A bit of prose in praise of comfort food is almost as good as a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup on a January afternoon. Almost.
Fiction, food articles, and cookbooks celebrating the solace of stews, muffins and casseroles are entertaining, soothing, and full of tender morsels of memory and inspiration. But on days like this when the temperature plummets, the wind howls, and dark clouds knuckle against the pine trees here in East Texas, I want my chill-chasing comfort food now, without having to read about it or trouble myself with elaborate preparations.
So I make dessert. For breakfast.
The recipe? A warm and cozy crumble, served with a generous splash of milk.
My logic for this dish is sound:(1) Oats are breakfast food; (2) Fruit is breakfast food; (3) Milk is a breakfast food; (4) Conclusion, fruit crumble made with oats and fruit (oh, and sweetened with maple syrup–another breakfast food!) is breakfast food.
Best yet, you can make this beautiful cobbler while semi-conscious, in the wee morning hours, or for a lazy brunch; it’s that easy! Make and savor coffee as it bakes. Then, at the end of a long day at work, simply re-warm and enjoy for dessert. Or, depending on the day you’ve had, eat it for dinner 🙂 Happy eats, everyone!
Oat & Blueberry Breakfast Crumble {vegan & gluten-free}
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen, defrosted blueberries
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1–1/3 cups rolled oats
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
- Optional: milk for serving (dairy or nondairy)
- Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a medium-size baking dish with cooking spray. Add the blueberries, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
- In a food processor, process 1/2 of the oats (2/3 cup) into a flour. In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, oats, salt, and cinnamon. Add the maple syrup and coconut oil, stirring until blended and crumbly.
- Sprinkle oats mixture over the berry mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes until topping is golden brown and the berries are bubbling beneath.
- Let cool at least 15 minutes for the berry layer to thicken. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or chilled, preferably with milk poured over.
Notes
If following a strict GF diet, use oats that are specifically labeled gluten-free.
Flavor notes: I used cinnamon, but feel free to use cardamom, ginger, or the spice of your choice in the topping. Also, raspberries, blackberries, or a combination will work in place of the blueberries.
- Category: breakfast, dessert
Leave a Comment