Blueberry Almond Crisp

Here we are in high summer, and it seems to be going just right. Blueberries are at their peak and local berries won’t be here much longer, so we want to share a recipe for a blueberry crisp before they go. I found a great deal at my local Farmers Market and baked them up into a brilliantly purple dessert with a gluten-free almond and oat topping.

INGREDIENTS

• Lemon blueberry filling
• 2 pounds blueberries (that’s 32 ounces, which is about 5 cups or a little less than 3 pints), fresh or frozen*
• ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest (less than 1 small lemon, zested—scale back to ¼ teaspoon zest if you don’t love lemon)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Gluten-free oat and almond topping

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free for a gluten-free crisp)
• ½ cup packed almond meal or almond flour
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• ⅓ cup lightly packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (Greek or regular), or additional melted butter

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 9-inch baking dish, mix together the blueberries, maple syrup or honey, arrowroot or cornstarch, lemon zest, 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.
3. 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).
4. 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!