Healthy blueberry crisp (no sugar)
A homemade dessert is one of the best foods you can eat and this healthy blueberry crisp with no sugar is one of my absolute favorites!
Do you have some fresh fruit on hand?
Fruit desserts are so delicious and satisfying. Having grown up on a small farm in the country, there were always some type of fruit or berry in season that we would trudge trough the woods or to the fruit patch, our buckets or bushel baskets in hand.
Some of my favorite fruits on the farm were raspberries, apricots, peaches and apples. Peach cobbler is my next favorite fruit dessert next to apple crisp and peach crisp.
My family has a tradition of going to Michigan in the summer to pick fresh blueberries. I remember some years picking close to 40 plus pounds myself in a morning. These are wonderful memories and just to be honest, Michigan blueberries are THE best blueberries you can eat! SO good!
Fruit crisps and desserts are very refreshing to eat and are the perfect summertime addition to end any meal, picnic or BBQ! Most of the time, making fruit desserts aren’t overly time consuming or tedious. Crisps are my favorite as well as fruit cakes, cobblers and crumbles.
The juicy fruit filling and crunchy oat topping is the perfect combination and is so versatile!
What is the difference between crisp, cobbler and crumble?
Along with the sugar, butter and flour topping mixture, crisps generally have the addition of oats while crumbles do not. Cobblers have a biscuit like topping with a fruit filling layer.
One of the best things about this healthy blueberry crisp recipe is that it is made with all simple ingredients and does not include any artificial sweeteners, refined sugar, brown sugar or anything else questionable. You can mix up this easy recipe for your own healthy blueberry crisp (with no sugar) in just a few minutes.
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Benefits of oatmeal:
Oatmeal is a good source of carbs. Did you know that oatmeal is a complete source of protein? No wonder it has become a staple in the United States and many other places as a healthy breakfast food.
There are many health benefits involved here- oats are known to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels and also contains a variety of vitamins including b vitamins, healthy fiber, minerals and antioxidants.
Oats provide a satisfying feeling of fullness, making oatmeal a good option for those watching their food portion intakes. A single portion of oatmeal can go a long way for many people!
They are naturally gluten free, although in the processing facilities cross contamination happens making oats not technically “gluten-free” in entirety anymore. Some people that have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease usually need to be extremely cautious and only consume oats that are certified gluten free.
Fresh or frozen blueberries?
I use both and can’t say that one is better then the other! If you are using fresh berries then add a dash of water to help absorb the thickener (tapioca).
Making crisps is one of my favorite ways to use up frozen fruit in the freezer. You know how you find a bag with like a few blueberries, or a handful of raspberries or peaches? Add them all together into one easy crisp for the perfect summer dessert!
Equipment needed:
Recipe for blueberry crisp
4-5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (don’t worry about a specific amount)
2 T tapioca granules (or cornstarch)
4 T maple syrup
Crisp topping:
1 cup quick oats (old-fashioned rolled oats work too)
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3 T maple syrup
2 T melted butter (or coconut oil)
How to make blueberry crisp
Place the blueberries in a 8×8 glass baking dish. (Do not grease).
Sprinkle the tapioca on top and then drizzle on the maple syrup.
Add a dash of water if using fresh berries. Stir gently.
To make the oat mixture, melt the butter in a large glass measuring cup or mixing bowl. Add the oats, flour and maple syrup. Mix until it crumbles together and then spread on top of the blueberries.
Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until it is golden brown on top.
You can enjoy this while still warm, or cool to room temperature before serving.
Substitutions:
Flour- the all purpose flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour, oat flour, kamut flour and basically any other flour you’d prefer to use.
Butter-you can replace with coconut oil or a vegan butter alternative.
Maple syrup- honey is a great replacement as well as coconut sugar. (Note: if you are using a “dry sweetener like coconut sugar or an unrefined sugar, you will need to slightly increase the amount of butter).
Tapioca granules- easy replacements are corn starch, tapioca flour or starch, perma-flo or even regular flour. I personally prefer using tapioca in my fruit crisps. When I use pearl tapioca I love finding the little clear puffy tapioca beads in with the fruit!
F&Q:
Yes, you most certainly can substitute a gluten free flour in place of the regular flour. Make sure to use gluten free oats as well.
Nut flours like almond flour and coconut flour and can be used as well, although the overall result (crumble topping) will be slightly different then a crisp made with white flour that you may be most familiar with. But it is still delicious none the less, and so healthy for you!
How to serve healthy blueberry crisp (no sugar)
There are many delicious and easy ways to serve and enjoy this good dessert. Some of my favorites include:
- healthy homemade vanilla ice cream
- homemade whipped cream
- a drizzle of raw honey
- some greek yogurt lightly sweetened
Enjoy this easy healthy blueberry crisp tonight with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or for breakfast with some milk or yogurt!
Maybe it will become your new go-to recipe for a delicious and perfect dessert!
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Healthy blueberry crisp (no sugar)
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (don't worry on exact amounts!)
- 3 T maple syrup
- 2 T tapioca granules
- dash of water if using fresh blueberries
- Crisp topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unbleached flour
- 4 T maple syrup
- 2 T melted butter or coconut oil
Instructions
- Place the blueberries in a 8×8 glass baking dish. (Do not grease)
- Sprinkle the tapioca on top and then drizzle on the maple syrup
- Add a dash of water if using fresh berries. Stir gently
- Melt the butter in a large glass measuring cup or mixing bowl
- Add the oats, flour and maple syrup
- Mix until it crumbles together and then spread on top of the blueberries
- Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until the crisp looks browned and the blueberries have turned into a juicy syrup. Enjoy!
Notes
A little about me!
Hi! I’m Rebecca, wife and mother and I love homemaking and cooking on a daily basis.
Baking healthy desserts and cooking nutritious filled foods is a passion that I have and that is reflected in the recipes I post here!
Read more about me here.
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Happy baking!
This sounds so good! I cannot wait to try this in a few months when the Alaskan blueberries are ripe. And since there is no sugar, this might even work as a breakfast option with a side of sausage and eggs. Thank you so much for sharing!
Yes! This would make a great breakfast option with some protein sides. Enjoy!
Looks so yummy! Beautiful pictures as well!