Coconutty Fruit Crumble Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter a 9-inch (23 cm) square baking dish or a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish.

Prepare the fruit: peel and chop mango and pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces, and slice bananas into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Combine the chopped mango, pineapple, banana slices, and blueberries in a large mixing bowl to total about 4 cups.

In a small bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cornstarch, lime juice, vanilla extract, and kosher salt until no lumps remain. Taste the mixture briefly and adjust sugar by adding up to 1 more tablespoon if your fruit is very tart.

Pour the sugar-cornstarch mixture over the fruit and gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated. Let sit for 5 minutes to macerate; this helps juices form and the cornstarch start binding.

Transfer the fruit and any accumulated juices into the prepared baking dish, spreading into an even layer. If there is excess liquid, pour it into the dish — the cornstarch will thicken during baking.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, rolled oats, shredded coconut, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Stir with a fork until evenly mixed.

Add the cold cubed butter and (optional) chilled coconut oil to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining — this gives a tender, slightly chunky crumble.

Fold in the toasted sliced almonds if using. Taste a small pinch and adjust a touch more salt or sugar if desired.

Assemble crumble

Evenly sprinkle the coconut crumble over the fruit in the baking dish, covering the fruit with an even layer. Press down very lightly with your hands so some topping contacts the fruit (this helps the topping brown in places) but do not compact it tightly; you want gaps for steam to escape and the topping to crisp.

Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any bubbling juices) and bake in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling around the edges. If the topping is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.

For extra crispness, switch the oven to broil for 1–2 minutes at the end and watch closely to avoid burning — this step is optional and depends on your oven.

Remove from oven and let the crumble rest for 10–15 minutes; this allows the filling to set and makes serving cleaner.

Sprinkle the top with the 2 tablespoons of extra desiccated or shredded coconut and garnish with fresh mint leaves if using. Serve warm with vanilla or coconut ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.