Summery Peach Crisp, Plant Based and Gluten Free

Creamy, crispy, and juicy. A plant based and gluten free peach crisp inspired by a summer afternoon at Oliver’s in Montecito. Created with love using my last batch of juicy Regier farm peaches from the Santa Barbara farmers market. A dessert suitable to pay peaches a farewell this season and perfect to prepare until the fall equinox. Served both warm and cold.

1. J U I C Y

I love my peaches particularly chilled and topped on my summer salads but since I’m running low on ways to prepare the last of this summer’s batch, here we are! The first base to this fruity crisp requires two medium ripe peaches or one small and one large ripe peach.

Peaches are juicy and flavorful, they caramelize beautifully without requiring much ingredients. I used organic unrefined and low glycemic coconut sugar, a couple of drops of pure vanilla extract, and organic fresh lemon juice and zest to assist with caramelizing and holding back the excess sugar. To bake: a dollop of tapioca starch and a brown rice flour blend.

2. C R I S P Y

I have yet to find a store bought granola I truly enjoy. They’re filled with sugar, even when they’re not, they are not palatable. The upside to making homemade granola is you can make it your own, depending on how clumpy, sweet, or nutritious you want it to be. This one contains oats, buckwheat, walnuts, almonds, pepitas, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and coconut flakes.

The granola in this recipe, albeit basic, is so versatile and convenient to store at home for different snacks or… a fruit crisp. A delightful blend, sweetened with maple syrup and pure vanilla extract; lightly salted with pink Himalayan salt. Make this layer crisp by stirring and separating on a baking sheet pan before baking. I added freeze dried raspberries, dried calendula, and dried cornflower petals to the final granola base for a fun pop of color and extra nutritional benefits.

cornflower: flavonoids contain anti-inflammatory effects

To make gluten free, use organic gluten free oats. Otherwise, ensure your oats are organic and glyphosate free. Glyphosate is a carcinogenic herbicide, used in the United States — banned in EU, it’s residue is found particularly in wheat based foods and in more than 95 percent of oat based foods. For this recipe, I used Whole Foods 365 Organic Old Fashioned Oats.

3. C R E A M Y

A creamy, plant based ice cream topping is obligatory even on the cusp of summer on a breezy California evening. If you’re purchasing ice cream, check the labels for any suspicious ingredients. I generally prefer making everything from scratch but ice cream can be tedious especially without an ice cream machine. I used the Toasted Coconut Butter flavor by Sunscoop, a perfectly silky texture with a sweet and salty finish. Optional to drizzle a little something on top especially if you’re keeping your ice cream flavor simple. I whipped maple syrup and tahini for a subtle sweet and nutty smokiness.