Date & Oat Crumble Crust
‘Tis the season for cheesecake, so today I’m going to share a recipe for a universal cheesecake crust that is gluten free and much healthier than most conventional crusts. Most of my cheesecakes call for a homemade graham cracker or cookie crust, but you can substitute this one in any of my recipes. I’ll be using this Date & Oat Crumble Crust this Christmas for my classic Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake. All it takes are four simple ingredients: dates, oats, salt, and butter. Let’s get baking!
Ingredients
Medjool Dates
Medjool dates are one of my favorite fruits. They have a rich, caramelly sweetness and can honestly be dessert all on their own. I love using them in recipes because I can scale the added sugar way back. In this Date & Oat Crumble Crust, I don’t use ANY additional sweetener.
I almost always use Joolies dates. They’re certified organic and glyphosate residue free. (Glyphosate is the extremely toxic active ingredient in weed and pest killers.) Joolies are on the pricey side, but they offer a line of “Ugglies” that are less cosmetically appealing (I think they look just fine) and are still juicy and delicious. It’s a great way to get amazing, organic Medjool dates at a more reasonable price.
Whichever brand of dates you choose, make sure they are Medjool dates. There is another variety called Deglet Noor, but they are smaller and not nearly as sweet. Medjool is the standard baking date.
Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
Oatmeal is another critical ingredient to this Date & Oat Crumble Crust. If you need to make this recipe gluten free, be sure to use certified gluten free oats. Oats do not naturally contain gluten, but are usually cross contaminated in the factory.
My top pick for gluten free oats is from One Degree Organic Foods. Like the dates, they are also glyphosate free. One Degree is totally transparent about ingredient sourcing and makes it very easy to trace where the grains come from. All their cereals, including the rolled oats, are also sprouted. This means the seeds are starting to germinate which makes them more nutrient dense and more digestible.
Celtic Sea Salt
You can certainly use any type of salt in this Date & Oat Crumble Crust (or omit it entirely), but I recommend Celtic sea salt. Conventional salt is devoid of all nutrients (aside from added iodine) and full of anticaking agents. On the other hand, Celtic sea salt keeps the minerals intact and has no additives. The minerals enhance flavor while also balancing the sodium and making it easier for your body to process.
Now just because Celtic sea salt has minerals, don’t assume you can eat an ultra processed diet supplemented with this salt and still meet your micronutrient needs! You would have to eat an impossible amount of salt in order to do that! However, every little bit helps and getting a few extra minerals while eliminating the chemical additives certainly won’t hurt!
Irish Butter
Irish butter is one of my latest discoveries and there’s no going back! The pasture-raised cows make the most delicious butter that also contains more carotenoids than the conventional stuff (which is why it’s so yellow). Again, you can use any butter in this recipe, but grass-fed Irish butter is my personal favorite.
How to Make Date & Oat Crumble Crust
To make this Date & Oat Crumble Crust, you’ll need a food processor and an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Next, slice the dates in half and remove the pits. Place them in a small saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about five minutes. This helps soften the dates so that they blend into the crust more evenly. Meanwhile, grind the oats in the food processor until a coarse flour forms. Transfer to a small bowl, mix in the salt, and set aside.
Remove the dates from the water and place them in the food processor. Grind them until a paste begins to form and then add the butter. Continue grinding until the dates and butter are blended together. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor periodically as you go.
Now add the oat and salt mixture to the dates and butter and blend until all the ingredients come together. Transfer the dough to the springform pan and spread it out evenly across the bottom with an offset spatula. Bake for about 15 minutes in the preheated oven. When the top is turning slightly golden, remove from oven and let cool before using with your favorite cheesecake recipe!
I hope you enjoy this gluten and refined sugar free Date & Oat Crumble Crust! Let me know how you plan to use it in the comments below. As always, tag @roots_and_rosemary in your Instagram photos so I can se your beautiful creations!
Cheesecake Recipes
Below is a list of all my cheesecake recipes that can be used with the Date & Oat Crumble Crust.
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