“There are eyes, to be sure, that give no more admission into the man than blueberries.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
This entire recipe is full of things I just love. I’m a big fan of blueberries, so I’m going to probably rant on why you need blueberries on your shopping list. Feel free to skip ahead to the recipe, because I’m about to ramble about my favorite superfood berry.
The blueberry bush (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus) is a shrub that produces berries with a bluish almost purple hue, blueberries. Blueberries are juicy, sweet, and often picked as a favorite food. They are also full of nutritious health benefits. There are actually two types of blueberries, highbush and lowbush blueberries. Highbush are what’s normally found in the grocery store. Lowbush blueberries are wild, a little bit smaller but contain more antioxidants. If you stumble onto a fruit stand selling wild blueberries or lowbush blueberries – buy them! I’ve seen wild blueberries frozen too lately, I toss them in a smoothie with a banana and some oatmilk for all of the healthy reasons below!
The Health Benefits of Blueberries
Blueberries are low in calories but high in fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K. Which makes them the perfect snack for those looking to drop a few pounds.
Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of all the popular fruits and vegetables, particularly the flavonoids.
The antioxidants in blueberries have been shown to reduce heart disease risk factors by preventing oxidative damage to “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Eating more blueberries is tied to lower blood pressure in various studies.
Blueberries are related to cranberries and have shown the same UTI relieving properties.
Healthline has various other Proven Health Benefits to Blueberries, and it’s worth the read!
Blueberry Vanilla Almond Granola Crumble
INGREDIENTS
For The Blueberry Topping
- 2 pounds fresh blueberries
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Vanilla Almond Granola topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup vanilla almond granola, store bought makes it easy
- ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 4 additional tablespoons unsalted butter
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse and drain the blueberries and be sure to remove any stems from the blueberries.
- Take a 9 by 9 inch or a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, mix together the blueberries, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice and cinnamon.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, vanilla almond granola, brown sugar and salt. Mix in the butter.
- Pour the oat mixture over the filling and place the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter on top of the mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and crisp.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream.
