Blueberry Almond Crisp

Ingredients

• Filling
• 2 ½ pounds blueberries (about 6 cups), fresh or frozen*
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free for a gluten-free crisp)
• 1 cup packed almond meal or almond flour
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• ⅓ cup lightly packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 6 oz plain yogurt (Greek or regular)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse and drain the blueberries and pick through them to remove any stems still attached. In a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, mix together the blueberries, maple syrup or honey, arrowroot or cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond meal/flour, sliced almonds, brown sugar and salt. Mix in the butter and yogurt. Stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture is moistened throughout.
   Dollop spoonfuls of the oat mixture over the filling and use your fingers to break up the mixture until it is evenly distributed (no need to pack it down).
3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is actively bubbling around the edges and the top is lightly golden. Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream (I insist!).
   Nutritional Information: 275 calories per serving

The great thing about this recipe is there is no chopping involved, mainly assembling of ingredients. Just rinse off the blueberries and you are good to go! This is simple summer dessert at its finest and would be a great addition to your next summertime party.

In addition to being easy to assemble, it is also lower in calories than traditional desserts. Most crisps and crumbles run 400 calories per serving and this crisp contains about half that amount. The calorie cut mainly comes from replacing some of the butter with yogurt. Blueberries are also a good source of vitamin K1, vitamin C, manganese, and several other beneficial plant compounds like anthocyanins. Plenty of reasons to give it a try!