As promised, here’s the recipe I mentioned in the date syrup post.
Not one speck of sugar made its way into these delectable fruit crisps; the strawberry filling is sweetened with apple juice and the crisp topping with date syrup.
It helps to start with summer ripe strawberries, which are incredibly sweet on their own, but combining them with apple juice that has reduced down to a syrup yields the perfect fruit filling for a crisp.
I’m sure that baked goods aren’t high on most people’s to-make list during the hottest time of the year, but the strawberries make these crisps decidedly summery… and they are definitely worth having your oven on for 15 minutes.
Any fruit crisp is even better with a scoop (or two) of ice cream; in keeping with the sugar-free theme of this post, I served these with SO Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean ice cream, which is sweetened with erythritol. I do not have this in the house often, but it’s a nice go-to frozen treat if you’re looking to steer clear of sugar.
Have I sold you on swapping fruit in for sugar in baked goods?!
Individual Strawberry Crisps {sweetened with dates & apple juice}
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Keywords: bake simmer dessert breakfast strawberries crisp summer
Ingredients (4 servings)
Ingredients for the fruit filling:
- 4 heaping cups hulled strawberries
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup unsweetened apple juice (not form concentrate), preferably organic, divided use
- 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Ingredients for the crisp topping:
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour (almond meal will also work, it will just be a slightly coarser texture)
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup date syrup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice strawberries and toss with lemon juice; evenly divide amongst 4 ramekins.
For the filling: Heat 3/4 cup apple juice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat until simmering. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice and arrowroot powder until no lumps remain. Whisk the arrowroot “slurry” into the simmering apple juice. Bring mixture to a low boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer until mixture is has thickened and reduced by half – whisking every now and then – about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and salt, and pour over the strawberries in the ramekins.
For the crisp topping: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, and salt; whisk to combine. Stir in oil and date syrup; stir to combine. Evenly crumble the crisp topping over the fruit.
Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, (you’ll probably want to place a baking sheet underneath the ramekins to catch any overflow), until the crisp topping is golden brown and the strawberry filling is hot and bubbling.
Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serve warm, with ice cream, if desired. I like SO Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean for a no-added-sugar option.
