Blueberry Apple Oat-Almond Crumble (with gluten-free option)

This time of year, the seasonal pickings are relatively slim. What I wouldn’t give for summer fresh, farmer’s market berries, tomatoes, and peaches! This recipe for blueberry apple crumble is a great way to shrug off winter and take advantage of blueberries frozen at their peak flavor in the summer months. 

Blueberry Apple Oat-Almond Crumble

A Chef in Residency dessert recipe wouldn’t be complete without a recipe rehab. This recipe rehab took a traditional crumble, then amped up the healthy components and decreased the refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats as much as possible without sacrificing taste.

The finished product was a total success! I made the crumble in the evening and took it to brunch the following day—it was devoured in minutes and several people asked for the recipe. No one could believe that it was a healthy dessert! (I don't recommend that you tell people...they'll never know.)

For the skeptics out there, I have listed both the healthy ingredients and the refined flours/sugars options so that you can make as many or as few of the alterations as you feel comfortable with. However, I urge you to try the recipe with all of the healthier ingredients since it is at least as delicious as the original.

This recipe is/has:

Tart

Sweet

Fruity

Fresh

Crunchy

Nutty

Notes of cinnamon

Blueberry Apple Oat-Almond Crumble (can be gluten-free)

Ingredients

Filling:

2 pounds fresh or frozen blueberries

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped into ¼ to ½-inch cubes

¼ cup all-purpose flour, white whole-wheat flour or oat flour (sub with 1 Tablespoon+1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder for gluten-free)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup finely chopped dates (or ¼ cup granulated sugar)

Juice of 1 lemon (or bitter orange)

Zest of 1 lemon, chopped (or bitter orange)

Crumble Topping:

1 cup almonds             

1 cup of old-fashioned oats (or 1 cup all-purpose flour)

½ cup dates, packed (or sub ¼ cup granulated sugar PLUS 1/3 cup packed brown sugar)

¼ tsp salt

3 Tbsp canola oil (originally, 1 stick or 8 Tablespoons of butter)

½ cup old-fashioned oats, left whole

             

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Mix together filling ingredients: stir together blueberries, apples, flour (or arrowroot), sugar (or dates), cinnamon, lemon juice and zest and set aside.

3. Process almonds and 1 cup oats (or all-purpose flour) in the food processor until they look like flour. Add sugars (or dates), salt and oil; process until well combined. Stir in ½ cup oats, leaving unprocessed.

4. Spray a 13x9-inch cake pan with non-stick spray (or grease with butter or oil), then pour in blueberry mixture making sure that it is relatively level. Sprinkle with crumble topping (use all of the topping). 

5. Bake for 50-70 minutes on the middle shelf in the oven until blueberry juice is bubbling up through in places and the crumble is just starting to brown. Note: if baking in 12 individual dishes (as pictured) cut baking time to 45 minutes.

6. Cool for 15 minutes before eating. Cool completely before covering with a lid or plastic.

Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream. This is delicious reheated.

Makes 12 servings