I returned to my friendly gal at our local Farmers Market to purchase more of those plump sweet delicious black raspberries! I froze some in small zipper freezer bags for smoothies later when fresh berries are out of season. I knew one of my honey’s favorite desserts is fruit cobbler and yet I wanted to make a clean healthy version…so I started tweaking and came up with this recipe for black raspberry crunch!
Gently wash and drain 3-4 cups of fresh black raspberries. You could also substitute red raspberries, black berries, blueberries, cherries or peaches if you prefer.
Gather ingredients of oatmeal, pecans, unsweetened flaked coconut, shelled hemp seeds, coconut oil and raw coconut sugar. Can you tell I am on a coconut phase?? Soooo many healthy facts I have been reading about coconut.
Here is some info about Coconut Secret’s raw coconut crystals…It looks like a coarser version of brown sugar. This sap is very low glycemic and contains 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin C, broad-spectrum B vitamins, and has a nearly neutral pH. Small batches ensure that Coconut Crystals, made from this natural sap, is a raw, enzymatically alive product, low temperature evaporated (to remove excess moisture and allow for crystallization). Most brown cane sugar is boiled at temps up to 221F. and is not a true brown sugar, because molasses is added back in after it is refined. The naturally sweet, earthy flavor of Coconut Crystals is an ideal sweetener for use in cookies, muffins, confections, over cereals, in teas, and all your favorite dessert recipes. One of the best things about this company is that they come from small family owned coconut farms in the Philippines which are located on volcanic, mineral rich soil. The company is totally committed to keeping everything in it’s pure, unadulterated, raw forms for our enjoyment. The trees are completely non-GMO, and no pesticides or herbicides are used. Here is their web-site. http://www.coconutsecret.com/index.html
I challenge you personally to do your research on coconut oil. At first I shied away from using it because of its high saturated fat content, but after hearing and reading about the health benefits of this amazing plant oil…I have changed my mind and have started cooking and baking with it.
So what about hemp seeds? These are a few facts I have read about them…They contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential fatty acids in as perfect a ratio to meet human nutritional needs. Hemp seed taste great! They have a very nutty, almost sweet taste, almost like a pine nut, but a bit more mellow. So I flip flop back and forth between using flax, chia and hemp seeds!
OK…back to our dessert…Mix 1 c. oatmeal, 1/4 c. coconut, 1 T. hemp seeds, 1/4 c. pecans, 2 T. coconut sugar, 2 T. coconut oil and dash of salt.
Place berries in a shallow baking dish. To the berries mix in 1/4 c. Fruit Sweet (or honey or agave) 2 T. arrowroot starch (for thickening) and 10 drops of Berry Stevia.
I love my SweetLeaf flavored stevias! I have valencia orange, lemon drop, berry and vanilla creme. I urge you to invest in these natural zero calorie sweeteners! You can order them online if you can’t find them in your area.
Top with crunch mixture and bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and berries are bubbling along the side.
Serve warm with a scoop of ice-cream or my recipe for healthy whipped cream. Click here for that recipe.
This is a guilt free dessert that will not leave you lacking for taste, flavor and texture!
Black Raspberry Crunch Dessert
3-4 c. fresh berries, washed and drained
2 T. arrowroot starch/flour
1/4 c. Fruit Sweet or honey or agave
10 drops berry flavored stevia
1 c. oatmeal
1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
1 T. hemp seeds
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 T. coconut sugar
2 T. coconut oil
dash salt
Place berries in a shallow baking dish. To the berries mix in 1/4 c. Fruit Sweet (or honey or agave) 2 T. arrowroot starch (for thickening) and 10 drops of Berry Stevia. Mix dry ingredients with the coconut oil and spoon over berries. Bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until topping is light brown and berries are bubbling around the edge. Serve warm with ice-cream or whipped cream.
