Cherry Crumble with Nectarines and Bananas
I don’t bake desserts very often but when July comes, my mind goes straight to crumble. And I somehow doubt I am the only one thinking along those lines – don’t we all go crumble crazy in July? All my favorite fruits are in season; cherries, berries, peaches and nectarines, peaking and bursting with sweet and tart flavors, begging to be baked under a crispy oatmeal and butter blanket. Apples, your turn will come soon but for now it’s time to make a cherry crumble with juicy golden nectarines.
I also added a banana to this recipe which initially made me wonder if I wasn’t making a huge mistake – would it turn all mushy and gross? My wish was for the banana to bring a creamy element to the cherry crumble but I am still a novice when it comes to desserts, so I threw everything in the oven and kept my fingers crossed hoping it would work… And it did! Phew!
Actually, the banana was so good that I wrote myself a note: “make blueberry and banana crumble topped with toasted almond flakes on top.” I have a sneaky feeling it’s going to turn out really, REALLY yummy. What do you think? đ
Another interesting tid bit about this particular cherry crumble story is that I love fresh cherries but hate them in any other forms. They automatically remind me of cough medicine and I hate the taste so much that Ben knows to never every buy anything cherry flavored (including Pepto Bismol Ben!) So why did I pick cherries to make a crumble you wonder? Because I had a bunch of them in the fridge that were about to go bad. We had them fresh in a bowl for dessert two nights in a row so it was time for something a little different and more ‘desserty’.
I figured if I didn’t put too much sugar (there’s only 2 tablespoons in the filling) I could avoid a cloyingly sweet, maraschino style cherry crumble. The dessert came out tasting delicious and perfectly balanced. Not too much crumble to feel major guilt after a plate full of it, but enough to compliment the fruit filling.
This is my kind of cherry crumble: Sweet, tart, warm and crispy.
Nectarine and Cherry Crumble
A delicious summer fruit crumble with fresh cherries, nectarines and banana.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 44 minutes
- Total Time: 54 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 2 nectarines (pitted and sliced into thin half moons)
- 1 cup cherries (pitted, about 12 cherries)
- 1 banana (peeled and chopped bite size)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
For the crumble:
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375FÂș.
- Put all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl, mix well and layer in an oven proof dish or aluminum container.
- Put all the ingredients for the crumble and use your fingers to break the butter, mixing well until all the ingredients are clumped together.
- Break up and add on top of the filling, covering as much of the top as possible.
- Cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Broil for 4 minutes until crumble is golden brown. Serve.
