An easy fresh blueberry crisp topped with buttery oat streusel. This is a quick blueberry dessert that impresses anyone who tries it! Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect fruity treat!
Why you'll love it
Every summer we load up on fresh berries, and it is the best thing ever. One of my favorite ways to use up those fresh blueberries is to make a blueberry crisp with the most irresistible buttery streusel topping. But you can easily swap for frozen to make it all year long!
- This recipe comes together so quickly. It's a matter of tossing a few ingredients together into a baking pan and you're done!
- It uses simple ingredients. A layer of blueberries enhanced with a touch of sugar and vanilla are topped with a buttery cinnamon-infused streusel then baked until a perfect golden brown and the blueberry juice is bubbly and jam-like.
- You can make ahead or double! You can assemble the recipe then cover and freeze to bake up at a later date. The crisp topping can be made in large batches to use for more crisp or any other recipes.
- You can customize the recipe endless ways! Play with the spices or add nuts in the topping or add in other fresh fruit to create a crisp recipe you can be proud to share!
Ingredient overview
All we need besides our blueberries are a few pantry staples, then we are on our way to the best blueberry crisp ever. Here are some key notes about some of the ingredients we need, plus any substitutions or variations you can use.
- Blueberries - Fresh, juicy blueberries are the best in this recipe, but frozen also works very well. Do not thaw frozen berries, instead bake from frozen and add an extra 5 - 10 minutes or however long it takes for the filling to bubble.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar helps enhance the sweetness of the crisp and helps to thicken the juices. You can also use light brown sugar.
- Cornstarch - A touch of cornstarch in the filling thickens it and makes the filling feel thicker and more jammy. You can omit it or use all-purpose flour
- Vanilla - When baking, unless specified, you need to use pure vanilla extract for the best results. This helps to round out the flavor of the blueberries to make it really stand out. You can also use vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla bean
- Oats - Without oats, it becomes a crumble, which is also great. But oats are necessary for it to be a crisp. I recommend old-fashioned oats, but quick oats also works.
- Lemon - Brighten up the blueberries by adding a little lemon juice. A touch of zest also adds a lovely lemon flavor to enhance the berries.
How to make
Blueberry crisp is so easy to prep and make. It makes a great recipe to bake on a lazy weekend afternoon or with the kids.
- Preheat the oven and take out a 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Start with the crisp topping. Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Press the mixture together. Cover with plastic wrap then leave it in the refrigerator or freezer as you work.
- Fill your baking pan with blueberries, then top with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Stir together.
- Crumble the crisp topping over the blueberries evenly.
- Bake until the blueberries are nice and bubbly and the top is golden brown. The juice may start to bubbly over the crisp at the edges. Cover with aluminum foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Remove and allow it to cool and for the juices to thicken before you serve.
Pro tip: serve with a scoop of ice cream while the fruit crisp is still warm.
Amanda's expert tips
- If you use frozen blueberries, you should not thaw them as it will make the filling very runny and difficult to work with and bake. I also recommend adding double the cornstarch.
- For more dimension or texture, feel free to add chopped almonds, walnuts, and/or pecans to the topping.
- Use old-fashioned oats or quick cooking oats. Just do not use steel-cut oats.
- If you like lots of crumble, feel free to double the recipe. Or you can save the rest of the topping to make another crisp later if you prefer to focus on the fruit filling.
- In case your baking dish is more shallow than the ones I like to use, I recommend placing a baking sheet under your pan to catch any potential berry juice bubbling up.
Secret to the best crisp topping
For the absolute best crisp topping, you need larger clumps of the crisp. What I like to do is press my crisp mixture together in the bowl before I chill it. Once the butter is firm, I can break off large bits of the streusel. They'll bake into the most delicious and buttery bits ever. They also take longer to soften, meaning your crisp will be amazing for longer.
Storage notes
- You can store your blueberry crisp at room temperature as long as you cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
- It is also possible to store the crisp in the refrigerator when covered.
- Freezing is also an option before or after you bake when store in an airtight container.
- If you freeze before you bake, you can bake the crisp at 375F for about 45 - 50 minutes, covering the top with aluminum foil 30 minutes in.
- If you store after you've baked, reheat at 350F for about 30 minutes.
Please note that no matter how you store your crisp, the topping will start to soften. It will happen faster in the refrigerator. While baking the crisp again to warm it will help a bit, it will never go back to that freshly baked texture.
F.A.Q.s
Absolutely! You can bake it in two 8 x 8 baking pans. You can also make the individual and bake them in ramekins. If you want to use a pan larger than 9 x 13, please make extra crisp topping so you have enough to cover the top.
Definitely! You can use this recipe with any berries - or cherries - that you like. You can even use a mix. And yes, fresh or frozen berries is fine. Peaches, plums, and anything similar also works. Apple crisp is a great classic.
The cornstarch, sugar, and the natural pectin in the blueberries all work to give the blueberries a deliciously jammy consistency. If your filling looks liquidy, you probably need more baking time, and to wait for the crisp to cool completely before digging in.
You can have a great time experimenting with the toppings for your crisp. Before baking, you can add any of your favorite chopped nuts. They will also help amplify that delicious crunch. Once baked, you can top your servings of the crisp with things like whipped cream, caramel sauce, lemon glaze, and/or vanilla ice cream.
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Recipe Card
Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients
For the Streusel
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter cubed
For the Filling
- 4 pints blueberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Take out a deep 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Start with the crisp. Mix together the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Add the cubed butter and rub the butter into the mixture until the mixture looks like lumps of wet sand or large crumbs. Store the topping in the freezer until needed.
- Wash and dry your blueberries. Add them to your pan and toss the remaining ingredients for the filling together.
- Take out the topping and crumble it evenly over the blueberry mixture. Try to get as many large crumbs as you can.
- Bake for bout 40 - 50 minutes, or until the mixture is nice and bubbly.
- Allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Add chopped nuts to the topping for added crunch.
- Place aluminum foil over the crisp is you find the topping is browning too fast.
- If you don't have blueberries, you can replace them with frozen, or any of your favorite fresh or frozen berries.
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