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 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
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
My mom is ALL about the berries and ice cream dessert, but just with plain vanilla ice cream. I make fun of her all the time and say how “boring” that is! Haha but she would love this dessert, I’m going to have to make it for us sometime and definitely let you know 🙂
Your mom sounds really similar to my mom, Marina! Too funny — our families are so alike, it’s almost scary! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you and your mom think of the crumble!
Hi Amy, I was wondering what other sweetener you could use besides maple syrup and honey? I don’t seem to like those in baked goods. If it was a granular sugar? Thanks for all your recipe’s!☺
Yes, you can use granulated sugar. Use 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon of room temperature milk (any kind will do). Mix the granulated sugar in with the oats, flour, and cinnamon, and mix in the milk with the butter. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the crumble Julie!
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Amy! Blueberries during summertime are the absolute best. However, I bought about 5 pounds of plums at the farmer’s market (for $3!!) last weekend, and there’s no way we are going to eat them all before they start getting squishy… maybe I’ll relegate them to a crumble, instead!
That’s so neat about the Farmer’s Market! I loved the look of your plum crumble — what a fun idea!
Can this be made with strawberries instread of blueberries?
Yes! Slice the strawberries into pieces about the same size as blueberries for the best results. I can’t wait to hear how that turns out Ellen! 🙂
It was yummy for sure. Not too sweet. Mainly the sweetness of the cooked blueberries. Idk if I did it right. The picture on the website shows way more topping than mine. Maybe I need to use a smaller pan? In order for my crumble to look like the picture I would need to double the recipe for the topping.
I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor Bermy! The recipe specifically calls for an 8″-square pan; did you use another size? It’s also important to break up any large clumps of the streusel topping when sprinkling it evenly over the blueberries. If you look at the photos, there are no large clumps, only very small bits, which allows the streusel to fully cover the blueberries. 🙂
Looks great! Do you think I could scale this down to a smaller size for just me and one other?
I actually have a recipe for blueberry crumble that yields just two servings Mary! You can find that here. I’d love to hear what you think if you try that recipe!
Made this yesterday and love it! Added a little real whip cream on top – Yum!! When in the oven the blueberries never truly bubbled on the sides. I know what that looks like and this didn’t do it. I did use convection at 325 degrees. Could this have made the difference. I always use convection when baking.
Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the crumble Nancy! I’m always willing to splurge for real whipped cream too. 😉 Your convection oven temperature sounds fine, so did you use fresh or frozen blueberries? That sometimes makes a difference about if/how much juice bubbling there is around the edges of the pan. (I always use convection while baking too!)
Thanks for the response! I used fresh blueberries. There was a nice thickness once cooled and chilled for 3 hours. I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t bubble. The flavor was delicious, the crumble awesome and love how light and healthy it is.
It’s my pleasure Nancy! I’m really glad you enjoyed the flavors. Fresh blueberries do tend to “bubble” less than frozen, so as long as the taste and texture was fine, I wouldn’t worry about it when baking the crumble in the future. 🙂
I’m making this tonight with blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries we picked a few days ago! I’ve been trying so hard to eat healthy, and I haven’t had “dessert” in weeks. I’m glad to have found one that won’t throw me off the rails! So happy to be baking again!
I’m so honored that you’re using my recipe to enjoy a sweet treat while on your healthy journey Rebecca! That means a lot to me! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your crumble turned out!
Hi Amy, this blueberry crumble is ahhh-mazing! It smells, tastes and looks divine! I made it today and there is a tiny piece left. Someone will devour it tonight before bed with a tall glass of milk. For sure. I will be making this and some other of your recipes for a friend’s baby shower at the end of the month! Thank you as always…xo
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the crumble Carmelina!! That’s such a huge compliment if there’s only one tiny piece left! 🙂 I’m SO honored that you plan on making some of my recipes for your friend’s baby shower later this month — that means the world to me! I can’t wait to hear what recipes you pick!
Hi Amy, I don’t have any whole wheat flour or millet flour. I’ve got coconut flour and almond flour. Any recommendations for using these as a replacement? Thanks for the healthy recipe!
Hello again Amy, I just noticed your note about NOT using coconut flour, but it sounds like the almond flour will work without any adjustments. I also noticed your “Clean Blueberry Almond Crumble” recipe, which appears to be identical except for the addition of the almond extract. I have some almond extract that I’ve never used, so I’m excited to give it a try. I don’t have any butter right now either, but I do have coconut oil and ghee. My baking dish is 9X13 and I’m preparing this for a large family gathering so I may double the recipe. Any advice you may have for my situation would be appreciated. Thanks again!!
Yes! The almond flour will work just fine. I haven’t tried doubling either recipe to bake in a 9×13″ pan, so I can’t personally vouch for whether that would work. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this crumble! 🙂