Blueberry Crisp Recipe (Blueberry Crumble)
by Sommer Collier — on Aug 12, 2024 
Best Blueberry Crisp – This old-fashioned summer dessert recipe is easy to make with fresh or frozen berries and features a scrumptious oat and almond crumble topping. It’s ready to serve in under an hour, and perfect to enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why We Love This Blueberry Crisp Recipe
We love crisps and crumbles for summer entertaining. Even on a hot day you can’t resist scooping into a warm, sweet, gooey, perfectly crumbly serving of a fruit crisp. (So long as it is loaded with cold ice cream, of course!) They have the same appeal as classic homemade pies, yet take much less time and effort to make.
This easy Blueberry Crisp recipe is a must-have for your lineup of seasonal baked goodies. It’s made with mostly pantry staple ingredients, it’s quick to prepare in under an hour, and tastes of sweet summer memories!
When the berries are ripe in summer, a fresh blueberry crisp is one of my absolute favorites. However, you can make this fabulous treat any time of year with frozen blueberries. We also include sliced almonds in our crisp topping for some extra crunch and nutty flavor. It’s simply delicious!
Ingredients You Need
For the Blueberry Filling –
- Blueberries – fresh or frozen (no need to thaw)
- Sugar – granulated white or coconut sugar
- Lemon – fresh juice and zest
- Cornstarch – to thicken the filling
- Salt – a pinch to balance the sweetness
For the Blueberry Crisp Topping –
- All-purpose flour – or preferred gluten-free alternative
- Oats – old-fashioned are best, but quick cooking will work
- Brown sugar – light brown, packed
- Butter – unsalted, cold and cubed
- Cinnamon – or apple pie spice blend
- Salt – just a touch
- Almonds – sliced (optional)
How to Make a Blueberry Crisp
Preheat the oven and set out either a deep 8 x 8-inch square, a 9 x 9-inch square, or a 2-quart round dish. Any of these sizes will do well!
Combine all of the blueberry crumble filling ingredients in a large bowl. Stir everything together well so the berries are coated in the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Be gentle so as not to squish the blueberries.
Carefully pour the blueberry mixture into the baking dish and spread out evenly.
Pro Tip: If your baking dish is deep enough, you can mix these ingredients right in the dish to reduce clean-up and make this a one-pan blueberry crumble recipe.
Now let’s make the crisp topping!
Add the flour, oats, light brown sugar, cubes of cold butter, cinnamon, and salt to a medium mixing bowl.
Either use a pastry blender tool, or your hands, to mix the ingredients together until the butter is broken into small pea-sized pieces.
Then, if using, mix in the sliced almonds with a large spoon. Otherwise, you can move on to the next step.
Once combined, sprinkle the crumble topping over the blueberries in the pan. Don’t push down too much—we want the crumble mixture to stay right on top of the fruit filling.
Get the Complete (Printable) Blueberry Crisp Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Place the blueberry crisp in the oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until the crisp topping is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling around the edges.
Pro Tip: Place a lined baking sheet on the rack directly under the crumble. That way, any bubbles that overflow will be caught by the sheet and will not wind up on the bottom of the oven.
Once done allow the blueberry crisp to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Cool the crisp a bit before serving with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream. It’s also delicious with a big dollop of whipped cream.
This blueberry crumble is irresistible as a summery dessert or sweet afternoon snack. Depending on the time of day, I love a serving with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee.
Recipe Variations
- Fruit – This old fashioned crisp recipe is easy to make with nearly any fruit! Try fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pitted cherries, or other seasonal produce.
- Gluten-free – Use your favorite GF-friendly all-purpose flour replacement, and be sure your oats are also gluten-free.
- Dairy-free – Substitute traditional dairy butter with a plant-based alternative that is easy to cube. Serve this blueberry crumble with vegan non-dairy ice cream!
- Make ahead – Crisps can be frozen before or after baking. Make them in foil pans to give away as edible gifts! If baking from frozen, increase the bake time to 50-60 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
A blueberry crumble’s streusel-like topping is made with a combination of flour, sugar, butter, and spices. A crisp adds oats to the topping for an extra pop of flavor and nice texture. In our special blueberry crisp recipe, we also include sliced almonds for even more crunchy goodness!
Yes! Blueberries are flash-frozen right when they are perfectly ripe. For baking you want to keep the blueberries frozen and not let them thaw. Defrosted fruit gets mushy and releases a lot of moisture, but if you keep it frozen the berries bake beautifully!
Let the crisp cool before transferring to an airtight container. Blueberry crumble will keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Yes, fruit crisp is excellent to freeze! You can freeze it before or after baking. Either way, I suggest assembling the crisp in a disposable aluminum foil pan so it can go straight from the freezer to the oven.
Wrap the crisp tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. When freezing a baked blueberry crumble, be sure to allow it to cool completely before wrapping it.
You can freeze the crumble for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake per the recipe card, or bake it from frozen for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Looking for More Classic Dessert Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Fresh Blueberry Pie with Almond Pie Crust
- Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
- Mixed Berry Cobbler Cups
- Bisquick Peach Cobbler Recipe
- Strawberry Shortcake Skillet Cobbler
- Fresh Strawberry Crumble with Pistachio Crust
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Strawberry Crumble)
Blueberry Crisp Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Filling –
- 6 cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Blueberry Crisp Topping –
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats or quick oats
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 12 tablespoons butter cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sliced almonds optional
- Vanilla ice cream to serve optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set out a 2-quart baking dish: a deep 8 x 8-inch square, a 9 x 9-inch square, or 2-quart round dish are great options!
- Prepare the Blueberry Filing: In a large mixing bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well to combine. Pour the blueberry mixture into the baking dish. *If your baking dish is deep enough, you can mix these ingredients right in the dish to reduce clean up.
- For the Crisp Topping: Set out a medium mixing bowl. Combine the flour, oats, light brown sugar, butter cubes, cinnamon, and salt. Either use a pastry blender tool, or your hands, to mix the ingredients together until the butter is broken into small pea-sized pieces. Then mix in the sliced almond, if using.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping over the blueberries in the pan. Place the blueberry crisp in the oven and bake for approximately 35- 40 minutes, until the crisp topping is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling around the edges.
- Allow the blueberry crisp to cool for at least 5-10 minutes. Then scoop and serve with vanilla ice cream.
This is such a comforting & tasty dessert! It’s always been one of my dads favorite & it’s will be great for the upcoming holidays!
Oh my gosh!! This blueberry crisp is one of my favorite desserts this summer! We have made it almost every weekend having friends and family over. It has been our summertime dessert. It is so easy to make!!
I can’t get enough of this! It is incredibly delicious and fun to eat! It delighted everyone present to pur potluck.