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 + 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
Would all-purpose/white flour work with this? If so, any adjustments needed? Thanks in advance!
Yes, all-purpose flour will work in place of the whole wheat flour! No adjustments needed. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this crumble!
Thoughts on adding crushed pecans to the topping?
You definitely could, and I’m sure it’d taste lovely! I’m just not a big nuts-in-streusel fan. 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this crumble, Ilana!
It’s in the oven now! I just got frozen blueberries and wanted something easy to make! Excited about calorie count and already had everything I needed in the house. The melted butter topping is great-the less steps to a recipe the better! I ground some Millet in my coffee grinder-easy for 1/4 cup; to make this gluten free for a friend to try!
You’re so sweet to make this crumble gluten-free for your friend, Sandra! I can’t wait to hear what both of you thought of it! 🙂
Hi Amy! I just wanted to say I made this crumble last night and it was absolutely DELICIOUS! I used frozen blueberries, coconut oil instead of butter and subbed muesli for the rolled oats -finished with a maple syrup drizzle after it came out of oven. It turned out amazing and even better this AM for breakfast with some greek yogurt! Thanks for this healthy spin on blueberry crisp!!
I’m so glad you loved this crumble, Kristen! That means a lot to me! 🙂 I’m right there with you… I definitely love eating this for breakfast, too! 😉
Would it be possible to use liquid stevia instead? My child has an insulin resistance but needs to avoid agave. Thank you
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Saren! Yes, you can definitely substitute liquid stevia — but there isn’t any agave in this recipe! Did you mean for the maple syrup? 🙂 What’s the exact liquid stevia (brand name + product name) that you wish to substitute?
can chia seeds replace the cornstarch?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Jayne! I haven’t tried that substitution, but I’m a little hesitant to say it’ll work. If you’re strongly against cornstarch, my first suggestion would be to substitute 2-3X as much flour for it in the filling instead. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this crumble!
I made the recipe and cooked it for 45 minutes and noticed the corn starch is still very white on the blueberries so cooked 10 minutes more and they’re still very powdery white peeking through the crumble. Do you think I used too much cornstarch or maybe should have added lemon juice to make it get more juicy/bubbly?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Beth! Did you happen to use fresh blueberries, by any chance? If so, then I think adding 2-3 tablespoons of water to the filling should solve that issue! 🙂
Yes I did use fresh blueberries. Good catch! Anyways it was delicious! I’m so happy to find your website and desserts that are not all sugar. So delicious.
You’re so sweet — that means the world to me, Beth! I’m so glad you enjoyed this crumble’s flavor, and I can’t wait to hear what you decide to make next! 🙂
Would this work well with frozen mixed berries as well?
Yes! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this crumble, Julianne! 🙂
I’m vegan. Could I sub unsweetened applesauce for the butter?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe! I’ve actually covered the best vegan substitute in the Notes section, directly underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 😉 Applesauce won’t work. It gives the crumble topping a weird texture. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this blueberry crumble!
Thank you, but I don’t use highly processed vegan butters or oils or dairy.
Actually I just made it with unsweetened organic applesauce and it turned out fine. But next time I will increase the amount of crumble just a bit as some other readers have suggested. It didn’t quite cover blueberries but was delicious anyway.
In baking I often replace oil or butter with applesauce. Reduces fat and cholesterol.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this crumble! 🙂
Thanks for this lovely recipe! I made it for our Fourth of July dessert — it came out wonderfully, and we didn’t even miss the sugar! I will make it again, but I think I’ll double the topping…I LOVE oat topping. Cheers!
I’m so glad you loved this crumble! That means SO much to me that you’d want to bake it again — that’s the best kind of compliment! 🙂 And I think you can never go wrong with extra crumble either! 😉