Ahhhhh cherries…. These little puppies are so good (and good for you!) that they don’t last long in our house (check out my recent post on all the amazing health benefits of berries here).  But after a few weeks of traveling and insanity, I found a bag of forgotten, nearly-past-their-prime cherries in a dark corner of my fridge, and knew I had to get them into our bellies right quick.

Enter: the trusty crisp!  Crisps and crumbles are such a quick, easy, and healthy dessert, but one I typically reserve for fall/winter… Apple crisps, pear crumbles, something about these humble desserts just elicit images of cozy evenings by the fire in the colder months.

But with summer upon us and berry season in full swing, I thought, why not make a summery version of this favorite, in a perfect size just for two?

I opted for a grain-free cherry crisp as opposed to a crumble since it’s easier to omit oats (which are more of a fall/winter grain) in favor of nut flour.  And instead of cinnamon (which is a warming, cold weather spice), I used cardamom (a cooling, digestion-boosting summer spice), which lends a different flavor profile to the dessert, and complements the cherries beautifully. The whole thing ends up being totally grain-free and the use of maple syrup as a sweetener makes it paleo as well.  It’s pretty much the perfect healthy dessert!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Grain-Free Cherry Crisp

This is a perfect, one pan, easy dessert for two to enjoy this summer!

Course

Healthy Sweets

Cuisine

Gluten-free, Healthy Eating, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings

servings

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 10 oz fresh organic cherries pitted and halved
• 1 tbsp organic maple syrup
• 1 tsp tapioca flour
• 1/4 tsp cardamom*

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup dried coconut chopped
• 2 tbsp organic maple syrup
• 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil softened

Course Healthy Sweets Cuisine Gluten-free, Healthy Eating, Vegan, Vegetarian Servings servings Ingredients For the filling: 10 oz fresh organic cherries pitted and halved 1 tbsp organic maple syrup 1 tsp tapioca flour 1/4 tsp cardamom* For the topping: 1/2 cup almond flour 1/4 cup dried coconut chopped 2 tbsp organic maple syrup 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil softened

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Grease a 6" cast iron pan or small baking dish with coconut oil.
3. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling, and add to the pan.
4. In the same bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping, and mix together until it's all nice and moist. Spoon over the filling.
5. Place on a baking sheet (to catch bubbling juices) and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the cherries are bubbling.
6. Cool slightly and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*If you're a crisp purist, you can use cinnamon instead of cardamom, but I think the latter makes this dessert more summery and seasonal!

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