Peach Crumble
About this sweet and nutty gluten free Peach Crumble…. It took some planning to accomplish this post! Here’s why. Every year my family devours fresh peaches when they are in season. Typically we eat them so quickly that there isn’t enough lying around to bake with. And I buy them in Costco sized packages! So this year, I got smart and bought extra, then hid them. That gave me enough peaches to play around with some ideas and develop this recipe for Peach Crumble. Yay!!
Developing the Recipe for this Gluten Free Peach Crumble
When I am developing new recipes, I usually go through at least 2 versions and some tweaking to the ingredients before I am ready to photograph and document the recipe. Therefore, I need a solid supply of ingredients on hand to experiment. This is also a very fun time for my family because we always need taste testers.
During this recipe development I started with the idea of a double crusted pie using crumble topping ingredients like the crust in my Pumpkin Pudding Pie. Unfortunately although it was really tasty, the ratio of fruit to “crust” was off. So I played around with some other ideas before settling on this gluten free Peach Crumble. I added cinnamon, vanilla and butter to enhance the flavor of the filling. Pecans and oats give the crumble topping a wonderful texture and nuttiness.
Preparing the Filling
I love fresh white peaches, so I tried those and yellow peaches in this recipe. Unfortunately the white peaches lost a lot of flavor in the baking process. Therefore, I would definitely recommend using ripe yellow peaches. I rinsed and peeled the peaches, then cut them into large chunks, discarding the pits and peels. Then sprinkle the sugar and cornstarch mixture over the prepared peaches. Using a large spoon or spatula, make sure to get the peaches evenly coated with the sugar mixture. That’s all there is to it!
Preparing the Crumble Topping
The topping is so buttery, crunchy and yummy! I don’t know if I like the filling or the crumble better! I honestly could eat them both by themselves. The great news is that the topping is as easy to make as the filling (without the time consuming preparation of the peaches).
All of the dry crumble ingredients get mixed into one bowl. You may need to break up the brown sugar a bit. Once it is combined well, gradually add the melted butter, stirring it in well as it is added. You may not need all of the butter. It all depends on how much moisture is in the brown sugar and what type of flour blend you are using. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour regularly. If I switch it up to another brand, the absorption of the butter will be different. The bottom-line is that it should look like damp sand when it is done. It shouldn’t be dripping wet.
Everything in the Pan!
I like to prepare the baking dish with a heavy slather of butter. It adds flavor and it keeps the delicious syrup from sticking to the pan. Pour the peach filling into the dish and then even spread the crumble topping over the peaches. Begin baking the Peach Crumble uncovered, but check on it after about 30 minutes. If it is browning too quickly, just cover it loosely with aluminum foil and continue to bake for the full time. The syrup will thicken and turn golden brown. Mmmm delicious! It is great warm out of the oven, topped with ice cream or whipped cream if you wish.
Love Fruit Desserts?
Me too! Pies, Crisps and Crumbles are all up my alley. Here are a few on my site to check out (all are gluten free, of course!): Ginger Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Cherry Crumb Pie, Vegan Chocolate Cherry Pie, Blueberry Cardamom Cream Pie and Lime in the Coconut Pie, to name a few:-)
Peach Crumble
Click Stars to Rate Recipe:Ingredients
For the Peach Filling:
- 10 large fresh yellow peaches
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp butter (for greasing the dish)
For the Crumble Topping
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup gluten free instant oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
- ¾ cup Gluten Free flour blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Baking Flour)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 6 Tbsp butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with 2 Tbsp butter. This will be a thick coating of butter, which is good, it will add to the flavor of the dish:-)
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the crumble topping except the butter. Mix with a large spoon or spatula until the dry ingredients are evenly combined.
- Slowly add the melted butter while stirring to combine until it looks like damp sand, but isn’t wet. Large crumbles will likely form which is great. You may not need all of the butter. Set the mixture aside while you work on the filling.
- Rinse, peel and cut the peaches into large chunks. Place in a large bowl. Add vanilla to the peaches.
- Combine sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the peaches with the sugar mixture. Gently mix together with a large spoon until the peaches are evenly covered with the sugar mixture.
- Pour the peach mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top and spread out evenly. Bake for 45 minutes. Check around 30 minutes into the cooking time and if the top is becoming brown, cover it loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking for the full 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temp with whipped cream or ice cream if you wish.
