It’s hard to imagine a time when adorable individual desserts weren’t baked inside mini mason jars. Sometimes all we need to do is arrange the same recipe in a new way and, voilà, old becomes new again. Well, in the case of this dessert that is half true. I realized a couple of months ago that during my gluten-free journey I’d have to go crisp-free for July. Impossible! I’m that person who has a 2-inch thick crust on their cheesecake, prefers to eat a pie worth of crust than a slice, and enjoys a good crisp topping…maybe even a little too much.
Surprisingly, creating a recipe that was gluten-free was easier than expected. The secret ingredients were coconut flour and coconut oil. Together these ingredients add a layer of sweetness and a subtle nutty aroma. In fact, the complexity the coconut flavour added was downright addictive. I don’t even love coconut and I was in heaven. What I loved was that the coconut added a complexity to the crisps without overpowering them.
In fact, if you’re a coconut lover, I’d recommend topping this dreamy dessert with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream and a sprinkle of shaved coconut.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
6 – 125mL mason jars
1/2 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch fleur de sel
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (see video)
Instructions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the peeled and sliced peaches with the granulated sugar and half the cinnamon. Stir and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Assemble the topping, combine the oats, flour, remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, and fleur de sel in a bowl. Crumble together using fingers until it has a coarse, sandlike texture. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Divide the peaches between the mason jars and top with coconut crisp topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes until peaches are soft and the topping is golden.
4. Serve with your favourite ice cream or whipped cream topping.
Amanda Garbutt is the host of The Hot Plate, a free online cooking show dedicated to inspiring culinary confidence in new cooks. The Hot Plate also offers regular cooking tips and advice, how-tos, and information on seasonal ingredients.
Professionally trained pastry chef Anna Olson is the host of Food Network’s Bake with Anna Olson. Anna’s culinary philosophy is based on a common-sense approach of cooking and baking with the seasons, as well as respecting the ingredients, the technique and the process of sharing with others through food. Most of all, cooking and baking should be fun!