Sugar-Free Baked Peaches with Crumble

Nothing says summer like fresh fruit, and peaches are no exception. They are sweet, juicy, satiating; some might even call them nature’s candy!

Our baked peaches are an especially delicious, healthy alternative to the standard sugar-coated baked peaches and fruit cobblers that call for refined sugar. So-called healthy food blogs may use sucanat, maple syrup or honey, but these are all still very concentrated sweeteners.

Instead, we use dates and the irresistible natural peach sweetness!

Now, I recommend serving these fresh out of the oven, but if you somehow have leftovers, you can refrigerate and enjoy them chilled the next day.

Baked peaches with our cinnamon-oat crumble are a delightful summer treat to be enjoyed any time of the day—Sunday brunch, mid-day picnic, or a sunset cookout!

Sugar-Free Baked Peaches with Crumble

By Chef Katie Mae

Makes 4 servings | Ready in 20 minutes | Stores 3 days in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• 4 fresh large peaches (OR nectarines)
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and halved
• ½ cup pecans
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Add the dates to a small food processor and pulse a few times. Then add the pecans and oats. Pulse a few more times so the mixture has a crumbly consistency.
3. Slice peaches in half by using a paring knife to slice around the pit of the peach, starting at the end where the stem was. Use a small spoon to remove the pit.
4. Place the peaches in a baking dish with the skin-side down. Then sprinkle about a tablespoon of the crumble over the peach centers.
5. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the peaches are tender to your liking. Serve warm.

CHEF’S NOTES

If you want the peaches to cook for closer to 30 minutes to make them even sweeter and softer, bake them for 10 minutes before adding the topping. Then add the crumble, so that it doesn’t cook for too long.

An alternate cooking style is to slice the peaches in wedges and layer them on the bottom of a baking dish. Then sprinkle the crumble over top. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F.

After topping the peaches, if you have a little of the crumble left over, save it to sprinkle over your oatmeal or a bowl of fruit the next day. I would start with a slightly smaller amount of ingredients, but I find it difficult to process the mixture when there’s not even volume.