April may be the cruelest month, but March is arguably the most unpredictable—or at least that is the case where I live.

Today was a beautiful day in Central Virginia with temperatures maxing out to 60 degrees. However, less than a week ago, I was shoveling snow thanks to a storm that dumped six inches on the ground. (Some of that snow is still on the ground.)

As I eagerly await the appearance of fresh spring vegetables at my local farmer’s market, I find myself making a lot of fruit crumbles. While some people consider crumbles fall or winter dishes, I think they are the perfect transition dish between the winter and spring. Back in the day when I first started to bake, I used to love making blackberry crumbles with lots of butter. However, many of my friends are dairy-free, which has led me to adapt my tried and true recipe so that everyone I know can enjoy it.

I love to serve this dish after a meal, but it is so good, it can be eaten on its own or for a late night snack. Considering it is a good source of vitamin C and fiber—thanks to the oats—you can Blackberry Crumble (serves 2-4)almost get away with calling it health food. At the very least, it’s healthier than most desserts.

Blackberry Crumble (serves 2-4)

2 cups frozen blackberries

1/2 cup of coconut oil

1/4 cup of rolled oats

1/4 cup of flour

1 teaspoon of cornstarch 

1/2 brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup of flaked almonds (optional)

1. Place blackberries in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of sugar and cornstarch over them.

2.In a separate bowl, place the  flour, oats, sugar, vanilla extract, melted coconut oil, and almonds (if using) and mix together.

3. Spoon the flour & oats mixture over top of the blackberries. Don’t worry about covering completely. Some blackberries should poke through.

4. Bake in oven at 400 F for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

5. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve alone or over vegan ice cream.

Author: Kimberly Lo

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: eren/Flickr