Quick and super easy summer berry recipe for you today: black currant crumble for two. This simple, "tiny" recipe packs a lot of flavor, and is just the perfect thing to whip up when you've got some juicy summer berries on hand but don't feel like baking an entire pie or something too involved.
Black currants are of course the star of the show here. These shiny black pearls look like a miniature galaxy in color upon closer inspection (yes, I get fascinated by weird things sometimes haha). Their tart and tangy flavor is just perfect for pies, crumbles, and jams.
They're not usually easy to find at the shops where I live, but thankfully my parents have a nice bush of them in their yard so I get my fill each summer. If you're in the same boat and can't easily find them, other berries will work great here too.
I find this type of treat rather appealing throughout the summer, and tend to make these a lot in different variations depending on the fruit and toppings I have on hand. The basic premise is very simple: individual mini "crumbles" made up of a delicious fresh-out-of-the-oven jammy filling, a crunchy, nutty topping, and creamy cool vanilla ice cream. So simple, but so-so good.
Note: depending on your berries, the filling might be a bit too tangy on its own, but in combination with the ice cream this dessert turns out just right each time. The two complement each other and so I'm going to say: definitely don't skip the ice cream here! (unless you love all things tangy, that is...).
Besides the berry variations, you can also play around with the toppings:
- If you want to make this grain-free, swap the oats for some crumbled sliced almonds
- If you want to keep this recipe oil-free / on the lighter side, you can try it with banana nice cream (like in this float recipe) instead of a more traditional creamy vegan vanilla ice cream -- a creamy ice cream definitely makes this more luxurious tasting though!
- You can play around with the type of nuts you have on hand for crunchiness. I like pecans here the most, but other nuts can play up certain flavors
- If you don't have tapioca starch then arrowroot, cornstarch, or potato starch can work well too
Black Currant Crumble
A quick and easy black currant crumble recipe for two, featuring a delicious tangy jammy filling, crunchy topping, and creamy ice cream. Vegan, GF.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Berry Filling
- 6 tbsp fresh black currants
- 2 tbsp dark maple syrup
- 1⁄2 teaspoon tapioca powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
- 3 tbsp rolled oats (gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp dark maple syrup
- 4 pecan halves, chopped
- Vegan vanilla ice cream of your choice for serving
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Quick prep note: my oven-safe ramekins (pictured above) are naturally a bit non-stick due to their porous ceramic lining. If using different ramekins, you can lightly grease the ramekins first (vegan butter works well for this).
2. Divide all berry filling ingredients between 2 small oven-safe ramekins and stir everything together in each ramekin with a fork.
3. Divide the oats between the two ramekins, sprinkling them on top of the berry filling. Drizzle the maple syrup over the oats (dividing it also in half between the ramekins). Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 mins. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Top with some vanilla ice cream prior to serving and enjoy!
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