The Best Berry Buckle that’s Vegan too!

By: Betsy Stenard

Creative Editor

Just in time for the season of fresh fruit, here is a spring dessert perfect for any occasion! 

A “buckle” is not quite a cake and not quite a cobbler. It is a delicious treat with fruit all throughout it that can be eaten in slices to share with friends. 

Delightfully sweet and fresh, this recipe is easy to make too. All the ingredients should be easily available and you may have them all in your kitchen already. This berry buckle is very versatile in that any berry can be used and almost any fruit too. Pears or apples could be a fun twist in this dish as well. Feel free to have fun with the spices too.

This dessert is also gluten-free and vegan, although if you make it for your friends they will never be able to tell the difference!

If you don’t need to make your food vegan or gluten-free, all of the ingredients can be substituted with the regular versions, such as regular all-purpose flour, eggs, dairy butter, etc.

Hopefully, you will make this recipe again and again for friends and family this spring season!

Berry Buckle

Gluten-free and vegan

Adapted from HealthySlowCooking’s, “Vegan Blueberry Buckle”

Makes ~10 servings

Total Price: $12.24

Price per serving: $1.22

Calories per serving (including nuts): 265

Ingredients:

2 cups of gluten-free, all-purpose flour (I used “Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour”)

4 teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

A dash of nutmeg

2 egg substitutes (use 2 tablespoons of ground flax or chia seeds, mixed with 6 tablespoons of water, or “Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer”)

1 cup of sugar

⅔ cup of non-dairy milk

¼ cup of melted vegan butter

¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon of vanilla

¼ teaspoon of lemon oil OR 1 teaspoon of lemon extract OR lemon zest

2-3 cups of fresh or frozen berries of your choice (I used frozen blueberries and fresh strawberries)

Optional: ⅓ cup of chopped pecans for topping

Note: melted butter or oil and applesauce can be substituted for each other in a one-to-one ratio.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease (or line with parchment paper) a 10-inch cast iron skillet. A 9-inch square baking dish can also be used or any baking dish of equivalent size.
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg substitutes, sugar, milk, melted vegan butter, applesauce and lemon until completely combined.
4. Mix berries (reserve a handful) into the dry mixture so they are evenly coated in flour. This prevents berries from sinking to the bottom.
5. Mix the wet mixture into the dry, and combine fully and evenly to create a thick batter.
6. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish, topping it with leftover berries and chopped pecans while pressing them into the batter slightly.
7. Bake in oven for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean to show that the buckle is cooked through.
8. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and enjoy!