Low-Carb Blackcurrant & Apple Crumble

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I'll be totally honest with you. I'm not a picky eater but I dislike fresh blackcurrants. We've been growing them in our garden for years and I always let the birds pick them. I still remember the first time I tried fresh blackcurrants. It was such a disappointment, they tasted nothing like the blackcurrant juice I remember drinking as a carb-loving kid. It wasn't the tart taste of fresh blackcurrants that put me off, it was the odd odour.

I wasn't ready to give up on blackcurrants yet — after all they are a healthy low-carb option with just about 6.6 g net carbs per 100 g (similar to strawberries and less than blueberries).

My mum used to make this amazing summer crumble cake with different berries. She always used whatever was in season, including blackberries, gooseberries, strawberries and rhubarb. It was my favourite treat so I knew I had to make it low-carb and grain-free. The truth is that when you bake blackcurrants, they transform into something amazing. When you add them to a berry crumble, you will want to go back for seconds.

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How to Make Low-Carb Crumble

The base is simply made with low-carb fruits such as berries or rhubarb with the addition of low-carb sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit or Swerve. The base gets really juicy when baked so I add some chia seeds to prevent the top from getting soggy.

The grain-free topping can be made with any ground nuts (almonds, hazelnuts and pecans are best) and healthy fats like butter or ghee. I like mine chunky so I add chopped nuts into the topping. If you are nut-free, swap the almond flour for ground sunflower seeds and the whole nuts for flaked coconut. If you are dairy-free, simply use coconut oil instead of butter. Cinnamon, vanilla and sweetener are optional but highly recommended.

In this keto crumble I used blackcurrants, which work well with apples, but since apples are not the best option for a low-carb diet, I swapped them for zucchini. It may sound like an unusual ingredient but I swear you will never tell the difference. I've been using zucchini as a low-carb alternative to apples for years and it's always been a success. My Low-Carb Zucchini Apple Pie and Apple Pie Keto Hot Pockets are amongst the most popular recipes on my blog.

Apart from blackcurrants and zucchini, you can use any berries or rhubarb. Try our Low-Carb Blackberry & Apple Crumble or Low-Carb Strawberry & Rhubarb Crumble. The options are endless!

This recipe makes 8 dessert servings or 4 to 6 breakfast sized servings. I eat mine with a dollop full-fat Greek yogurt. You can also serve with mascarpone, whipped cream, sour cream, coconut yogurt or coconut cream. If you are feeling fancy, serve your crumble with a scoop of our No-Churn Keto Vanilla Ice-Cream. Enjoy!

Nutritional values (per serving, about 130 g/ 4.6 oz)

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

Blackcurrant & "apple" base:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackcurrants (240 g/ 8.5 oz)
• 2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash (about 450 g/ 1 lb), peeled and core removed (285 g/ 10 oz)
• 1 tsp cinnamon and/or vanilla powder
• ¹/₂ tsp ground ginger
• pinch of sea salt
• ¹/₄ cup powdered or brown sugar substitute such as Swerve (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (8 g/ 0.3 oz)
• ¹/₂ stick unsalted butter, ghee or coconut oil (57 g/ 2 oz)

Crumble topping:

• 1 cup almond flour (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
• 2 tbsp granulated or brown sugar substitute such as Swerve (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• ¹/₂ stick unsalted butter, ghee or coconut oil (57 g/ 2 oz)
• ¹/₂ tsp cinnamon
• ¹/₃ cup macadamia nut halves (45 g/ 1.6 oz)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F (fan assisted), or 195 °C/ 380 °F (conventional). Peel and halve the zucchini lengthwise and use a melon baller to scoop the soft core out.
   Note: You can use the zucchini cores in another recipe. Simply cut into small pieces and add to soups or sauces.
2. Slice the zucchini into ¹/₂ inch (1 cm) pieces. Place in a baking dish (I use a round 24 cm/ 9 ¹/₂ inch baking dish) together with the blackcurrants.
3. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, ginger, salt and sweetener. Add the first part of the butter. Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the crumble by placing all of the ingredients in a bowl. Using your hand, combine until you get a thick dough. Mix in the macadamia nuts. Set aside.
5. When the fruit base is baked, add the chia seeds. Stir and let them soak up the juices for a few minutes.
6. Crumble the prepared dough over the fruit base and place in the oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crumble topping is lightly golden.
7. Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with a dollop of full-fat yogurt, mascarpone, whipped cream, sour cream, coconut yogurt or coconut cream. Once cool, store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, about 130 g/ 4.6 oz)

Net carbs	Protein	Fat	Calories
Blackcurrants, fresh or frozen
2 g	0.3 g	0 g	9 kcal
Zucchini (summer squash, courgette)
0.8 g	0.4 g	0.1 g	6 kcal
Cinnamon, spices
0.1 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Ginger (ground, dried), spices
0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Salt, sea salt
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Swerve, natural sweetener (Erythritol and chicory inulin based)
0.3 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Chia seeds
0.1 g	0.2 g	0.3 g	5 kcal
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed
0 g	0 g	2.9 g	25 kcal
Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal)
1.1 g	2.7 g	6.6 g	74 kcal
Swerve, natural sweetener (Erythritol and chicory inulin based)
0.1 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed
0 g	0 g	2.9 g	25 kcal
Cinnamon, spices
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Macadamia nuts
0.3 g	0.4 g	4.2 g	40 kcal
Total per serving, about 130 g/ 4.6 oz
4.7 g	4.1 g	17 g	188 kcal

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