Healthy Almond Berry Crumble

 
When I applied for graduate chemistry programs, every school that accepted me also mailed me an invitation to an all-expenses-paid visitation weekend with the other prospective students. I’d hop on a plane, stay in a hotel, tour the campus, meet with various faculty pursuing interesting research, and finally head to a fancy wine-and-dine session at an upscale restaurant in town.  

Although not quite as glamorous because I already knew almost everything about the department, I also attended the visitation weekend hosted by my undergraduate university. I mainly treated it as a point of comparison for the other schools, so I skipped the tours but still met everyone downtown for dinner to socialize with the other potential incoming students.
 

 
I was assigned a seat at a table with two of my professors, along with multiple twenty-somethings my age, where we tried to make pleasant conversation to the best of our abilities. That’s hard with a table full of introverts and complete strangers! Everyone breathed an unconscious sigh of relief when the food trickled in—finally, an easy distraction!

Towards the end of the evening, one of the well-known faculty members stood up to present the keynote talk right as the waiters slid plates of dessert in front of us. I wanted to make a good impression and pay attention… But I really love dessert! So I picked up my spoon and dug into the berry crumble à la mode.
 

 
The vanilla ice cream immediately melted into the warm streusel topping, settling into the cracks and surrounding each bite of fruit with rich cream. Honestly, I barely remember that presentation—something about radioactive markers, perhaps?—but from then on, I realized just how much I adore fruit crumbles!

So with my freezer full of berries, I decided to bake my own… With a little twist. This Healthy Berry Crumble, full of juicy summer flavors, contains NO refined flour or refined sugar! Entirely clean eating, with gluten free and vegan options too, this skinny dessert is certainly a sweet and healthy way to end any meal.
 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY BERRY CRUMBLE

Whether you call this a “berry crisp” or “berry crumble,” the process remains the same… And personally, I think this dessert tastes just as delicious, regardless of the name you give it! 😉

I started this easy berry crumble with frozen fruit. When it comes to berries, I’d much rather save the fresh for snacking and bake with frozen instead because frozen is cheaper and available all year round. For this particular crumble, I used Trader Joe’s Fancy Berry Medley, a combination of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Toss those with a little almond extract (my favorite baking flavor!) and cornstarch to thicken their juices, and that’s all there is to it!
 

 
Now for the streusel… The thicker, the better in my opinion! It’s my favorite part, so I always save the bite with the most streusel for last. This particular topping is purely clean-eating and spiced with a hint of cinnamon—just enough to perfume your kitchen and fill the house with its warm smell.

To make things even easier, I used melted butter. Many crumble recipes call for cutting chilled butter into the oats, but that requires a lot more effort than simply stirring in a liquid. This method works just as well and saves a lot of time! Because of the melted butter and agave, this crumble topping is slightly wetter than your typical ones, so it may stick to your fingers a little more when you sprinkle it over the fruit.
 

 
To really help the fruit juices thicken, it’s important to chill the crumble after it cools to room temperature. If left on the counter, the juices stay liquidy. The dessert still tastes the same! The slices just won’t hold together as well when you scoop them out of the pan to serve.
 

 
With its sweet summer fruit and cinnamon crumb topping, this Clean Almond Berry Crumble tastes every bit as satisfying as the traditional ones made with an entire cup of butter. But with its minimal sugar and tons of fruit, this one is practically healthy enough to eat for breakfast!

So that’s exactly what I did. 😉
 

 
When you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy berry almond crumble!
 

Healthy Almond Berry Crumble

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 9 slices

This juicy berry crumble tastes like summer! With a subtle hint of almond and plenty of cinnamon streusel topping, it’s the perfect dessert for any fruit lover. Cover and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for at least 4 days (if not longer!).

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Ingredients 

• ¾ cup (75g) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)
• ¼ cup (30g) whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, melted (see Notes!)
• 6 cups (840g) frozen unsweetened mixed berries (see Notes!)
• 3 tbsp (24g) cornstarch
• 2 tsp almond extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, mix together the oats, flour, and cinnamon. Add in the maple syrup and butter, mixing until completely incorporated.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the frozen berries, cornstarch, and almond extract until thoroughly combined.
• Spread the berry mixture into the prepared pan, and evenly sprinkle the oat crumbs on top. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until the berry juice is bubbling and the oat mixture turns crunchy. Cool completely to room temperature. For best results, let the crumble chill for at least 2 hours after coming to room temperature before serving to help the juices to thicken.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour and oats in the crumble topping will make it dry and crumbly. (This is especially true of the oats; they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture!)

 

IMPORTANT BERRY NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I prefer a triple berry medley with blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

 

Both fresh and frozen berries will work. I highly recommend tasting your berries first to make sure they're juicy and sweet! If they're not very sweet, then you may want to add sweetener to the filling so your crumble isn't tangy or tart.

 

If using fresh berries, then add 3-4 tablespoons of water to the berry filling, just before adding the cornstarch. (Without the water, the filling will be dry, and the cornstarch won't fully dissolve.)

 

If using frozen berries, do not thaw them. Toss the frozen berries directly with the cornstarch and almond extract.

 

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: You must let the crumble cool completely to room temperature and chill for 3+ hours before serving in order to let the blueberry juices to fully set. If you'd prefer to serve it warm, see my suggestion below!

 

OAT ALTERNATIVES: Quick cooking oats (also called "instant" oats or "one minute" oats) may be substituted for the old-fashioned rolled oats. Do not substitute steel-cut oats; they don't soften properly.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour. Oat flour (and gluten free, if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent.

 

SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

 

GLUTEN FREE VERSION: To make the crumble gluten free, use certified gluten free old-fashioned oats or certified gluten free quick cooking oats.

 

Almost any other gluten free flour will work — except for coconut flour. Do not substitute coconut flour because it makes the topping too dry and crumbly.

 

DAIRY FREE + VEGAN VERSION: For a vegan version, substitute Earth Balance buttery sticks for the best results. Coconut oil will also work, but the flavor and texture of the topping will be slightly different.

 

NUT FREE VERSION: Substitute vanilla extract in place of the almond extract.

 

SERVING WARM: If you prefer to enjoy your crumble warm, then reheat individual portions once it has chilled in the refrigerator.

 

{gluten free, egg free, dairy free option, vegan option, low fat, lower calorie}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amyshealthybaking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

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