Blueberry peach millet crumble (Vegan & GF)
This vegan blueberry peach millet crumble recipe is the perfect recipe for fall. It’s packed with protein-rich pearl millet, antioxidant-rich blueberries and vitamins and fibre from peaches | Easy to make, gluten-free and a great alternative to apple crumble.
Who doesn’t love a good crumble? This wholesome, vegan blueberry peach millet crumble is the perfect recipe for fall. It’s packed with protein-rich pearl millet, antioxidant-rich blueberries and vitamins and fibre from peaches. It’s ridiculously simple to make and unbelievably delightful! If you’re unfamiliar with millet, it’s a nutrient-dense ancient grain with a mild, nutty, and earthy flavour. If you don’t have any on hand, use quinoa or add more oats.
What is millet?
Pearl millet is probably unfamiliar to you. This ancient grain is loaded with nutrients like fibre and protein, as well as minerals. It has long been a part of many African diets and is gaining popularity in the West as a result of its purported health benefits.
In reality, pearl millet is a seed. Indeed, some people, including my Venda tribe, refer to it as “little maize.” True, and it makes perfect sense when you think about it. With its small size and yellowish colour, it resembles maize.
This superfood is high in B vitamins and minerals like zinc and iron, and it is gluten-free, making it ideal for people who are gluten-intolerant. It also has a low glycemic index, which means it will not cause blood sugar spikes like rice or wheat grains. This makes it an excellent superfood for anyone looking to improve their diet without sacrificing flavour or texture.
Millet is also simple to prepare, has a long shelf life, and requires little time to prepare. It can be mixed into salads, smoothies, and soups. Now it’s time to try it in this blueberry peach millet crumble recipe.
How to cook millet?
While it doesn’t need to be soaked before cooking, it will become more digestible if you do soak it first. It is best to soak the pearl millet overnight in water that is at least 2 cm (1 inch) above the level of the grain. After soaking, drain the water and rinse the grain with fresh water before cooking.
Put the pearl millet in a pot with 3 cups of water and cook for 25 minutes, or until soft and cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
What you need to make this Blueberry Peach Millet Crumble
Here are the Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Pearl millet: It gives the crumble an added texture, chewiness and a great consistency. Baked pearl millet is very chewy and crunchy, for a softer texture, feel free to pulse or grind it in a food processor to turn it into millet flour. You can get pearl millet seeds or millet flour at most Asian and African food stores or buy it on Amazon.
- Rolled Oats: I like to use giant, gluten-free oatmeal to make crumble. I find that it holds together better. You can find giant rolled oats at most health food stores and grocery stores. Feel free to use regular old-fashioned rolled oats, if you prefer.
- Coconut oil: For moisture and binding, use coconut oil instead of butter. I prefer Kirkland organic virgin coconut oil. Use only high-quality coconut oil. Look for unrefined, cold-pressed, or 100%.
- Ceylon Cinnamon: I used this type of cinnamon for a sweet and savoury warmth. If you want to use “true cinnamon,” which is what Ceylon cinnamon is often called, you should definitely get some. The millet crumble benefits from the stronger flavour of this cinnamon because it is less refined than cassia cinnamon.
- Mixed spice: To enhance the warm and inviting flavours of the blueberry peach millet to crumble. You can grab one at your favourite local store.
- Salt: To balance the sweet flavours, add a pinch of salt. I used Himalayan pink salt, but sea salt would also work well.
- Blueberries: These are one of my favourite fruits; small, rich in antioxidants and bursting with flavour. I used them to add more sweetness. Feel free to swap or mix with other berries of your choice.
- Peaches: When peaches are in season, you have to make the most of them by making fun recipes. Make sure to wash them in cold water before you eat them, as some are sweeter than others. You don’t have to peel these fruits, just wash them in cold water and they’re good to go. If you can’t get your hands on these, feel free to substitute them with pears or plums. If you don’t like these fruits, you can make millet apple crisp.
- Date Syrup: It’s my secret and the perfect ingredient for making the most delicious crumbles. It combines well with most fruits. I used my favourite the beloved date nectar from Waitrose.
- Brown sugar: I used 1/2 a tablespoon of brown sugar to make the crumble golden in colour – this is optional.
How to Make a Pearl Millet Peach Crumble
When you make a millet crumble, you are baking a topping on the bottom of a fruit dessert. For this crumble recipe, you will start with a base of chopped-up juicy peaches, blueberries and some date syrup. To keep the crumble topping healthy and wholesome, you’ll add a mixture of millet, oats and coconut oil. The topping is baked together with the fruit until the millet is nice and crispy and the fruit is bubbling hot. Serve warm with a dollop of coconut yoghurt or vanilla ice cream
Preheat your oven to 200℃. In a large bowl, chop or slice the peaches into edible chunks. In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced peaches, blueberries, date syrup and mixed spices. Toss everything together so all of your fruit is coated. Transfer the fruit to a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: millet, rolled oats, brown sugar, sea salt and cinnamon and then coconut oil to butter the mix.
Stir everything together, making sure there are no clumps of millet or oats. Sprinkle the millet crumble mixture evenly over the fruit. Place in the oven and bake the crumble for 50 minutes or until the mixture is fruit is bubbling from the bottom and the millet on top looks crisp, golden brown and crumbly. Once cooked, Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serve it with a spoon of ice cream, or plant-based cream, or enjoy it on its own. Keep the remaining batch of leftovers in the fridge for no more than five days.
Hungry for more comforting desserts?
Made the recipe?
If you make this recipe, please tag it with @itslivhuwani on Instagram. I’d love to see your creations 🙂
Blueberry Peach Millet Crumble
Equipment
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 Food processor optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl millet
- 3 cups water
For fruit mixture
- 1 cup blueberries
- 4 ripe peaches peeled and diced
- 80 ml date syrup
- 1 tsp mixed spice
For the crumble:
- 1 cup millet cooked
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Put the pearl millet in a pot with 3 cups of water and cook for 25 minutes, or until soft and cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.1 cup pearl millet, 3 cups water
- Preheat your oven to 160℃. In a large bowl, toss the peaches, blueberries, date syrup, and mixed spice together. Pour the fruit into a baking dish and toss it together to ensure all of it is coated.1 cup blueberries, 4 ripe peaches, 80 ml date syrup, 1 tsp mixed spice
- For the crumble, combine millet, rolled oats, coconut oil, sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir the mixture until there are no clumps of millet or oats. Sprinkle the millet and oats mixture over the fruit and bake for 50 minutes, or until the crumble is hot and ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
There you have it!
This blueberry peach millet crumble goodness is the perfect combination of sweet and savoury and makes a great addition to any fall meal. The millet and the peaches are a beautiful and sweet combination and the blueberries provide a perfect pop of colour and taste tart.
The millet makes the perfect base for a delicious crumble topping. This crumble tastes great warm with a dollop of coconut yoghurt or vegan vanilla ice cream. It also makes an easy take-along dessert for family dinners and other get-togethers. Try it for a healthy and delicious fall treat that will have you coming back for seconds!
