Pomegranate Blueberry Crumble

My favorite part of Trader Joe’s is the cereal aisle. They have so many unique choices! I normally have one of the high fiber/protein super nutritious ones for breakfast, but always enjoy a cup of the less healthy ones for dessert after dinner. They have one with chocolate one that is really delicious and I recently devoured a box featuring pomegranate and blueberries together. It was so good that I immediately knew I wanted to create a real dessert with this flavor combo.

I originally attempted this crumble a couple weeks ago when Reeni hosted BSI with the Blogger Secret Ingredient of blueberries. But, it turned out to be a disaster! I reduced some pomegranate juice down to a syrup and then threw it on a bunch of frozen blueberries. The syrup solidified on just the blueberries it hit and the whole thing turned out to be a huge watery mess after it baked. But, the dessert was much more successful after I tweaked a few things this weekend. I simply simmered the blueberries in the pomegranate juice until the mixture reduced and then thickened the mixture with a bit of cornstarch. The tang of the pomegranate juice really complimented the blueberries! The key to the crumble topping is the almond meal (from Trader Joe’s of course!). Please do not substitute anything else because it adds another layer of flavor and seriously elevates the topping from good to super addicting!

Pomegranate Blueberry Crumble
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
8 cups blueberries (I used half fresh and half frozen)
2 cups pomegranate juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Stir together blueberries, pomegranate juice, and granulated sugar in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid reduces by half. Mix cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl and add the mixture to the blueberries. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens to desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble topping by mixing the brown sugar, almond meal, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir together butter and vanilla and mix with flour mixture.

Pour the thickened blueberry mixture into an 8-inch square pan and top evenly with the crumble mixture. Bake at 350˚F for 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 369 calories, 10.1g fat, 5.0g fiber, 3.9g protein per serving
Cost: $0.94 per serving