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,
I made this recipe tonight using some blueberries I had flash froze back when they were on sale at the grocery store. My husband and I loved it! I used oat flour for the crumble. I made the amount you said, but ran out of crumble, so I quickly made another batch of crumble. Much better doubled! I will be making this often! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed this blueberry crumble Karla! That means so much to me that you think you’d like to make it again. That’s definitely the best kind of compliment — thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂
Wanting to get a jump on Thanksgiving desserts. Can this be made ahead and frozen?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Rosie! I haven’t tried freezing this, so I’m not sure. However, I know that it’s fine to make 2-3 days in advance and then keep refrigerated, if that helps you for Thanksgiving planning! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making this crumble!
Crumble needs to be doubled. Hoping it comes out yummy!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Michelle! As mentioned in Step 4, the crumble topping does tend to clump a lot, so it must be broken up in order to completely cover the blueberries. I break it into really small pieces (no larger than my pinky fingernail!), which allows it to fully cover the top of the blueberries, as seen in these photos. If the topping isn’t broken up into small pieces, then it won’t cover the blueberries in an even layer, but like you mentioned, you can always double the topping if you prefer more streusel on top. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this crumble!
Hi! Do you think I can use frozen dark sweet cherries in place of the blueberries? Thanks so much!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sarah! I think that should work! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your crumble turns out!
This recipe is delicious and such a healthy treat. I have such a sweet tooth and it satisfied me just like any sugary dessert would but without all the unnecessary sugar. I omitted the flour and even used less maple and it was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you loved this blueberry crumble Lauren! That means so much to me that you’d say it satisfied your sweet tooth just like a sugary dessert would — that’s such a big compliment! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Hi Amy,
Ive made this a few times, the last two times it seems the blueberries were still coated with cornstarch and didnt actually break down-is this just that I needed to cook it longer?
I’m honored that you’ve made this recipe multiple times, Jenny! That truly means a lot! 🙂 I’m happy to help you solve that issue! How long did you bake your crumble the last two times? Are you using fresh or frozen blueberries? If fresh, did you add 3 tablespoons of water to the filling mixture, as mentioned in the Notes section (directly underneath the Instructions)?
I made this today as written but I feel it needs a pinch of salt in the filling as well as a bit of. Moisture, possibly a little lemon juice. The topping, since the dish had to bake for so much longer, was very crunchy so I feel it could also benefit from maybe another tablespoon of butter and possibly some vanilla. I like that this recipe is low in fat and sugar, but not sure I will make it again.
I’m honored that you tried my recipe, Gayle! That doesn’t sound like how this crumble is supposed to turn out, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened so you enjoy it a lot more, if you decide to try making it again. 🙂 Did you use fresh or frozen blueberries? If fresh, how much water did you add to the filling? How long did you bake your crumble?
Also, do you have a traditional, more “indulgent” recipe that you love? If you send over a link to that, I’d be happy to take a look at it (especially if that recipe has the lemon juice, salt, and vanilla that you mentioned you’d consider adding!) to see if we could modify this recipe to include those for you as well!
Made this today. I believe adding the water for fresh blueberries should be added into the instructions not as a note at the end. I did not add any and when I checked the oven at the end of time, berries had not made any sauce. Looking at recipe again I saw in the paragraph below that you should add the water. I did at that point and let it cook 10 more minutes. It was very good and agree with others about doubling the crumble recipe.
I’m glad you enjoyed this crumble, Barbara! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback — I really appreciate it! 🙂
I love the idea of this recipe and have all the ingredients but I just wanted to check….do you really use 6 cups of blueberries? That seems like a lot.
Yes! I use 6 cups of blueberries. If you watch my recipe video directly above the recipe, you should be able to see how the berries almost completely fill the baking pan. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of this crumble if you try making it, Judy!