Protein Berry Breakfast Crumble

Pie for breakfast! This high protein berry breakfast crumble is loaded with protein and fiber and makes the perfect healthy meal or dessert.

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All I want in life is to eat dessert for breakfast. But as much as I love a good berry crumble or cobbler, they’re not exactly nutritionally balanced.

Enter: protein berry breakfast crumble. It’s dessert for breakfast — except it’s high protein, high fiber, and low in added sugars. You’ll love this tasty berry crumble just as much as the real deal, but it will actually leave you feeling full and energized.

Learn how to make this easy and delicious protein berry crumble for your next sweet breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Why you’ll love it

High protein: A high protein breakfast is essential for staying full and supporting fitness goals. And the good news is, this berry crumble has 30 grams per serving!

High fiber: You’re getting 10 grams of healthy dietary fiber from oats, berries, and chia seeds.

Delicious: If you love pies, crisps, and cobblers, you’re going to absolutely love this warm and satisfying sweet breakfast. It’s loaded with nutrition, but it tastes like a sweet and delicious treat!

Ingredients

This recipe is broken down into two parts: the simple fruit base, and the crumble.

Fruit base ingredients

Frozen blueberries or frozen mixed berries: I love this most when it’s made with a frozen berry blend that includes blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I recommend getting a blend without strawberries because they’re a little big and bulky for this recipe.

Chia seeds: They help absorb some of the liquid from the frozen berries.

Maple syrup or sweetener: I think maple syrup tastes best, but you can use any sweetener you like such as honey, brown sugar, or even something like Stevia. You can also omit the sweetener entirely for a sugar-free and lightly sweet option.

Crumble topping ingredients

Old fashioned oats: Quick oats work too, but the texture isn’t quite as satisfying.

Vanilla protein powder: You can sub for another flavor, but it’s essential you don’t use unsweetened! This is responsible for a lot of the flavor and sweetness in the crumble topping.

Natural peanut butter: Look for the kind with just “peanuts” on the ingredient label.

Egg whites: Crack one egg, and remove the yolk. Or, use about 2 Tbsp of egg whites from a carton.

Maple syrup, cinnamon, pinch of salt: These ingredients add a little extra flavor!

Step-by-step instructions

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 F.

Add all ingredients for the fruit base of your berry crumble to your ramekin. Mix until fruit is well coated. Set aside.

In small bowl, add all ingredients for the protein crumble topping. Mix until well combined. Add the crumble topping on top of the berries, flattening slightly with your hands or the back of a spoon.

Transfer to your oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. See notes as cooking time varies considerably based on your ramekin shape. Your crumble is done when the berries are cooked down and the crumble is lightly golden and completely set.

Rest for 5 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Dietary restrictions

No sugar: Omit the maple syrup in the fruit base and the crumble topping, and use a sugar-free protein powder. Or, swap maple syrup for another sugar-free sweetener like Stevia.

Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.

Plant-based: Sub egg whites for a splash or two of plant-based milk. Make sure your crumble is lightly moist and forms a bit of a dough before adding to your berries.

How to serve

You can serve this balanced berry crumble for breakfast, snack, or dessert!

For a litte extra nutrition and flavor, top with greek yogurt, more nut butter, hemp seeds, or even some whipped topping. If you’re having it for dessert, add a scoop of ice cream.

What’s a good protein powder?

I usually buy the LEANFIT vanilla whey powder from Costco. I also enjoy the whey and plant-based options from Legion Athletics.

Variations

Swap nut butter: Swap peanut butter for any nut or seed butter you like, such as almond butter, cashew butter, or even Nutella.

Add to crumble topping: Add crushed nuts, seeds, and/or coconut flakes to your crumble topping.

Swap protein powder flavor: Instead of using vanilla, try chocolate or salted caramel flavor.

Important tips

The cooking time will vary based on your ramekin size and shape. I recommend starting with less time and adding more as needed. A taller ramekin like I’ve used takes more cooking time. A shorter, wider cooking dish will take less time. In the ramekin I used in these photos, my cooking time is 25 minutes.

Also, make sure you rest your protein berry crumble before eating. It will be hot and a little runny when it first comes out of the oven.