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 real kind! Avoid pancake syrup; that can behave differently in baking recipes. The only ingredient on the label should be “pure maple syrup.” It’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs, like this.
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 your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy blueberry crumble!
The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Crumble
Ingredients
- 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 (see Notes!)
- 3 tbsp (24g) cornstarch
Instructions
- 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 break it up into really 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.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Blueberry Almond Crumble
♡ Healthy Peach Crumble
♡ Healthy Almond Berry Crumble
♡ Healthy Strawberry Poppy Seed Crumble
♡ Healthy Blueberry Mango Crumble
♡ Healthy Blueberry Breakfast Crumbles
It’s so hard yummy gluten free recipes that my whole family can enjoy, but I made these for my family yesterday morning and everyone loved them! My family had eaten all of them by the time I went for seconds, which never happens when I bake gluten free! These are definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that your family enjoyed this blueberry crumble so much, Sonya! We are always honored to hear when on of our recipe earns a title like “new family favorite”! 😉 Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know and rate the recipe, it really means a lot!
This is the BEST healthy blueberry crisp ever! Thank you so much for the recipe that doubles as a dessert and a yummy, not-too-sweet fruity breakfast the next day! Due to dietary limitations in my family, I swapped arrowroot flour for cornstarch and used 1/8 cup cassava flour + 1/8 cup Himalayan tartary buckwheat flour in the oat crisp topping. This is a new favorite! 💗
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this blueberry crisp, Tarah! That’s the best compliment there is, if you’d call it the best ever and rate the recipe so highly. Thank you for taking the time to do that and let me know — it truly means a lot!! ♡ I really appreciate you sharing your modifications too. I always love to hear what recipe tweaks work out! 🙂
This crumble is so good! I love the blueberry flavor and the topping is so yummy. I can’t wait to make it again!
I’m thrilled that you loved this blueberry crumble! That’s the best kind of compliment, if you already want to make it again. Thank you for taking the time to let me know — it really means a lot!
Can I replace the wheat flour with almond flour?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Marsha! Yes, almond flour will work — and we’ve actually covered that in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). Just look for the “Gluten Free Option” note. I know it can be really easy to miss though! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of this crumble if you end up making it!
Thank you so much! I will definitely let you know how the recipe turned out.
I can’t wait to hear about it, Marsha! 🙂
I made this recipe yesterday and the only changes I made were based on the notes listed below the recipe. I added a tbsp of sugar to the blueberries since they were tart and I substituted almond flour for the wheat flour. This recipe is outrageously delicious, so easy to make and best of all healthy. I’m sharing it with all my adult children right now. This should keep me in their good graces for a bit. Lol. Thank you for a scrumptious blueberry crumble.
That’s the best compliment we could ask for, Marsha! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it so much and it’s so sweet of you to share with your children, too! Thanks for taking the time to let us know and rate the recipe. It really means a lot!
Do you think the blueberries could be mixed w/strawberries also?
We appreciate your interest in this recipe, Tracy! Yes, a mixture of berries will work. That sounds like a great idea! For the best results, cut any other berries into pieces that are the same size as the blueberries so your crumble bakes evenly.
I’d love to hear what you think of this crumble if you end up giving it a try!
Hello,
I made this once before and loved it!
I wanted to make it again but to give to someone else to bake at their leisure. Can I prepare this recipe fully and freeze the whole thing before baking?
We are truly honored that you enjoyed this crumble so much that you’d like to make it to gift to someone, Ann! That’s very sweet of you! We really appreciate you taking the time to let us know and rate this recipe, it truly means a lot! We haven’t tried freezing it before (or after!) baking, so I’m honestly not sure and don’t want to lead you astray! If you decide to experiment with freezing, we would love to hear how it turns out!
The combination of juicy blueberries and the perfectly crunchy crumble topping is simply divine. I appreciate how you’ve managed to create a healthier version of this classic dessert without compromising on taste or texture. It’s a true testament to your talent and dedication to healthy baking.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes with us! Can’t wait to explore more of your blog
That’s so kind of you to say, Mark! I’m so happy to hear you like this blueberry crumble. Thanks for taking the time to let us know and rate this recipe. We’d love to hear what you decide to bake next! 😉
What a great, guilt-free recipe! It feels so much more indulgent than it is! There was a very serious argument in my house over the last piece!
I don’t have an 8″ square pan so I used a 9″ pie plate. Two pints of blueberries were the perfect volume for a 9″ pie plate but the delicious crumble didn’t quite cover it. I’m thinking next time I’ll either mix in some coconut flakes or sunflower seeds to stretch the topping or just go buy the 8″ square haha
Oh my goodness!! More indulgent than it actually is and a serious argument over the last piece… Those are the best kind of compliments, Maria! 😉 I’m so glad this blueberry crumble was such a hit! Thank you for letting me know and rating the recipe as well. It means a lot!
I really appreciate you sharing your modifications too! I always love to hear what recipe tweaks work out. That’s a fun idea about possibly adding coconut flakes or sunflower seeds! Another option would be to double the topping ingredients. You shouldn’t have to make any adjustments to the baking temperature or time with that alternative either!
This crumble looks delicious – however, I just wondered if it could be possible to use a granulated sweetener, like sukrin (interchangeable with sugar)?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Carolin! I researched Sukrin, and it looks like it’s made with erythritol and stevia. Their website seems to promote their granulated products as a 1-to-1 replacement for sugar. If all of that sounds correct, then I’d recommend stirring together 2 tablespoons of Sukrin + 1 ½ tablespoons of milk (any type!) until the Sukrin has dissolved as a replacement for the pure maple syrup.
I’d love to hear how that turns out and what you think of this blueberry crumble if you end up making it! 🙂
Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to give you feedback ☺️
My pleasure, Carolin! I can’t wait! 🙂