My mom perpetually stocks her fridge with fresh blueberries. Many mornings, she pours herself a small bowl of cereal, usually something containing bran flakes and granola clusters with some slivered almonds as well, and she drops in a handful of those blueberries after pouring in her vanilla almond milk.
Have you ever added fresh fruit to a bowl of cereal? When you get a bite with everything—that soft, sweet, juicy burst paired with the slightly crisp flakes or crunchy granola clusters and the cold liquid from the milk—oh my yummm. It’s worth rolling out of bed for, every single time!
When the temperatures started rising here in California earlier this month, Mom also began fixing herself one of her favorite summertime treats in the evenings with that same fruit: berries athenaeum. It’s one of the dessert options on the menu at the Athenaeum, a club-style restaurant owned by the college in southern California where she completed her undergraduate degree, and it’s very simple and straightforward.
Add vanilla bean ice cream to a bowl, top with fresh berries, and, if desired, drizzle that with a little Grand Marnier and finish with a cookie, traditionally a classic hazelnut pirouline.
Mom generally sticks to the ice cream and berries… And after bringing a coworker to the Athenaeum a few years ago for dinner during one of their business trips to the college, that sweet lady started making berries athenaeum at home too!
So when I gave Mom and Dad this Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Crumble last Friday, she topped her first slice with vanilla ice cream, just like with her favorite easy dessert. And by the end of the weekend, every last crumb had disappeared from the pan!
But since the crumble contained no refined flour or sugar… And a full serving of fruit in every slice… And just 127 calories… My parents didn’t feel guilty about that at all!
To make this healthy crumble, you’ll start with the topping. It’s super simple! Just whole wheat flour, old-fashioned oats, and cinnamon held together with a little sweetener and melted butter. Yes, melted butter! Traditional recipes require you to cut cold, cubed butter into that mixture, but… That takes more effort. (And makes my muslces tired, especially if I already finished an arm workout earlier in the day! ?) It’s much easier to stir in melted butter, so we’re doing that instead!
As for the sweetener, you’ll use pure maple syrup instead of granulated or brown sugar. Be sure to use the good stuff! Avoid pancake syrup or sugar-free syrup; those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients, which we’re avoiding in this healthier recipe. The only ingredient on the label should be “pure maple syrup.” It’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs, and I’ve also bought it online.
For the fruit, both fresh and frozen blueberries will work! This means that it’s completely possible to enjoy this crumble all year round… Which makes me one very happy girl. Fruit crumbles are one of my favorite desserts because they’re basically healthy enough for breakfast! Lots of fruit + “granola” topping made of wholesome ingredients = breakfast food, right?? (Just say yes!)
Because the blueberries release lots of juice while baking, you’ll mix them with cornstarch before adding them to the pan. The cornstarch thickens those juices, especially while the crumble cools, so it’s very important to let the crumble cool completely to room temperature before serving so the cornstarch can do its thing. If you prefer eating your crumble warm, I still highly recommend letting it cool completely, then reheating individual portions!
And topped with a little vanilla ice cream… Or, umm, how about vanilla frozen Greek yogurt for breakfast?…
Pure bliss. And when you bake this, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see the notification from you! ?) I’d love to see your blueberry crumble and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Crumble | | Print |
- ¾ cup (75g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¼ cup (30g) whole wheat flour or millet* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter, melted
- 6 cups (840g) blueberries
- 3 tbsp (24g) cornstarch
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the topping, whisk together the oats, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the maple syrup and melted butter. Stir until fully incorporated.
- To prepare the filling, toss the blueberries with the cornstarch in a large bowl until completely coated.
- Transfer the filling to the prepared pan, and sprinkle evenly with the topping. (The topping tends to clump, so try to break it up into fairly small pieces.) Bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes or until the juice is bubbling at the sides of the pan. Cool completely to room temperature; then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving to allow the juices to fully thicken.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
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.
Both fresh and frozen blueberries will work. If using fresh, then add 3 tablespoons of water to the blueberry filling, just before adding the cornstarch. If using frozen, do not thaw them. Toss the frozen blueberries directly with the cornstarch, and bake the crumble for closer to 55-65 minutes instead.
If you prefer to enjoy your crumble warm, then reheat individual portions once it has chilled in the refrigerator.
{gluten-free, vegan option, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Blueberry Almond Crumble
♡ Peach Crumble
♡ Almond Berry Crumble
♡ Strawberry Poppy Seed Crumble
♡ Blueberry Mango Crumble
♡ Blueberry Breakfast Crumbles
Hi Amy! This looks sooo delicious! Could you use arrowroot starch in place of the cornstarch?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Camille! I don’t have experience with arrowroot starch, so I can’t personally vouch for that substitution (and I don’t want to lead you astray!). I’d love to hear what you think if you try this crumble! 🙂
Hey Amy! The crumble was DELICIOUS and such a hit at our dinner party! I did use arrowroot starch in place of the cornstarch, and also used almond flour instead of whole wheat flour. It turned out perfectly! I can’t wait to make it again ?
I’m so glad you loved this crumble Camille! I’m truly honored that you made it for your dinner party, and that’s the best compliment ever if you can’t wait to make it again! 😉 Thank you so much for sharing that with me!!
Hi Amy,
This is an awesome recipe! I took it to our “Berry” Sunday at church and anyone who tried it loved it! I’m taking it to my small group this week too. I used honey because that’s what we had in the house, and Earth Balance Original in a tub because our local store didn’t have the sticks and for my flour I used a brown rice flour. Everything turned out great and tasty! If you don’t mind I”ll be doing a post about it’s yummy goodness in my blog Mom’s Herbs and Oils (www.momsherbsandoils.com) later this week. I’ll make sure I link back here and tag you on Instagram. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed this crumble, Linda! That truly means the world to me — thank you so much!! 🙂 I’m honored that you’d like to share this recipe on your website as well! Just to double check, you’ll just be posting the link, not the full recipe, correct? (PS Your sweet comment made my entire day!)
That’s correct. The post will be mostly about the health benefits of Blueberries and I will link back to your post.
Thanks for confirming, Linda! That sounds wonderful — I can’t wait to see your blog post! 🙂
Hi Amy I was in Northern Ontario we had fresh blueberry I asked my sister to google a healthy blueberry recipe and she found your recipe. Everybody love this recipe, so Than you so much .
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed this crumble, Gilles! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Just made this! It looks beautiful in my red deep dish ceramic pie dish. I added some lemon zest and lemon juice to the berries, and chopped Pena’s to the topping, and used honey rather than maple syrup because it’s what was on hand. Turned out lovely. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this blueberry crumble Terri! I love your idea of adding lemon — sounds delicious! 🙂
I am still in the baking process but had a few adjustments that needed to be made.
6 C. was too much berries so I did 4 C. instead.
There was not enough crumble so I had to double that.
I also added cardamom and salt to the topping.
Seems like it will be a real winner!
I can’t wait to hear how your crumble turned out Jen! 🙂
Turned out lovely. I will definitely be making it again. Wow how the flavors of the fruit come out when they aren’t overpowered by so much sugar. Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome Jen! I’m so glad you loved it, and that means the world to me that you’d like to make it again! That’s the best kind of compliment! 😉
Yum yum. This was super tasty! I used agave instead of maple syrup, and squeezed some lemon juice before tossing the berries. I took it to a dinner party, where my friends raved that it made them want to curl up with a cup of coffee and have it for breakfast 🙂 Thank you!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed this crumble Celina! I’m truly honored that you’d make one of my recipes for your dinner party. That means the world to me! 🙂 Thank you for sharing the kind words from your friends too!!
Quick question: any recommendations about modifications required to substitute blackberries for blueberries? I love most fruit but the husband has preferences😏
Thx!
Your husband is so lucky to have you Beverly! If you’d like to use fresh blackberries, then just use the same amount, and add 3-4 tablespoons of water into the filling (along with the blackberries and cornstarch). I’d love to hear how that turns out if you try it! 🙂
I am happy to report that the (frozen) blackberry crumble was a huge hit! Thanks for all the great ideas and your encouragement is so powerful: your positive attitude helps me have the courage to explore new recipes. So much gratitude for making it FUN ☺️
I’m so glad everyone loved the crumble Beverly! It means the world to me that you’d take the time to let me know! ♡ I can’t wait to hear what recipe you decide to try next too!
Dear Beautiful Amy … It’s Sally here (from the UK) long time since I’ve written. I’m v. proud of my home-grown blueberries and wanted a lovely dessert dish to showcase them. I googled … and there you were! Since I’ve tried many of your lovely recipes why should I trust anyone else for something ‘just right’ and delicious (not to mention healthy i.e. not drowned in sugar!) Amy …. this was de-lici-ous baby girl! Hope life is treating you very well, wishing you much happiness from English shores xxxx
I’m so glad you loved this blueberry crumble Sally! That truly means the world to me that you’d want to use your incredible home-grown blueberries in one of my recipes. (I’m a little bit jealous, to be honest — I’ve never had great luck at growing any sort of fruit! 😉 ) As always, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you thought of this recipe. Your sweet comments always make my day! ♡