Cranberry Crisp

This easy recipe provides phytonutrient power and color to a holiday meal or any meal you'd like to top off with a healthier dessert!

Some meals simply require offering a dessert - holidays, special occasions, or dinner parties. Instead of offering some sort of cake, pastry, or cookies, why not offer a healthy alternative to a traditional dessert!

Can this Cranberry Crisp actually provide healthful nutrients? Yes, and it is delicious too!

Here are some health benefits of the ingredients!

• Cranberries:

• are a good source of vitamin C, which benefits the immune system and skin health

• provide proanthocyanidins (type of polyphenol), which are bioactive compounds that have anti-inflammatory benefits, promote heart health, and protect urinary tract health

• provide anthocyanins, which give cranberries their red color and act as powerful antioxidants to reduce free radical damage in the body

• provide polyphenols and other active plant compounds that benefit the gut microbiota

• Orange juice:

• good source of vitamin C, which benefits the immune system and skin health

• Oats:

• good source of prebiotic rich soluble fiber to benefit the gut microbiome

• provide beta-glucans to promote healthy cholesterol levels

• Nuts:

• rich source of fiber, unsaturated fats and polyphenols, all of which have been shown to benefit the gut microbiome

• rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamin E and magnesium, benefiting cellular health

Recipe for Cranberry Crisp

Cranberry filling ingredients:

24 ounces (approx. 6 cups) fresh cranberries

2/3 cup packed brown sugar*

1/2 cup orange juice (100% natural, no sugar added; or freshly squeezed)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of one orange

Crispy oatmeal topping ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts work best)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar*

1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil

1/4 cup flour (or gluten-free flour or almond meal)

pinch of ground cinnamon (adjust to taste)

pinch of salt

* Feel free to use your favorite natural alternative sweetener for the brown sugar.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish (or 8 small ramekins) with cooking spray. Set aside.

• Prepare cranberry filling:

• Stir cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice, vanilla extract and orange zest together in a large bowl until evenly combined. Set aside.

• Prepare crispy oatmeal topping:

• Stir oats, nuts, brown sugar, melted butter, flour (or almond meal), salt and cinnamon together in a separate large bowl until evenly combined. Set aside.

• Spoon the cranberry filling evenly into the baking dish or into the 8 ramekins (approx. 3/4 cup per ramekin).

• Sprinkle the crispy oatmeal topping evenly over the cranberry filling.

• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cranberries are bubbling and the topping is lightly golden.

• Rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.

• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (or non-dairy alternative)

Source:

Adapted from www.gimmesomeoven.com