easy to make and packs in all the flavor and texture. The cherries are soft and tart, the crumble is crispy and sweet, and the ice cream is creamy. I know, the ice cream isn't really part of the recipe, but it's definitely a must for serving.
My dad told me this was the best dessert he's had in as long as he can remember. It was a huge hit with the rest of my family too, and the crumbles were all gone within minutes.
But what really sells the recipe for me is that it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare--the rest is just baking time! It's one of those recipes I'll be making again and again.🥰
If you want to make this recipe in the future, click here to save this post on Pinterest! That way, you can always come back to it when you need dessert inspo, or when you're really craving cherry crumble. 😉
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ingredients in healthy cherry crisp
You only need 10 ingredients total to make this vegan and gluten free cherry crumble, which makes preparation a breeze!
cherry filling
- halved cherries: can't have a cherry crisp without cherries! However, you can make the star of the show whichever fruit you like. I'm a big fan of strawberry crisp and apple crumble and this definitely works with a variety of berries. You can use fresh or frozen--more on that later.
- granulated sugar: I used coconut sugar, but cane sugar, brown sugar, or any granulated sweetener work perfectly here. Liquid sweeteners like maple syrup are not ideal here because the filling will end up too runny. You don't need to much sugar either, since fruit is naturally sweet, but we need a bit to cut through the tartness. 🙂
- cornstarch: the cherries will release a LOT of liquid when they bake, so cornstarch helps to keep them thick instead of runny.
crumble topping
- rolled oats: they make the majority of the crumble and provide the *crisp*! Oats are very nutritious and high in fiber, plus they're gluten free. 🙂
- almond flour: this is what make the *crumble* of a crumble topping. It's gluten free and more nutritious compared to regular flour, plus it has a unique texture that makes it even better than wheat flour. Make sure you get almond flour that is both fine and blanched for best results!
- maple syrup: in this case, we need a liquid sweetener to bind the dry ingredients together! Maple syrup works perfectly because it's sweet and vegan.
- avocado oil: you can use whatever oil you like, as long as it doesn't have a strong taste. Oil is essential for the crumble to be crispy and cannot be replaced.
- other ingredients include lemon juice, salt, and baking powder. They're small amounts but super important to the success of the recipe.
how to make healthy vegan cherry crumble
The process to make gluten free cherry crumble is super simple and takes less than 10 minutes!
First, combine the cherries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch.
Transfer to a baking dish, or 4 if you want to make mini ones for individual serving!
Then make the crumble topping by combining the oats, almond flour, salt, baking powder, maple syrup, and oil. Divide evenly on top of the cherries.
From there, all you have to do is bake! I told you it was simple. 😉
frozen vs fresh cherries in cherry crumble
Both fresh and frozen cherries are great options. For this recipe I used both, but you can of course use one over the other.
Fresh cherries don't release as much liquid and potentially have better flavor, but in my experience they're pretty much the same. The main disadvantage is the time it takes to cut and pit the cherries.
I prefer frozen cherries because they're so easy to use. They come pre-pitted so all you have to do is slice them in half! Frozen berries also tend to be cheaper, and last longer.
Whichever route you decide to take, you will still end up with a delicious healthy cherry crumble. 🙂
📌Click here to save the recipe on Pinterest so you can always come back to it!
I really hope you like this recipe! If you decide to make it, be sure to post a picture/story and tag me @nutritiousdelights on Instagram–I’d love to see!🥰 Also leave a comment below so everyone can see how it goes 🙂
More recipes you might love:
Gluten Free Apple Crisp (Healthy, Vegan)
Healthy Vegan Strawberry Crisp
Coffee Crumble Granola [Healthy, Vegan, Gluten Free]
Healthy Cherry Crumble [Vegan, Gluten Free]
Ingredients
cherry filling
- 5 cups halved cherries fresh or frozen
- 3 tablespoons granulated sweetener I used coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or other starch
crumble topping
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons rolled oats
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour fine, blanched
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil or other oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease 4 mini dishes OR an 8x8 inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cherries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and sugar. Transfer to the prepared dish(es).
- In a separate bowl, combine the rolled oats, almond flour, maple syrup, avocado oil, salt, and baking powder. Spread it on top of the cherries and bake for about 40 minutes. If you notice the top becoming too brown, lower the temperature to 325. Every oven is different! Top with ice cream and enjoy 🙂
Lidia
Hi. This looks great, but there is no nutritional information. I need to know how many calories...
Libby
Made this so our vegan D-I-L could enjoy it too - delicious! I was going to use the store bought pie crust but saw that it has lard….sooooo I sought a vegan cherry dish and this is perfect! Thank you🌸
Kay
Fantastic! I decided to make these for Christmas. I used frozen cherries and a light olive oil, and agave syrup. The topping really harmonised with the cherries. I had it warm with a vegan yoghourt rather than cream. (Had to have a tester before Christmas!) Have a merry one, thanks so much for the recipe. It will definitely be on my list, especially as it is so easy to make and scrumptious. ❤️
Leila
I followed the recipe except for using canned cherries but it came out terrific! Good, balanced proportions of ingredients. It doesn’t taste like its healthy lol. My husband loved it too. Thanks for a keeper:)
Gina
Wow, made this with fresh cherries and it was amazing. I did substitute sugar for the maple syrup which made the crumble drier but turned out absolutely delicious.
Hannah
so happy you liked it Gina! <3