strawberry crumble with an orange twist

Nothing kicks off strawberry season like this strawberry crumble with and orange twist. I get so excited to go to the farmer’s market and pick up freshly picked strawberries! They have such a vibrant red color that I tried to do justice in the photos. And the sweetness…holy cow!

Why strawberry crumble

Get all of the flavor but none of the guilt! This strawberry crumble recipe does call for a little sweetener mixed with the strawberries but if you’re using local, fresh strawberries, they may be sweet enough. If so, ditch the extra sweetener.

How to make strawberry crumble

I love this crumbly top for multiple reasons. First, it has butter which I would miss terribly if absent! Next, it uses whole grain, fiber-rich oats and low-carb flour (bonus!) I used like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free oats and almond flour. Feel free to use the gluten version of oats.

Next, let’s talk about that fact that there’s no added sugar yet still deliciously sweet! BOOM! I used a stevia blend, Pyure, to sweeten which is a blend of erythritol and pure stevia. 

It’s perfect if you’re watching your carb intake with zero carbs and calories, and no glycemic impact. A little bit goes a long way so I only used a tablespoon.

Lastly, I added cinnamon, orange zest and sea salt. Of course you could leave out the orange but I encourage you to keep because it’s delicious!

And now the strawberries…

I kept the strawberries as pure as possible – not wanting to compromise their sweet, flavorful selves in any way. I added a little xanthum gum to bind and thicken the strawberry juice so the top doesn’t float. You could use corn starch instead. Finally the orange juice is a wonderful acidic complement to the sweet strawberries!

I always have to top strawberry and other fruit crumbles with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Is there anything better than when the warm fruit juice starts to combine with the melted cream. Holy yum!