I love fruit crisps and make one almost every weekend. (Don’t tell anyone, but we eat crisp as a side dish instead of as dessert.) I have a tried and true formula for a wonderful, EASY crisp which you can make with just about ANY fruit.




Today, I set out to make a whole wheat, sugar-free version for a diabetic family member. I refuse to bring artificial sweeteners into my kitchen (I’d rather eat sugar), but I do have lots of agave nectar. It was just the thing. The crisp turned out really tasty. The topping is nutty and nicely flavored. It doesn't have the same crunchiness of my usual fruit crisp, but it's a great sugar-free option. 



For this crisp, I used two pears, two apples (one green and one red), and about a cup of frozen blueberries. But you can use lots of different combinations. Some of my favorites:
  •  pears, apples, and cranberries
  • peaches, nectarines, and blueberries
  • apples (granny smith or any other firm favorites)
  • apples and pears
  • strawberries, blueberries, and apples
  • plums and apples
  • peaches, apples, and cherries


Whole Grain Fruit Crisp
The agave nectar in the topping makes it less crumbly and more like a cookie batter. Crumble it as best you can over the fruit.

For the fruit:
about 6 cups of your favorite fruit, pitted, peeled and sliced as necessary
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon agave nectar

For the topping:
1 stick margarine
1 cup agave nectar
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup pecans, broken into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350*.

Combine the fruit ingredients in a Pyrex pie plate. Mix well. (Here's my favorite on Amazon.)

Combine the topping ingredients in a mixing bowl with your fingers till well mixed.  It will be less crumbly than a traditional crisp topping. Scatter the topping in bits over the fruit.

Bake for about an hour, till the top is beginning to brown.

Serve warm or refrigerate for up to three days. If you are refrigerating it, bring it back to room temperature before serving.