Butter-Free, Oil-Free Crumble Recipe: Nutritionist Cracks the Code for Perfect Crunch

Just like pies or clafoutis, crumbles are a perfect match for all kinds of fruit. While they often feature apples and pears, this isn’t so much a preference as it is a nod to the seasons. Indeed, crumbles are usually more popular in winter, providing a warm treat, compared to the summer heat waves when simply turning on the oven can make the kitchen unbearably hot. However, when dressed up with blueberries or raspberries, crumbles truly steal the show…

If the fruit filling in a crumble helps us feel less guilty about indulging, it’s easy to overlook what goes on in the layer right above. That crumbly dough, the very essence of a crumble (linguistically speaking, to crumble means “to break into small fragments”), is actually not as innocent as it seems. The culprits? Often, it’s the sugar and butter, which are not exactly subtle additions. In a traditional crumble dough, for every 200 grams of flour, you typically find 100 grams each of butter and sugar. Ouch!

So, what if you’re watching your weight (or need to cut down on fats for health reasons), should you skip crumbles altogether? Absolutely not. Instead, you can switch out grandma’s recipe for a lighter version like the one by Keren Guedj, a nutritionist. Her crumble dough is without butter, oil, and refined sugars, yet it’s just as crunchy and golden as the traditional version…

To make her mini crumbles, Keren simply mixes 2 tablespoons of almond powder, 2 tablespoons of whole flour (richer in fibers and minerals than white flour), and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. She precooks her apple dices in the microwave for 3 minutes with a bit of liquid vanilla extract, places them at the bottom of paper cups, and tops them with the dough. For cooking, there are two options: in an air fryer for 5 minutes at 356°F or, even better according to our nutrition expert, in the oven for 5 minutes at 392°F on grill mode. Feel free to increase the quantities for a larger version to share. Even on a diet, you won’t leave a crumb behind.

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With this revamped version, the crumble retains everything that makes it a success: a golden crust, a melting heart, and maximum deliciousness. It just goes to show that sometimes a few tweaks are all it takes to turn a beloved classic into a dessert that’s as tasty as it is balanced.