Mini Fruit Crumbles
Mini Fruit Crumbles have all of the warmth, comfort and flavor of their full-sized counterparts, but bake in half the time! That makes them fantastic for a weeknight dessert! The recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled to adjust for how many are eating that day. The topping and fruit mixture can be made in advance to speed things up even more. Because I like to top these Mini Fruit Crumbles with ice cream (and I highly encourage this combo), I keep the sugar to a minimum in the recipe. As a result, you can enjoy the warm fruit and buttery crumble combined with cool ice cream without sugar shock! Soooo good!
The Method
Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt, then sprinkle over the fruit. Stir to combine well and allow the mixture to begin dissolving.
Spoon the fruit mixture into single serving sized oven-safe baking dishes.
Combine the dry topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Slowly add the butter until all of the dry ingredients become damp, but not dripping wet.
Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly on top of the fruit. Place the Mini Fruit Crumbles onto a baking tray and transfer to the oven to bake for about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve right away. Top with ice cream or whipped cream if you’d like.
Types of Fruit
All kinds of berries and stone fruit will work well for this recipe. A mix of berries and stone fruit works too. I would just try to cut the fruit into chunks or dice them to about the same size as the berries you are using. That way they will cook at the same rate. If you choose to use crisp pears or apples, peel, remove the cores and dice them to less than ½ inch. This will allow them to soften during their brief time in the oven.
Frozen Fruit
Sure! You can use frozen fruit or berries too! It is best to let them defrost or allow for extra baking time. If you opt for baking them longer, you will need to cover them loosely with foil to prevent the tops from burning. Once you notice the juices bubbling under the crumbly topping, this is the sign that they are heated through and can be removed from the oven.
Add More Flavor
Feel free to add a little cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice or vanilla extract to the fruit mixture if you’d like to add more flavor. Try adding dried cherries, cranberries, raisins, chopped pecans, walnuts or pistachios to the fruit mix or the topping. Any of these options or a combination of them will add texture and flavor.
Making Ahead
The sugar, cornstarch & salt mixture can be made ahead and stored in a sealed container for months. The topping mixture can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer for several months. Use 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch mix and ¼ cup of the topping per 1 cup of fruit based on the base recipe. Making a large batch of both will keep you covered for last minute desserts for a while! Note: If you add additional spices, dried fruit or nuts the recipe ratio will need to be adjusted to account for what you add.
More Gluten Free Desserts
Mini Fruit Crumbles
Ingredients
- 4 cups berries or fruit (diced)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- pinch fine salt
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup instant oatmeal (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats)
- ¼ cup gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tbsp chopped pecans (*optional)
- 1 tbsp raisins (*optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the rinsed berries/diced fruit into a mixing bowl. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small dish and sprinkle over the fruit. Gently stir to combine well. The cornstarch mixture will begin to dissolve and may look “milky” on the fruit. That is perfectly normal.
- Divide the fruit into 4 single serve oven-safe dishes. Set these dishes on a baking tray for easy transfer in and out of the oven.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon together with a spoon. Drizzle in the melted butter a little at a time until it is damp, but not dripping with butter. You may need a little more or less than the recipe indicates. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the fruit.
- Place the prepared dishes in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and serve as it is or top with ice cream or whipped cream.
