Are Oats Gluten-Free?

While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often processed in facilities that also process wheat or other gluten-containing grains. That's why if you have Celiac disease or are gluten-intolerant, it's important to use certified gluten-free oats. Also note that some Celiacs may react the oats in the same way that they react to gluten, so that will depend on each individual.

Can I Make Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp Without Oats?

If you prefer to make a crisp without oats, you can make a crumble by substituting the oats with almond meal or almond flour instead.

What's The Difference Between Crisp and Crumble?

While a crisp and crumble are practically the same (and oftentimes the terms are used interchangeably), the main difference between these two fruit desserts is that a crisp uses oats in the topping, while a crumble often uses chopped nuts or nut meal or flours in the topping and does not include oats.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp (Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Description

In this gluten-free blueberry crisp, a bed of sweet blueberries is covered with a golden brown and crispy oat topping. Perfect for breakfast, or served as dessert with a scoop of ice cream. Totally dairy-free and vegan too!

Ingredients

Units Scale

For The Blueberry Filling:

4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the Oat Topping:

3/4 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/8 cup cold dairy-free butter, cut into small cubes

For Serving (Optional):

Dairy-free vanilla ice cream

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Instructions

Preheat Oven and Grease: Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Grease four medium ramekins with dairy-free butter or vegetable oil and set aside.
Prepare Berry Filling: In a large bowl, combine the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and mix well, then set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
Prepare Oat Topping: In another large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free rolled oats, brown sugar, gluten-free all-purpose flour, and dairy-free butter cubes, and the use two knives or a pastry cutter to cut up the butter into smaller pieces in a criss-cross motion, mixing all the ingredients together as you do it. You should get a sand-like texture.
Assemble Blueberry Crisp: Divide blueberry-sugar mixture evenly among the four ramekins, and then distribute the oat crisp topping evenly on top of the berries.
Bake Until Golden: Place the four ramekins on a baking tray and bake until the crisp is golden brown (around 25 minutes if you used fresh berries, or 30 minutes for frozen berries).
Serve and Enjoy: Serve blueberry crisp warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Notes

Blueberries: I used fresh blueberries, but you can also use equal amounts of frozen blueberries if you prefer.

Sugar: I used brown sugar, but you can also use white sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend that you use granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar.

Rolled Oats: I used rolled oats, but you can also use quick-cooking oats if you prefer. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free oats (as oats are often processed in facilities that also process wheat, and there may be cross-contamination).

Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch). If you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, feel free to use equal quantities of normal wheat flour instead.

Dairy-Free Butter: I used dairy-free butter to keep this recipe dairy-free and vegan. Alternatively, you may also use coconut oil if you prefer (I recommend using refined coconut oil that has a more neutral flavor, as opposed to extra virgin coconut oil that has a more pronounced coconut smell and taste). Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use normal butter instead.

Ice Cream: I recommend enjoying this gluten-free blueberry crisp with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream. If you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use normal ice cream instead.

Storing/Freezing: To store, cover the blueberry crisp with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the crisp at 3ooF in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warm. To freeze, place the crisp in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Let the frozen crisp thaw fully overnight in the refrigerator before reheating at 3ooF in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warm.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Category: Desserts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American