Coconut flour crumble has a grain-free crumble topping which is slightly sweet, slightly nutty and very delicious. Crumble made with coconut flour is high in fibre, and makes a healthy, satisfying dessert.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Gluten free and grain-free. Whilst I often make a gluten free crumble with oats, this coconut flour crumble is suitable for people who can't tolerate oats or who want to reduce the grains in their diet.
- High in fibre and high in protein. The combination of coconut flour, almonds and fruit makes this crumble very high in fibre, and there's plenty of protein to keep you feeling satisfied.
- No refined sugar. I've made this healthy dessert with honey, but you can use any other liquid sweetener.
- Use your favourite fruits to make this coconut flour crumble. I've used apples, but use whichever fruit you prefer. For a low-carb crumble, use berries which are lower in carbs.
Ingredients
Coconut flour. This is now widely available in UK supermarkets and health food shops. Surprisingly it doesn't add a coconut flavour to recipes, but just a slight sweetness which makes it perfect in healthy desserts. Coconut flour is very finely ground coconut meat, a by-product of coconut milk. It's naturally gluten free, grain-free and low carb.
Tip: store your opened coconut flour in the fridge!
Ground almonds. These add a mild nutty flavour and texture to the crumble topping. Use other ground nuts if you prefer.
Coconut oil. This goes perfectly with the coconut flour, but you can use another healthy oil or melted butter. If you use extra virgin coconut oil, it will have a coconut flavour, but standard coconut oil is undetectable in recipes.
Honey or sweetener. If you want a low carb crumble topping, use a low carb liquid sweetener. Otherwise, you can use honey, or maple syrup as a vegan alternative. This coconut flour crumble is refined sugar free.
Fruit. Use this coconut flour crumble topping on whatever fruit base you prefer. In this recipe, I've used it to make a grain-free apple crumble with cooking apples. Cooking apples such as Bramleys cook down easily to a lovely soft texture and don't need precooking before adding to the crumble.
For a low carb crumble, choose fruits such as berries which are naturally low in sugars and carbs.
Optional ingredients
You can add spices or natural extracts to either the coconut flour crumble topping or to the fruit base. Cinnamon goes perfectly with apples but you can also add other sweet spices such as ginger, allspice or cardamom. Or sweeten the fruit or topping with a teaspoon of vanilla extract. If you like the flavour of almonds, add some almond extract to bring out the flavour of the ground almonds.
If you want a little extra crunch in your coconut flour crumble topping, add some chopped nuts or flaked almonds.
How to make coconut flour crumble
This grain-free crumble recipe is very easy to make, and there's no rubbing in required.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees (130 fan). This is a lower temperature than you'd usually use for a crumble as coconut flour burns quite easily.
Melt the coconut oil in a pan over a low heat. Add the honey or sweetener and stir to mix. Don't let the mixture bubble or boil as it will spit.
Mix the coconut flour and ground almonds with a spoon in a bowl. Tip in the melted coconut oil mixture plus any spices or flavourings. Stir well. The mixture will naturally start to clump and take on a rubbly texture which is perfect for crumble.
If you are making a grain-free apple crumble, peel the cooking apples (or you can leave the peel on if you prefer). Cut into slices 3-4mm thick. Slice the apple evenly so that all the pieces cook through at the same. Place the prepared apples in an oven proof baking dish.
Add the crumble topping.
Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven. Keep an eye on the crumble and turn halfway if necessary to ensure that it browns evenly.
You can either make one large crumble, or use individual oven-proof dishes.
Expert tips
If you want to use dessert apples rather than cooking apples (Bramleys), it's best to precook them first before adding to the crumble. This will ensure they are soft and tender when the crumble topping is cooked. Pop the prepared apples in a pan over a low heat with a couple of tablespoons of water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until starting to soften. Stir regularly so that they don't catch on the bottom of the pan.
If you want to use a much softer fruit such as berries or peaches, they won't need precooking. However, you'll need to thicken the juices a little. Just sprinkle over an extra tablespoon of ground almonds and mix it into the fruit.
You might also like to look at these recipes for inspiration and quantities. They are made with an oat crumble topping, but you can easily switch to the coconut flour topping.
- Peach and raspberry crumble
- Apple and gooseberry crumble
- Blackberry and apple crumble
- Summer berry crumble
- Pear crumble
- Rhubarb crumble
Serving and storage
Serve your coconut flour crumble hot or cold or somewhere in between.
Leftover crumble can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Other coconut flour recipes
Always use recipes that have been specifically developed for coconut flour. Baking with coconut flour is very different to wheat flour and can't be substituted 1:1. But when used correctly, it's delicious in baking and low carb, high fibre and gluten-free.
Why not try some of these healthy coconut flour recipes?
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Recipe
Coconut Flour Crumble
Equipment
- 20cm pie dish or 4 individual oven proof dishes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil can also use butter
- 2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
- 75 g coconut flour
- 50 g ground almonds
- 500 g cooking apples or alternative fruit
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees (130 fan).
- Melt the coconut oil over a very low heat, and stir in the honey or sweetener
- Stir together the coconut flour and ground almonds in a bowl. Tip in the melted oil mixture and stir well. The mixture will start to come together into a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
- Prepare the fruit filling. Peel the apples and cut into slices 3-4mm thick. Dust with cinnamon and place in an oven proof baking dish.
- Top the fruit with the coconut flour crumble topping. Spread it out with a spoon - it doesn't matter if there is a little fruit poking through.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning partway if necessary. Check that the fruit is soft by inserting a knife into the crumble.
Notes
- If you want a low carb crumble, use a low carb liquid sweetener and a low carb fruit such as berries
- For a vegan crumble, use maple syrup or sweetener
- Butter can be used in place of coconut oil if preferred. To reduce the saturated fat in the recipe, you can use light olive oil or walnut oil
- For extra crunch, add some chopped nuts or flaked almonds
- If you use dessert apples rather than cooking apples, precook them first. Place the prepared apples in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until starting to soften
- If using berries or peaches you'll end up with quite a lot of juice. Stir a tablespoon of ground almonds into the fruit to thicken the juices as they cook
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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