AIP oven-roasted fruit cups - pineapple, mango, and raspberries baked with citrus zest, topped with coconut vanilla ice cream

A warm dessert sits high on the list of what people say they miss on the elimination phase, and this one does not apologize for being simple. Pineapple, mango, and raspberries go into the oven until they soften and the raspberries collapse into their own sauce, then a scoop of coconut ice cream melts slightly on top. Nothing here needs added sugar. The roasting does that work on its own.

Pineapple's real contribution is bromelain, the enzyme that gives it a reputation in anti-inflammatory kitchens, and mango holds real amounts of beta-carotene, the orange pigment that becomes vitamin A once the body processes it, useful for the tissue lining the gut. Mango surprises people on the elimination phase. It is allowed, and a lot of people do not realize that until they see it written down.

Toss the fruit with citrus zest before it goes in, and pay attention to how the kitchen smells while it bakes, that alone is worth the 15 minutes. Spoon it warm into small glasses, add the pan sauce, and top each one with the ice cream right before serving so it holds its shape a moment longer. Let the color catch your eye before the first bite. This is dessert, full stop, and it happens to be built entirely from fruit.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pineapple, peeled and cubed
• 1 mango, peeled and cubed
• 6 ounces raspberries
• Zest of 1 orange
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Coconut vanilla ice cream, for topping (see note)

Method

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Toss the cubed pineapple and mango with the raspberries and both citrus zests until evenly coated.

Spread the fruit in a glass baking dish and bake about 15 minutes, until the fruit is soft but not collapsed. The raspberries will break down into a natural sauce.

Spoon the warm fruit into small glasses, pour over the pan sauce, and top each with a scoop of the coconut vanilla ice cream. Serve immediately, before the ice cream melts.

A note on softer fruit: strawberries or blueberries can stand in, and they need less time, around 8 minutes, because they break down faster.

A note on the topping: the coconut vanilla ice cream is a separate three-ingredient source recipe. If it calls for vanilla, use alcohol-free vanilla or vanilla powder, because standard vanilla extract is alcohol-based and alcohol is excluded on the elimination phase.

Air fryer variation

For a small batch you can roast the fruit in an air fryer. Spread the cubed pineapple, mango, and raspberries in a single layer in a parchment-lined basket or pan that fits, and air fry around 350 F for roughly 8 to 10 minutes, checking and shaking once, until soft but not falling apart. This appliance conversion is untested for this fruit, so treat the time as a starting point and watch it closely.

*Adapted from asquirrelinthekitchen.com*