Easy Berry Cobbler with Peach Nice Cream (Gluten + Dairy-Free)

Let’s kick off summer with a quick and easy berry cobbler recipe! High in fiber and protein, this berry crisp is made with a gluten-free cornmeal cobbler topping and dairy-free peach nice cream (includes vegan option!). Healthy, delicious, and refined sugar-free–it’s summer in a bowl! 

UPDATE: This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been updated.

This post is sponsored by Whole Foods. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for Root + Revel to provide free content and healthy living inspiration.

Friends, it’s the middle of June and part of me is already fantasizing about all things pumpkin and tailgating and cool weather and boots.

But instead of getting ahead of myself, I decided to pay tribute to the season’s abundance and pack as much delicious berry and peach goodness as I could into one recipe, while enjoying summer’s bounty. The result: the easiest berry cobbler with a crunchy cornmeal topping and sweet peach nice cream. AKA Heaven/Euphoria/Summer in a bowl.

The Best Easy Berry Cobbler That’s Actually Healthy

Google Berry Cobbler and you’ll likely come across a recipe from Paula Deen or the Pioneer Woman. And while I’m sure it’s delicious–it’s also full of way too much sugar, low-quality, gluten-laden flour, milk, and butter.

Sometimes, I have to just ask myself why. Why take something that is essentially just healthy fruit and add way too much fat and sugar and refined carbs and make it unhealthy? Especially when the healthy version tastes just as good (if not better)!

Seriously, when I first made this cobbler, I couldn’t have been more proud of myself. I kept taking bites and then telling anyone who would listen that it was the best dessert I’d ever made.

And I am not one with a sweet tooth. I often skip dessert and I hate baking–it’s too precise. I’m more of a free-spirit when it comes to cooking and the science of baking always trips me up.

But this cobbler, oh this cobbler, fuels all my bohemian, nonconformist fires. It’s virtually impossible to screw up–my kind of recipe!–and it tastes decadent and indulgent despite the fact that there’s not a single ingredient in the entire recipe that is “bad for you”. It’s gluten-free. Topped with dairy-free ice cream.

And it’s high in fiber and protein, and bursting with Vitamin C (immunity boost!), Magnesium (lessens anxiety and improves digestion), Potassium (amazing for stroke, blood pressure, heart and kidney disorders, anxiety and stress), and Vitamin B6 (helps the body metabolize fats, improves brain health and mood, and helps you sleep better!).

So how’d I do it?

How to Make Gluten Free Pie Crust / Cobbler Topping

Let’s start with the pie crust, or cobbler topping in this case.

Rather than doing a traditional pie crust, I went for something way easier for this berry cobbler–a gluten free cobbler topping made from oats, pecans, cornmeal and a little unrefined coconut sugar.

Oh, and of course, pastured butter, because… it’s pie. What is cobbler without butter? Just be sure to use organic, grass-fed butter–I love Organic Valley’s Pastured Butter. (psst…this makes the cobbler itself not dairy-free, but you could swap out butter for ghee or coconut oil if you wanted to make this recipe completely DF and even vegan).

Why do this instead of just using Bisquick or a traditional pie crust?

For starters, it’s so much quicker. There’s no dough forming and rolling and kneading and waiting for it to firm up in the fridge. You just pulse everything in a food processor and pour it over your filling.

Plus, it’s way better for you. There’s no refined flour or sugar, and no dairy required except for the omega-3 rich pastured butter.

And, perhaps most important of all, it tastes better. Really. Have you ever paired sweet corn with tangy berries? The combo is a lesson in contrast and complexity and will seriously make you wonder why you haven’t been putting corn and blueberries together forever. Exhibit A.

Plus you get some heart-healthy nuts, fiber-rich oats and just the most deliciously crunchy, flavorful crust that’s beyond easy and perfect for this berry cobbler.

Ok so we’ve covered the cornmeal topping on this berry cobbler, but what about the filling?

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Seriously–throw a few cups of whatever berries you like (I love them all so used strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) into a big bowl, add a sprinkle of organic cornstarch to thicken things up, a drizzle of vanilla extract to bump of the flavors and a squeeze of lemon juice to balance everything out. Toss it all together, pour into a big cast iron skillet.

And boom goes the dynamite.

How to Make Peach Nice Cream

And now, for the cherry on top. What is a bowl of hot steaming berry cobbler without a little ice cream melting over the top? The hot-and-cold contrast is perhaps one of life’s greatest gifts.

But, to keep things as healthy as possible, I made this “ice cream” with just 3 real-food ingredients: frozen bananas, frozen peaches and coconut milk. That’s it! There’s no dairy, and not even any sugar, refined or otherwise.

If you’ve been on Instagram or Pinterest in the past few years, you likely know this concoction as ‘nice cream’.

What is nice cream? At its simplest, nice cream is frozen bananas blended up into soft serve. I’m seriously amazed at how quickly it becomes just like ice cream in a high speed blender (love my Vitamix!), no fancy ice cream maker or churner or whatever other contraption home goods stores convince you you need. Just a blender, that’s seriously it.

I added peaches because, hello, summer. You can buy the 365 organic peaches at Whole Foods in the frozen department to keep things super easy, but if you want to get fresh, local peaches, just slice em’ up and freeze them the night before and you’ll be good to go.

Whole Foods is my go-to grocery store for fresh, seasonal produce and frozen fruits/veggies–their 365 brand is organic and super affordable. Find a store near you, or order grocery delivery to your door through Amazon Prime.

I mean, just look at this photo, if that is not the most delicious summer dessert you’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is!

If you try this recipe for easy berry cobbler, be sure to share a photo and tag me @rootandrevel on social media–I’d LOVE to see how it turned out for you!

Print

5 from 1 vote

Servings: 6 servings

Easy Berry Cobbler with Peach Nice Cream

Prep Time

7 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

37 mins

 

Let's kick off summer with a quick and easy berry cobbler recipe! High in fiber and protein, this berry crisp is made with a gluten-free cornmeal cobbler topping and dairy-free peach nice cream (includes vegan option!). Healthy, delicious, and refined sugar free--it's summer in a bowl! 

Ingredients

• 3 cups organic mixed berries strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
• 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup organic ground cornmeal
• 1/2 cup organic gluten-free oats
• 1/2 cup organic raw pecans
• 1/4 cup organic raw coconut sugar
• 4 tablespoons organic grass-fed butter (super cold)
• 2 cups frozen bananas
• 2 cups frozen peaches
• 1/2 cup organic coconut milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. In a large glass bowl, combine berries, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Toss to combine. Set aside to macerate. 

3. In a food processor, combine the cornmeal, oats, pecans and sugar. Pulse until combined. Add cold butter. Pulse until crumbly. 

4. To a large cast iron skillet, add berries. Top with cornmeal topping. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the topping is browned and crispy. 

5. Meanwhile, combine bananas, peaches and coconut milk in a high-speed blender. Blend until thick and creamy, like ice cream. Serve spooned over berry cobbler. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This easy berry cobbler is completely dairy free, except for the pastured butter. If you want to make it 100% dairy free and/or vegan, swap out the butter for ghee or coconut oil or vegan butter. The ice cream is 100% dairy free. 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy berry cobbler, gluten free cobbler, healthy berry cobbler, peach nice cream, vegan berry cobbler

Calories: 363 kcal

Author: Kate Kordsmeier

Photo Credit: Heidi Geldhauser

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust.