Everyone can agree summer is one of the best times of year. Not only because that’s usually when it’s the warmest but it also means a lot of fruit is in season here in BC! Cherries has to be one of my favourite summer treats; they are sweet, tart and juicy all at the same time. My father-in-law has a wonderful cherry tree in his yard so we always seem to have an abundance of cherries (which I have no problem eating almost all of them!) Since the cherries are organic and straight from the tree, there are a few bruised ones we didn’t end up eating. Rather than them go to waste, I decided to make a cherry crumble! This recipe showcases the cherries perfectly bringing out the rich red color and sweet flavour that is topped with a crispy crumble. I also have to mention this recipe is vegan, dairy and refined sugar free – meaning it’s guilt free! You can easily customize this recipe depending on your food allergies or dietary restrictions. The only part of this recipe that maybe tedious is pitting the cherries, once you do that it's pretty easy to whip the rest of the ingredients together. Trust me, your going to want to take this to your next family gathering this summer and cherry-ish the recipe for many years to come!
Ingredients
Fruit Base:
5 cups cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1 pinch salt
Crumble:
¾ cup rolled oats
¾ cup flour
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup coconut oil (or butter)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375° F and grease the bottom of an 11" x 9" deep sided oven-proof dish.
2. In a large bowl mix together cherries, honey, vanilla extract, arrowroot powder, lemon zest, and salt. Place in pan.
3. In another bowl mix together oats, sugar, salt, vanilla extract. Add melted butter and mix together with your hands until lumps form. Place on top of fruit.
4. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until crumble top is golden brown.
