Keto Raspberry Crumble (Low Carb, Gluten Free & Grain Free)
If you grew up in Britain, you already know the crumble I am talking about. The one that came out of the school kitchen in a big metal tray, hot and golden on top, with a jug of custard poured over the whole lot. It was proper comfort food, the pudding everyone actually looked forward to on a cold day. The only trouble is that the school version, like most classic crumbles, was built on plain flour and a heap of sugar, which is exactly the sort of thing a ketogenic diet has to leave behind.
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I was not willing to give that memory up. So I set about rebuilding it into a keto raspberry crumble that gives you the same golden top, the same hot and jammy fruit, and the same cosy feeling, but without the carbs. This is a low carb dessert that tastes like the real thing, and after a lot of testing in my own kitchen I think it is one of the best low carb recipes I have made for berry season. It is keto friendly, gluten free and grain free, and nobody at the table will guess it is sugar free.
The thing that makes this one special is a tiny extra step. Before the ground almonds go anywhere near the fruit, I toast them in a dry pan until they turn golden and smell nutty. Raw almond flour can taste a little pale and flat, but toasting wakes it up and gives the topping a deep, biscuity flavour that is much closer to a traditional crumble. Add roughly chopped pecans for crunch and you have a topping that genuinely earns its place on a low carb diet.
Why you’ll love this keto raspberry crumble
This is the kind of low carb friendly pudding you can serve to anyone, keto or not, and still get asked for the recipe. It hits every note a good crumble should, and it does it while keeping the net carbs right down.
- It tastes like a proper British pudding, not a diet compromise.
- Toasting the ground almonds gives the topping a rich, biscuity depth you do not get from raw almond flour.
- Raspberries are one of the most keto friendly fruits going, so you get loads of fruity flavour for very few carbs.
- It is naturally gluten free and grain free, which makes it an easy low carb dessert to share around one table.
- It is sugar free, sweetened only with erythritol, so it fits neatly into a ketogenic diet.
- Most of the work is hands-off in the oven, so it is a simple bake even on a busy day.
What makes it keto friendly
A classic crumble leans on two things a low carb diet cannot really afford: plain flour and sugar. Both are packed with fast carbs, and both would knock you out of ketosis in a single serving. The clever part of this recipe is that every one of those high carb ingredients has a low carb swap that does the same job, and often does it better.
Instead of flour, I use fine ground almonds (almond flour) and chopped pecans. Both are grain free, high in healthy fats, and low in net carbs, which is exactly what you want on a ketogenic diet. Instead of sugar, I use granulated erythritol. This is a sugar alcohol that your body does not break down for energy, so it adds sweetness without the carbs and is left out of the calorie and carb totals. Finally, the raspberries do a lot of the heavy lifting. They are naturally low in sugar and high in fibre, so they give you that hot, jammy crumble filling while keeping the whole thing genuinely keto friendly and low carb.
How to make keto raspberry crumble
The method is straightforward, and the toasting step is the only part that is a little different from a standard crumble. Start by toasting the ground almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly until they turn golden and smell nutty. Keep them moving, because almond flour can catch and burn quickly. Once they are done, tip them onto a plate to cool while you get on with the fruit.
Next, add the raspberries to your baking dish with the erythritol, a little lemon juice and a pinch of xanthan gum, then toss to coat. The xanthan gum is a small keto baking secret, because it thickens the fruit juices into a glossy, jammy filling as the crumble bakes. Then make the topping. Rub cold cubed butter into the cooled toasted almonds, chopped pecans, more erythritol, cinnamon and a pinch of salt until it clumps into a rough, gravelly crumble.
Scatter the crumble evenly over the fruit and bake until the top is deep golden and the raspberries are bubbling up at the edges. Let it stand for ten minutes before serving so the filling can set. Serve it warm, ideally with a good pour of double cream (heavy whipping cream), and let everyone pretend they are back in the school dinner hall, only this time it is fully low carb.
My top tips
- Do not walk away while the almonds toast. They burn fast. Keep stirring.
- Frozen raspberries are fine. No need to defrost. Just add a couple of minutes to the bake.
- Use cold butter. Soft butter makes a paste, not a crumble. Chill it first.
- Let it rest before serving. The filling needs a few minutes to thicken.
- Serve warm with cold double cream (heavy whipping cream).
Swaps
- Nuts. Use chopped walnuts or flaked almonds instead of pecans.
- Sweetener. A monk fruit blend works too. Never use xylitol, honey, maple syrup or sugar.
- Berries. Blackberries work well. So does a raspberry and blackberry mix. Skip high-sugar fruit.
- Dairy free. Use a firm block of coconut oil instead of butter. Chill it the same way.
- Spice. Swap the cinnamon for mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice) for a cosier flavour.
Give it a go and let me know how you get on. It is one of my favourite low carb recipes for using up a punnet of raspberries.
Ingredients
For the raspberry filling
- 400 g raspberries fresh or frozen
- 40 g granulated erythritol
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
For the toasted almond crumble
- 150 g fine ground almonds almond flour
- 60 g pecans roughly chopped
- 50 g granulated erythritol
- 60 g cold butter cubed
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / gas mark 4 / 350°F. Lightly butter a small baking dish, about 20cm.
- Tip the ground almonds into a dry frying pan and toast over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 4–6 minutes until golden and nutty. Tip onto a plate and leave to cool.
- Add the raspberries, erythritol, lemon juice, xanthan gum and vanilla (if using) to the baking dish and toss gently to coat. Spread into an even layer.
- In a bowl, combine the cooled toasted ground almonds, chopped pecans, erythritol, cinnamon and salt.
- Rub the cold cubed butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips until it clumps together into a rough, gravelly crumble.
- Scatter the crumble evenly over the raspberries.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until the topping is deep golden and the fruit is bubbling at the edges.
- Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving, so the filling can thicken. Serve warm with double cream (heavy whipping cream).
Notes
| Nutrient | Per serving | Whole batch |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 326 kcal | 1956 kcal |
| Fat | 29 g | 174 g |
| Total carbohydrate | 14.6 g | 87.4 g |
| of which fibre | 7.9 g | 47.4 g |
| Sugar alcohols (erythritol) | 15 g | 90 g |
| Net carbs | 6.7 g | 40 g |
| Protein | 7 g | 42 g |
