This fresh blueberry crisp is the perfect summer dessert. There's nothing better than a warm, juicy blueberry filling topped with a crispy, buttery oat topping. It's one of my absolute favorite desserts to make when blueberry season rolls around. It's a great way to use up a big haul from your local farmer's market, and also works just as well with that bag of frozen blueberries hidden in your freezer!
We love a good crisp around here. In my opinion, a fruit crisp is the perfect dessert since it's naturally sweet from all the fruit, is incredibly easy to throw together, and the buttery, crispy oat topping makes it just decadent enough while still feeling like you're eating something sort of healthy, thanks to the fruit and oats. (Also falling delightfully into this category: Dump & Bake Peach Cobbler, Rhubarb Pie, and this Graham Cracker Crust Apple Pie.)
This delicious blueberry crisp is one of our favorites. It's silly easy to make (my 11-year-old has even tried his hand at this with much success!) and comes together super fast with just a handful of pantry staples.
We love it served warm with a big ole scoop of vanilla ice cream on top (non-negotiable in our house!). And, while this is a great one to make during the summer when blueberries are at their peak, it's an easy dessert to make any time since it works so well with frozen blueberries, too.
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Key Ingredients
You truly need just a handful of ingredients to make a good fruit crisp. Here are a few standouts and some things to keep in mind as you shop for this recipe. (See the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.)
- Fresh blueberries. You'll want about 5-6 cups here. Fresh is great if you have them, but frozen blueberries work just as well for this recipe.
- Lemon juice & zest. A little acidity brightens the dish and adds just a bit of zing to help balance out the sweetness of the filling.
- Brown sugar. My recipe is a little light on the sugar for the filling since I like the blueberry flavor to really shine through, and I tend to think they are naturally sweet enough. Just a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar is all you need.
- Cornstarch. Don't skip this since it helps absorb some of the liquid from the fruit and creates the thick, syrupy blueberry mixture we want.
- Old-fashioned oats. I find old fashioned oats work better than quick oats, which can become a bit mushy when baking.
- Unsalted butter. You'll want to use cold butter here, not melted, since it helps create that craggy, crumbly texture for the topping.
- Walnuts. I like to add a few chopped walnuts to the crisp topping for an extra toasty crunch.
Variations & Substitutions
- Mixed berries. Any combination works with this recipe. Try raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries for some different flavors.
- Less sugar. I tried to keep this pretty low in sugar already, but if you want to reduce the sugar even more, I'd cut out some of the sugar from the filling. You could also sub in maple syrup, honey, or even agave if you don't want to use brown or granulated sugar. (If you're using a liquid sweetener, be sure to add just a touch more cornstarch to the filling to keep your crisp from becoming fruit soup!)
- Nuts. Walnuts were what I had on hand when making the recipe here, but I've also used pecans or almonds, which are equally delicious.
- Gluten-free. Swap out the oats for GF oats, and the flour for an almond flour or oat flour if needed.
How To Make This Easy Blueberry Crisp
If you've never made a crispy vefore, I'm so excited for you! This is the easiest recipe and tastes so delicious. Here's how to do it:
- Prep. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a baking sheet (8x8 or 9x9) with butter. (You can also double the recipe and use a 9x12 dish as I did here.)
- Make the blueberry filling. Combine the blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. (You could actually mix all of this in your baking dish, too, if you wanted to save a bowl!)
- Make the crisp topping. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, a pinch of salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts. Mix well. Add the cubed butter to the bowl and use two knives, a dough blender, or a pastry cutter, to cut the butter into the mixture until it's crumbly and resembles a sand-like consistency.
- Assemble and bake. Pour the blueberry mixture into the baking dish, then sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling. Bake the dish for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling.
- Cool and serve. Let the blueberry crisp cool slightly (about 15 minutes) before serving to allow the filling to set. Serve warm, preferably with a scoop of ice cream.
Expert Tips For The Perfect Blueberry Crisp
- Don't leave out the cornstarch. The three teaspoons of cornstarch are a necessary ingredient, as they help thicken the filling and prevent your crisp from becoming soupy. Don't leave it out.
- Place your baking dish on a sheet pan lined with foil. The filling can get quite bubbly, so it's helpful to place a sheet pan underneath the baking dish to catch any potential spillovers. A sheet of foil between the two also makes for easier cleanup. Those syrupy blueberries can be hard to get off once baked onto the pan.
- Don't overdo it with the topping. I know, I know...the topping is delicious and is sometimes the best part. But don't overdo it when making a fruit crisp. Adding too much topping makes the dessert too dense and doesn't let the fruit shine through. Keep it simple here.
- Watch it closely. The last thing you want is for your topping to burn. As the timer approaches, check on the crisp to make sure your topping isn't becoming too crispy. If you find that the top is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Serving And Storing
When it comes to fruit crisps, simple is best in my opinion. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We've also enjoyed this crisp with a dollop of whipped cream, or even Greek yogurt (the yogurt makes it acceptable to serve this for breakfast at our house:).
To store leftovers, allow the blueberry crisp to come to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container for 4 days in the fridge. Reheat it in a warm oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes to crisp up the topping.
This blueberry crisp also freezes well! For best results, assemble the crisp, but don't bake it. Freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can add frozen blueberries directly to the filling without thawing them. If you do use frozen blueberries, add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to absorb some of the extra liquid.
Make sure you're using the cornstarch! Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent and prevents your blueberry crisp from becoming runny. Also, be sure to let the crisp cool slightly before serving, since the filling will continue to thicken as it rests.
Yep! Crisps are a great dessert to prep since you can assemble everything separately, cover with plastic wrap, and then just refrigerate until you're ready to bake.
I like this recipe best with berries, but it also works with stone fruits, apples, pears, rhubarb or even plums!
These can get confusing, so let's break it down: All three have rich blueberry filling that's sweetened slightly and uses some type of thickener. The difference really lies in the topping. A crisp is oat-forward and has a crunchy, crispy topping, whereas a cobbler has more of a biscuit/cakey topping. Finally, a crumble is similar to a crisp, but it doesn't use any oats and has more of a streusel topping. All are very similar, equally delicious, and happen to fall into the category of my favorite blueberry desserts!
This easy blueberry crisp recipe is the perfect way to enjoy those fresh, juicy blueberries. If you try this delicious dessert, let me know what you think in the comments below. And don't forget to tag me with a pic @frontrangefed on Instagram!
Recipe
Super Easy Blueberry Crisp With A Crunchy Oat Topping
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Filling
- 2 pints blueberries (about 4-5 cups)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Crisp Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- ⅓ cup cold butter cut into small cubes
For Serving
- vanilla ice cream (optional, but highly recommended!)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a square baking dish (8x8 or 9x9), or a pie plate with butter or nonstick spray.
- Make the blueberry filling. In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir gently until evenly coated. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Make the topping. Chop the walnuts. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts. Mix well. Add the cold butter cubes and cut into the oat mixture with two knives or a dough blender. You can also use your hands to help work the butter into the oat mixture.
- Assemble and bake. Evenly spoon the buttery oat and walnut topping over the blueberry filling, pressing down lightly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Serve. Let the blueberry crisp cool slightly, then serve warm (with vanilla ice cream if possible!)
Notes
- Don't skip the cornstarch! You need that to help thicken the blueberry filling.
- Place a foil-lined pan under your baking dish to catch any spillovers.
- Allow the crisp to cool slightly before serving - this will give the filling a bit more time to set.
- Watch the crisp closely while baking. If the topping starts to brown too quickly, cover it with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
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