Naked fruit crumble

This comforting dessert brings back memories of digging into my granny’s fruit crumble. I pop this in the oven as I sit down to dinner; by the time I’m finished, the baked fruit, nut and cinnamon aromas have filled the kitchen and it’s ready to eat. This recipe works all year round with whatever fruit is in season, and contains double the fibre (not to mention the plant diversity) of a lone piece of fruit.

Serves 4

Prep 10 mins

Cook 35-45 mins

• 4 large extra ripe nectarines, peaches, apples or pears, or a mix of each (approx. 600g)
• 6 Medjool dates, made into a paste, or 6 tbsp sweetener of choice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 40g mixed nuts, chopped
• 40g whole oats
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• juice of 1 lemon (approx. 45ml), and zest to taste

Topping

• 50g live thick yoghurt, or cream-less icecream

Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5 and get out a small roasting tin. You want the fruit to sit snugly inside the tin, so they don’t dry out.

Cut your fruit in half (if there is a core, remove it) and make a small hollow the size of a two-pound coin. If using stone fruit, simply remove the stone.

Place the fruit in the roasting tin, cut side up, and put to one side.

Mix the date paste, oil and 1 tbsp of water together in a bowl, then add the nuts, oats, cinnamon and lemon juice. Mix until you have a sticky crumble mixture. Taste and adjust zest to preference.

Fill the hollows of the fruit with even amounts of the crumble.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes (or 30 minutes if using apples or pears), then remove the foil and bake for a further 10–15 minutes until the crumble is nicely browned and the fruit is tender.

Serve with your choice of yoghurt or ice cream.

Tip: Short on time? Cook the fruit in the microwave for a few minutes first to soften it (approx. 3–4minutes), before adding the crumble and baking for 10 minutes uncovered in the oven, or until golden brown.

Storage: Best served straight out of the oven. Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Switch: Want to up your plant-based points? Switch the whole oats for rye flakes.

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