Berry Crumble

A low FODMAP berry crumble of strawberries, rhubarb, and measured blueberries under a gluten-free oat, brown sugar, and pecan topping.

Prep 20 min

Cook 40 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

Filling

• 300g (about 2 cups) strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 250g (about 2 cups) rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
• 120g (about 3/4 cup) blueberries. Blueberries are low FODMAP at any typical portion, so about 20g per serving across 6 servings is well within range.
• 50g (1/4 cup) cane or white sugar, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 75g (3/4 cup) gluten-free rolled oats. The low-FODMAP cap is 1/2 cup uncooked oats per serving, and this amount stays well under once divided.
• 100g (3/4 cup) gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
• 65g (1/3 cup, packed) brown sugar
• 40g (1/3 cup) pecans or walnuts, chopped. Monash lists pecans and walnuts as low FODMAP at about 15 nut halves (30g); this is about 7g per serving.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 90g (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

Make the filling

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch (20cm) square baking dish or a 1.5-quart dish.
2. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries and rhubarb with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla until the fruit is evenly coated.
3. Fold in the blueberries gently so they stay whole, then spread the fruit into the baking dish in an even layer.

Make the topping

1. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flour blend, brown sugar, chopped nuts, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips (or cut it in with a fork) until the mixture holds together in loose, pea-sized clumps.
3. Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit, leaving a few gaps so steam can escape.

Bake and rest

1. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling bubbles at the edges and the topping is golden brown. If the top browns before the fruit bubbles, tent it loosely with foil.
2. Let the crumble rest for 15 minutes before serving. The filling thickens as it cools, so this step keeps it from running.

Tips & Substitutions

• Dairy-free or vegan. Swap the butter for a firm dairy-free block or vegan baking spread, and check the label to confirm it is free of onion and garlic.
• Watch your flour blend. Some gluten-free blends add inulin or chicory root fiber, which are high in fructans. Choose a rice, potato, or tapioca based blend instead.
• Use certified gluten-free oats. Standard oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat, so oats labeled gluten-free keep the recipe gluten-free.
• Frozen fruit works. Frozen berries and rhubarb are fine straight from the freezer. Add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch, since they release more liquid as they thaw in the oven.
• Nut swap. Walnuts stand in for pecans one for one. For a nut-free version, leave them out and add another 2 tablespoons of oats.
• Sweeten to taste. Rhubarb is tart, so taste the filling and add a little more cane sugar or a tablespoon of maple syrup if needed. Skip polyol "sugar-free" sweeteners like xylitol and sorbitol.

Why This Works

• Berries instead of apples. Apples are high in excess fructose and sorbitol. Strawberries, rhubarb, and blueberries stay compliant at controlled servings, so the fruit base does the same job without the polyols.
• Portioned blueberries. Blueberries are low FODMAP at any typical portion, and spreading 120g across 6 servings gives about 20g each.
• Oats and nuts stay under their caps. Rolled oats are low FODMAP at 1/2 cup uncooked per serving, pecans and walnuts at about 15 nut halves (30g). Dividing the topping across 6 servings gives about 7g nuts each.
• Butter is naturally low in lactose. Butter contains only trace lactose, so a standard butter topping fits the diet without needing a lactose-free swap.

Storage

Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days, then reheat individual portions in the microwave or a low oven until warm. The baked crumble freezes for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating so the topping stays intact. If you scale the recipe up, keep the per-serving blueberry, oat, and nut amounts in mind so the caps still hold.