Since coming back to Canada a couple weeks ago I’ve been indulging in lots of fruit including fresh and frozen wild Canadian blueberries. Blueberries remind me of my childhood, my great grandma’s stories of picking blueberries up north and, of course, homemade, warm and comforting blueberry crumble.

For awhile now a couple of my family members have been asking me to reinvent apple crumble into a healthier and equally as tasty version. Challenge accepted! I always felt that the refined flours and sugars are a bit out of place in a fruit dish anyway. In this Maple Apple Blueberry Crumble I ditched the refined sugar altogether and used a traditional Canadian substitute – Maple Syrup [something I always make sure to bring back with me to Belgium – a Canadian-girl-living-abroad gotta do what she outta do! :)]. I also got rid of the traditional refined white AP flour and opted for oat flour instead [Note: In case you were wondering quinoa flour does not work – much too strong of a flavour and it leaves the blueberries in a liquid baked state !].

The maple in the baked fruit and crumble leaves behind a slight maple flavour that accompanies the warm blueberries and apples perfectly. This Maple Apple Blueberry Crumble is deliciously hearty, crumbly, slightly sweet and full of oats, hints of coconut oil and almond butter. I also managed to cut out most of the oil without sacrificing any of the desired comforting, crumbly texture.

This Maple Apple Blueberry Crumble is the perfect healthy treat for those warm summer evenings spent among family and friends! I had so much fun making this with one of my little sisters (did I ever mention before I’m one of six siblings?) – baking is so much more fun in pairs! This Maple Blueberry Apple Crumble hits the spot after a sunny BBQ and is served best surrounded by loving family and friends!

Maple Blueberry Apple Crumble Print Prep time 20 mins Cook time 25 mins Total time 45 mins This Maple Blueberry Apple Crumble is the perfect comfort food treat! This dessert generously serves five and makes the perfect dish to be shared among loved ones in the warm summer weather (or any time of the year quite frankly). This Maple Blueberry Apple Crumble is not overly sweet so feel free to add more maple syrup or a pinch of regular sugar to taste if you prefer a much sweeter dish. Keeping in mind that with a scoop of vanilla ice cream this Maple Blueberry Apple Crumble comes to life! For a nut free option, use applesauce or a sweetened sunflower seed butter in lieu of the almond butter in the crumble. Author: Ceara Recipe type: Dessert Cuisine: American Serves: 5 Ingredients 2 heaping cups frozen wild blueberries

1 heaping cup apples, peeled and chopped in ⅓ inch / 1 cm chunks

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons oat flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional) Crumble ¾ cup oats

½ cup oat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

4 tablespoons maple syrup

2.5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon almond butter (see note for nut free option)

2 heaping tablespoons finely crushed walnuts/almonds (optional) Directions Pre-heat oven to 350f or 180c If oat flour is not already handy, blend approximately 1 heaping cup of oats in a blender to make a fine oat flour. Once oats are finely blended, measure out the needed amount for the fruit and crumble mixture. Store any extra oat flour for future use. In a medium sized bowl measure out and lightly mix together blueberries, chopped apples, maple syrup, lemon juice and oat flour. Leave aside while preparing crumble mixture. In a small sized bowl, mix together oats, oat flour and cinnamon until the cinnamon is evenly dispersed. Add maple syrup, melted coconut oil, almond butter (or substitute) and optional walnuts. Mix the wet ingredients into the oat and flour mixture. The mixture will be a bit moist but is the perfect consistency after baking. Measure equal amounts of the blueberry-apple mixture into the 5 ramekins or baking dish. Following this, crumble the crumble mixture evenly on top of the blueberry-apple mixture using your hands. Bake for 25 minutes or until crumble begins to brown and the blueberries begin to become apparent through the crumble (see picture). Notes High in healthy fats, fiber, vitamin C, iron, manganese and B6. Also contains a healthy does of calcium! Plus, there is absolutely no cholesterol in these treats:) Nutrition Information Calories: 1755 Fat: 69g Saturated fat: 34g Unsaturated fat: 28g Trans fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 254g Sugar: 88g Sodium: 50mg Fiber: 33g Protein: 42g Cholesterol: 0mg 3.2.2925