If you’re looking to serve something healthy and light and several notches above plain berries, this no-bake Berry Crumble is the ticket. Fresh berries topped with a rich nut-date mixture (and whipped cream if you like) – ready in 10 minutes.
My friend Monique made this berry crumble for a luncheon a few weeks ago along with a few more fattening treats. I thought to myself “Ok Cheryl, just have a tiny taste of the chocolate torte (I couldn’t resist) and stick to the [probably boring] fruit dessert”. Well, what a surprise. Definitely not boring. The topping made a huge difference to the berries both in texture and taste. Just delicious. I’m not going to lie. I added a good dollop of whipped cream which rounded out the dessert beautifully. But I’ve tried it plain several times since and it’s still great. Even the next day.
My husband enthusiastically calls the berry crumble an “elevated” fruit dessert. I guess he’s been hanging around a food blogger too long!
The recipe is from Whole Foods. The topping is a combination of walnuts, dates, pecans and cinnamon. The only tweak I made is to add orange zest to both the berries and whipped cream (if using). A nice flavor zing, but of course optional.
Berry Crumble ticks off a lot of boxes -it’s pretty low cal as desserts go, it’s dairy free, gluten free and vegan; and perfect for a potluck.
If you’re like me, you like a little extra treat on the side. Here’s a few good ones: Crispy Lace Cookies, Skor Chocolate Chip Cookies, 8 Minute Fudgy Brownies.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Sprinkle toasted coconut on top.
- Toast the nuts before making the nut-date mixture.
- Add peaches or mangoes to the berries.
- Substitute the dates with dried cranberries
- Serve with ice cream instead of whipped cream.
- Other serving suggestions:
- Mix the berries and nut mixture together instead of using the nut mixture as a topping.
- Serve the berry crumble in individual bowls or ramekins
- Serve the berry crumble over oatmeal for breakfast. This is a good option for leftovers if you have any.
Make Ahead Berry Crumble
- You can make the recipe several hours ahead and keep it chilled in the fridge.
- If you want to make it the day before, store the berries and nut-date mixture separately. Keep the berries in the fridge and the nut mixture on the counter.
- This dessert is best fresh, but
- This dessert is best fresh, but leftovers are great to have the next day. The texture is admittedly softer, but the flavors are more blended.
Berry Crumble (No Bake)
Ingredients
- 6 cups any combination of berries (blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, blackberries) 24 ounces or 6 pints
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or more if berries are not sweet enough
- 1/2 tsp orange zest (optional)
Nut-Date Mixture
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped into small pieces 1/2 inch
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Whipped Cream (Optional)
- 1 cup cold [heavy] whipping cream (35%) about 1 pint
- 1 1/2 tbsp granulated (regular) sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract preferably pure
- orange zest (optional), 1/2-1 tsp
Instructions
- PREPARE BERRIES: Wash and pat berries dry with a paper towel. Slice strawberries if using (or cut them in smaller pieces. Place in serving dish approximately 7 x 11 or 9 x 9 or 10 x 10. Add maple syrup and toss to coat evenly. Taste berries and add more if needed. Sprinkle on 1/2 tsp orange zest if using.
- MAKE TOPPING: Place ingredients for nut date mixture in food processor. Pulse 8-10 times until coarsely ground.
- ASSEMBLE: Scatter mixture over berries. Serve plain or with whipped cream (Note 1) or ice cream. To make ahead - Note 2.
Notes
- To make whipped cream: Place whipping cream, vanilla, sugar and zest if using in a small food processor bowl (or a glass bowl if you're using a hand held mixer or immersion stick). Beat until soft peaks from, scraping down sides if needed. Be careful not to over whip to a butter consistency. Peaks should stand up fairly well - a slight droop is ok.
- To make ahead:
- You can make the recipe several hours ahead and keep it chilled in the fridge.
- If you want to make it the day before, store the berries and nut-date mixture separately. Keep the berries in the fridge and the nut mixture on the counter.
- This dessert is best fresh, but leftovers are great to have the next day. The texture is admittedly softer, but the flavors are more blended.
If you make this dessert, consider rating it in the recipe above (using the stars above “rate this recipe”) and leaving a comment below.
Other fruit desserts you might like:
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