Blueberry Crisp

This is a blueberry crisp for those who don’t want a lot of added sugar in their desserts and prefer the sweet taste of ripe berries with a whole grain crunchy topping.

Fresh summer blueberries have a distinctly sweeter flavor than the year-round blueberries available in most grocery stores which makes them an ideal ingredient to use in a fruit crisp: plump whole blueberries baked with a crunchy, oat topping.

When fruit is naturally sweet, very little sugar is needed to make a summer crisp, which makes for a healthier dessert but do taste the blueberries first because you can’t determine the sweetness by looking at them. If there is no tanginess to them, use the lower amount of sugar (2 tablespoons). For more tangy blueberries, increase the sugar to 1/4 cup.

Blueberry Crisp

Ingredients for Filling:

• 3 pounds blueberries (about 6 pints)
• 1 lemon (juice of)
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot
• 2-4 tablespoons organic sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Crisp Topping

• 3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup oats (not instant)
• 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse, sort, and allow the blueberries to air dry.

Place the blueberries in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the blueberries. Gently stir once. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and gently stir again. Sprinkle the salt and arrowroot over the filling, stir gently, and allow to sit for a few minutes.

Place the oats in a small food processor or blender and pulse 4-5 times (to break apart but don’t pulverize). Set aside.

In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the pastry flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt and blend with a whisk. Add the oats and whisk again.

In a small separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Drizzle over the dry crisp ingredients blending with a fork.

Prepare your baking dish, preferably a glass 10 x 7, or similar sized pan by spraying the pan with non-stick spray. Gently pour the blueberries into the pan distributing the fruit evenly.

Using your hands, sprinkle the crisp topping over the top of the pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until bubbly and light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Scoop into individual glass serving bowls and enjoy.

Makes 10-12 regular sized servings, or 6-8 large servings.