Berry Pecan Bake

16 Sep Berry Pecan Bake

Is it a dessert bread?  A cake? I couldn’t decide, so I combined the both and called it a “bake” :). Berry Pecan Bake is moist and decadent with just the right amount of sweetness, making it the perfect choice to serve at brunch or for dessert.  Think tart berries in a sweet yogurt-y dough with a crunchy pecan topping.   It’s also naturally gluten free and refined sugar free and really easy to make.

Keep this bake in the refrigerator so it stays fresh.  And you might need to play with the cooking time a bit depending on what time of baking dish you use.  I’ve used both an 11” X 7” oblong casserole dish and a deep 10” X 10” baking pan.  I like the bake to be thick rather than flat.

Berry Pecan Bake

Makes about 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

all natural cooking spray

Wet ingredients:

• ½ heaping cup Greek yogurt (not fat free)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ¾ cup pure maple syrup (the real stuff!)
• 1/3 cup real butter or vegan butter or coconut oil, melted (plus save the rest of the stick of butter for the topping below)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup all purpose gluten free flour (I like
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

2 heaping cups frozen (and defrosted) or fresh blackberries or raspberries or a mix of both), gently chopped

Topping:

• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil or vegan butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Spray desired casserole or baking dish with all natural cooking spray (see headnote to learn more about what kind of dish to use)
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients just until combined.
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
5. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients ½ of the mixture at a time.  Mix just until incorporated (don’t over-mix.)
6. Gently fold in the berries.
7. Pour batter into casserole dish.
8. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping.  Sprinkle on top of the batter.
9. Bake about 30 minutes or until middle of the bake is set (cooking time will vary based upon what kind of baking dish you use).  Let cool.
10. Keep refrigerated and enjoy!

SO, WHAT’S THE NUTRITION BALANCE?

This dessert recipe is mostly carbs and fat.  I might serve it with eggs for a brunch.  If having it for dessert, try making dinner a lean protein and light (non starchy) carbohydrate like chicken or fish with veggies or salad for example, followed by this dessert to prevent a blood sugar spike.