Lemon Blueberry Crisp

This blueberry crisp captures a perfect balance between sweet summer blueberries and tart lemon flavors. Topped with a streusel laced with warming spices and baked to perfection, this is the perfect summer dessert paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. While we love fresh-picked blueberries, frozen blueberries work well too. Because they retain more liquid and are a little less sweet than fresh berries, be sure to increase the flour and sugar by 1 tablespoon each in the filling. Blueberries are highly nutritious, offering vitamins C & K, manganese, and antioxidants called anthocyanins that help reduce heart disease and diabetes risk. Whole oats are highly beneficial to both gut and heart health. The whole wheat flour in this recipe increases its fiber and nutrition profile.

Makes: 6 servings
Time to cook: 50 minutes (10 active minutes)

Ingredients

Baking spray with flour

4 cups fresh or thawed and drained frozen blueberries 

1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup, divided

2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with baking spray.

2. Toss fresh blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar together in a large bowl until evenly combined. (If using thawed frozen blueberries, use 2 tablespoons each flour and sugar.) Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

3. Whisk oats, whole-wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and the remaining 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a medium bowl until no lumps remain. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut butter into the oat mixture until fully combined and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberry mixture.

4. Bake until the crumb topping is golden brown and the blueberry mixture is bubbling around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Garnish with additional lemon zest, if desired, and serve warm.

Nutrition per serving
270 calories; 13 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugar; 4 grams protein; 182 milligrams sodium.

Recipe by Amanda Holstein, Eatingwell.com

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