What an exciting month! Not only did we welcome spring, but dietitians across the North helped us celebrate Nutrition Month by sharing lots of great healthy eating tips and recipes. I have been inspired to eat more mindfully, pack a lunch to work, and even try a new Foodie Friday recipe from the blog!
In honour of the last day of Nutrition Month, I wanted to share one of my favourite dessert recipes.
I love homemade pie, but it can be a chore to make, even for the most experienced baker. The saying “as easy as pie” surely speaks to the experience of eating pie, not baking it! Enter fruit crisp. Fruit crisp has everything I want in a pie and more: Warm, gooey fruit filling; a hint of cinnamon; and a crisp oat topping with the benefit of whole grains. It’s comfort food in every way.
Fruit crisp is quick and easy
Unlike pie, this fruit crisp recipe is quick and easy. It took me under ten minutes to make and most of the prep involved chopping fruit. Using pre-cut fruit or berries would speed it up even more! If you are a rookie baker like me, you will also be happy to know that this recipe is virtually fool-proof. This means you don’t need to worry about carefully measuring out ingredients, mixing (but not over-mixing), rolling (but not too much)! It’s one of those recipes that you can confidently just throw together.
So how does fruit crisp stack up nutritionally? Well, when you make your own desserts, you are more likely to use real foods from Canada’s Food Guide. Fruit, dairy, nuts, and whole grains can all be featured in a variety of different ways. Think homemade chocolate pudding with slices of banana, fruit muffins made with whole-wheat flour, and hearty oatmeal cookies with applesauce, dried fruit, and nuts. Plus, baking is fun and can be a great way to spend quality family time together! For more delicious and nutritious recipes, consider checking out the dessert section at Cookspiration.
For this particular crisp, I used apples and frozen mixed berries, but pears, peaches, rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, or any other type of berry would work well, too. It’s an easy way to use up fruit from the freezer in the winter and spring, or to showcase seasonal fruit in the summer and fall.
“As Easy as Pie” Fruit Crisp
Adapted from Cookspiration.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
- 7 cups fruit (I used apples and frozen mixed berries)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
For the topping:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup soft margarine or butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- In a large bowl, combine fruit, sugar, flour, and cinnamon until coated.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add to fruit and toss to mix.
- For the topping, combine rolled oats, sugar, and cinnamon. With 2 knives, cut in margarine or butter until mixture is crumbly.
- Sprinkle oat mixture over fruit.
- Bake for 55 minutes until mixture is bubbly (or you can microwave at 100% power for 15 minutes)
Serve hot or cold. Leftovers make a quick and tasty snack the next day!
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