AIP baked peaches layered with blackberry sauce, a no-sweetener fruit dessert

Sugar is one of the first things to go on this protocol, and it takes a while before you trust that dessert can still feel like dessert without it. This one is a good test case: 4 peaches, a handful of blackberries, no added sweetener anywhere in it, and it still tastes genuinely good. That is worth noticing the first few times you make it.

The color here is a sign of what the fruit is actually delivering. Blackberries are a source of anthocyanins, the deep purple pigment that some research links to lower oxidative stress in the body, and the fiber in both fruits supports a calmer gut lining. Peaches are also a source of vitamin C. 3 ingredients, and the plate is still doing something for you.

Find peaches that have not sat too long in cold storage if you can get them. Chilling injury is real. It is why grocery-store peaches sometimes turn mealy, and a peach that ripened properly holds its texture through the bake.

Spoon it warm into a bowl and look at the purple sauce pooled against the gold before you pick up the spoon. A dessert built from 3 plain ingredients can still be the best-looking thing on the table that night.

Ingredients

• 4 peaches, sliced
• 1/4 cup blackberries
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (omit for interstitial cystitis)

Cherries or other berries swap in for the blackberries with no change to the method. There is no added sweetener, on purpose.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350 F.
2. Lay half the peach slices in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.
3. Puree the blackberries with the lemon juice until smooth. Pour half the puree over the peaches, layer the remaining peach slices on top, and finish with the rest of the puree.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the peaches are soft and the sauce is warmed through. Serve warm.

Air fryer variation

For a smaller batch, use an oven-safe dish or ramekin that fits the basket, set it to 350 F, and cook about 8 to 10 minutes until the fruit is soft. This is an untested conversion, so check the first batch and adjust the time.

A closing note

This is the kind of treat that reminds you healing food can be beautiful and plain at once. Make the bowl pretty and let the fruit speak for itself.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*