This comforting yet healthy autumnal dessert is gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free. These are a creation made for those who love traditional ‘crumble’ dessert but with more of a crumble-to-fruit ratio. A little like a mince pie’s distant cousin – with a crunchy crumble topping rather than regular pastry. These blackberry crumble cups are made with oats and gluten free flour, so the texture is coarser than regular pastry but is oh-so reminiscent of crumble.
A refined sugar free jammy centre made with tart blackberries, sweet apple puree and warming spices. The crumble is sweetened with apple puree and coconut sugar, with a low oil content and small portion sizes that’s made to be more gastroparesis friendly.
Divided into pre-made portions and super quick to bake, these are easy to eat as a grab and go snack or dessert.
What ingredients do I need to make this?
For the bases and crumble:
Dry ingredients:
Rolled oats: these add a lovely texture to the bases reminiscent of crumble – use gluten free oats if necessary
Oat flour: this is blended oats, they can be bought pre-blended or blended yourself in a high speed blender or food processor until a fine flour forms. Remember to use gluten free oats to ensure the recipe is suitable for anyone GF.
Gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour: use a gluten free flour you know and trust, my go-to for all bakes is Schar Universal Mix it.
Coconut sugar: a refined sugar free alternative that adds a deep caramelised flavour
Baking powder: to help them rise a little – remember to check it’s gluten free
Salt: this brings out the flavours – I always add a little salt to bakes to balance taste
Cinnamon: adds subtle warming notes to the bases
Wet Ingredients:
Vanilla extract: for a sweeter aroma
Melted odourless coconut oil: I always recommend using odourless coconut oil unless you’re happy for the coconut flavour to come through into the bake. For a guide to melting coconut, click here.
Apple puree or pureed applesauce: this means that less oil is required for the recipe, adds natural sweetness, fibre and compliments the blackberry jam deliciously. Ensure it’s smooth as some apple sauce can be lumpy. You may find this in the baby food section or where they have pure apple compote (often in the french section). This should be naturally refined sugar free but check ingredients.
Maple syrup: to add a liquid sweetness from this refined sugar free alternative
For the Blackberry Jam:
Blackberries: you can use fresh or frozen blackberries.
Apple puree: this naturally sweetens the jam.
Maple syrup: as a refined sugar free sweetener. You may need to add a little more than listed if the blackberries are particularly tart.
Allspice and nutmeg: bring a delicate, sweet and peppery aroma (please note you must omit this to make it lower in histamine)
Cinnamon: adds more warmth and brings out the blackberry flavour beautifully
A cornflour slurry: a mixture of 1:1 ration cornflour to cold water that’s mixed in a small bowl before whisking briskly into the jam saucepan – it will form lumps if not whisked briskly enough but the slurry should prevent it from being as lumpy as if sprinkling it in dry.
A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the grey recipe card at the bottom of the page
Are these free from dairy, gluten, egg and nuts?
These are naturally free from these, just double check the packaging to ensure that your ingredients are completely free from and if someone’s super allergic that there’s no ‘may contain because made in a factory…’. Ensure that baking powder is gluten free suitable.
Are these low histamine?
Everyone is different in the foods they tolerate, but according to the SIGHI list, this recipe should be lower in histamine, just omit the spices for the jam. Remember that any sugar can raise blood sugar and in turn histamine levels, so eat sparingly even if you do tolerate these. Note that coconut sugar is often tolerated but with mixed results so please bear this in mind too.
How To Make:
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl with a balloon whisk.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the wet ingredients, then mix with a fork from inside out until a dough forms.
Evenly divide the mixture across the 12 greased muffin tray holes then press down to form tarts and parbake, then press down when removing from the oven.
Make your jam on the stove in a small saucepan then pour into the cups.
Make a crumble mixture for the topping.
Pop them in the oven to bake.
Remove from the oven and wait 10 mins then prize them out and transfer to a cooling rack or enjoy immediately with ice cream or yoghurt.
Tips for making the best blackberry crumble tartlets:
When pouring in the melted coconut oil, mix quickly with the fork as the other ingredients will solidify the coconut oil before mixing otherwise.
Bake at the correct temperature. I always recommend using an oven thermometer as many ovens aren’t accurate. You can purchase them for ~£10 and hang them inside the oven to gauge this accurately.
How To Store:
Best enjoyed freshly baked and still slightly warm. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to reheat these in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 170C (fan) before enjoying them too.
Blackberry Crumble Tartlets
SEASON Winter, AutumnEquipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats use gluten free oats
- 1/2 cups oat flour blended using gluten free rolled oats
- 3/4 cup gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour I recommend Schar Universal
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder ensure it's gluten free
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup melted odourless coconut oil
- 1/4 cup apple puree pureed applesauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup rolled oats use gluten free oats
- 1/4 cup gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp melted odourless coconut oil
Blackberry Apple Jam
- 2 cups blackberries
- 1 tbsp apple puree
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp powdered allspice omit if low histamine
- 1/4 tsp powdered nutmeg omit if low histamine
- 1 tsp powdered cinnamon
- 2 tsp cornflour for the slurry
- 2 tsp cold water for the slurry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan). Melt the coconut oil if not liquid at room temperature by surrounding the glass jar in some warm water. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk .
- Make a well and pour in each of the wet ingredients, using a fork stir to combine until a slightly sticky dough forms. Grease the indents of the muffin tray with a little coconut oil (no need for baking parchment or cupcake cases, they bake best directly onto the tin).
- Evenly divide the mixture using just under 1 medium batter scoop into each of the 12 muffin holes and press down with your fingers so that the base and sides are the same thickness. If your hands get sticky wash and semi dry them (with a tiny bit of water left) to press each down.
- Bake the bases for 4 minutes. When removing the bases from the oven, immediately press them down with a metal teaspoon where they’ve risen.
- Meanwhile, in the same, empty bowl add the crumble ingredients together, briefly mixing dry first then adding wet and briskly stirring with a fork. You don’t need to wash the bowl out as long as it’s mainly scraped clean with a silicone spatula.
- In a saucepan over the hob on a medium heat, simmer the blackberries, applesauce, maple syrup, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using a potato masher or fork press down to mash the berries together. After simmering for a few minutes add the cornflour slurry (2 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp cold water in a small bowl) and stir continuously with a balloon whisk as it thickens up quickly. Continue to simmer for a minute or so, then remove from the heat.
- Return to the oven for 10-13 more minutes. The tops should be ever so slightly beginning to golden and the crumble should no longer be glossy.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Then using a sharp knife, gently move it around the outside of the tarts to loosen them (they will still be soft so take caution here). Let them cool for 10 minutes or so until they’re not so soft and then run the knife around the outside again and use a spoon/butter knife or cake slice to carefully prize them out of the tin and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool fully or enjoy immediately with a scoop of ice cream or greek style plant based yoghurt.
- Serve with the remaining blackberry jam and greek yoghurt. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
