Clean-Eating Blueberry Breakfast Crumbles

As we finished our grocery shopping one evening, my guy and I decided to stop by the Krispy Kreme across the parking lot before driving back home. By some strange coincidence, we were both craving donuts (that never happens since he practically hates sweets!), so without a moment’s hesitation, we walked through the door.  

I grew up on mom-and-pop donut stores with display cases full of sprinkles, twists, bear claws, and old-fashioned’s, so up until two months ago, I had never entered a Krispy Kreme. However, it’s the only donut store in our area open past 2 pm, so when our cravings hit at 7 that night, we went with that first feasible option.

I left my guy in charge of ordering and began wandering around the store, watching the workers as they pulled fresh, hot donuts out of the glaze. When I heard the familiar “cha-ching!” of the register, I turned… Then did a double-take. We intended to order two or three to split—and somehow walked out with a dozen!

“Twelve donuts was basically double the price of three!” my guy justified. “And this way, we can try a little of each to see what our favorites are.” I just adore this guy; he knows me too well! I’m indecisive and a sucker for donuts.

After unloading the groceries and restocking the fridge, we broke into the box as if we were the official Donut Taste Testers. A nibble here, a bit there… No pastry was safe!

By the end of the evening I realized two things: (a) I could never work at a donut shop because I’d turn into a whale within a week, and (b) I love cake donuts. The rest are okay.

Even my guy, with his staunch love for the classic glazed, eventually agreed that the cake donuts may have been a little bit better, especially the blueberry one. It tasted like a blueberry muffin crossed with a cupcake and doused in a sweet vanilla glaze. Although the rest of the world may call that pastry “breakfast,” to me, it tasted like dessert!

That blueberry cake donut actually inspired today’s recipe: Blueberry Breakfast Crumbles! But unlike donuts, these clean-eating treats are actually healthy enough for your morning meal. They’re simply a full serving of fruit with a crunchy granola-like topping. Guilt-free desserts for breakfast are the sweetest way to start the day!

For the fruit underneath, I used frozen blueberries. They’re cheaper than fresh and readily available all year round. Most frozen blueberries are already sweet enough and don’t require additional sugar, so you’ll simply toss them with cornstarch to thicken the juices they release as the crumbles bake.

Maple syrup and melted butter hold together the crumble topping. I prefer melted butter because it’s easier to work into the flour and oats than cold, cubed butter. Because of the maple syrup, the crumb topping will be slightly wetter than typical recipes, but it’ll still turn crisp and crunchy in the oven!

As difficult as it may be, resting and chilling the crumbles are mandatory. This gives the cornstarch enough time to work its magic and fully thicken the fruit juices. For that reason, I like to bake these the night before and let them sit in the refrigerator overnight. Then when I wake up, breakfast is already made and waiting for me!

And if you decide to reheat them briefly and add a tiny scoop of frozen yogurt, I won’t judge. It’s pretty phenomenal. Just sayin’!

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More blueberry crumble recipes from other food bloggers…

♥   Simple Oat & Pecan Blueberry Crisp by Pinch of Yum

♥   Blueberry Pie Oatmeal Crumble Bars by Mom on Timeout

♥   Blueberry Crumble Cream Pie by I Wash… You Dry

♥   Blueberry Mint Crumble in Jars by Boulder Locavore