This is a simple, quick-to-assemble, delicious dessert that's ready in under an hour. It has a layer of juicy blueberries with a crisp crumb topping that you can make ahead. I added a variation with coconut and pecans too. You can't go wrong with this easy recipe!
A versatile dessert
- Quick & easy: dump the blueberries in the dish, add a few ingredients, mix, top with the frozen (or cold from the refrigerator) crumble, and pop in the oven.
- Make ahead: you can freeze the baked dessert in the dish or the crumble and the blueberries separately and put them together an hour before eating. It'll be ready when you're done.
- Dessert for a crowd: this is the perfect dessert to make for a barbecue, a picnic, a birthday lunch, or any similar celebration, especially during good weather months.
- Serving it: though this crumble is great served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, it's amazing plain, at room temperature.
Desserts with crisp toppings are such favorites that we have a whole crisps and crumbles recipes category devoted to them. I make them year-round, using fresh fruit when in season and frozen when it's not.
Most fruits, especially berries, can be frozen and used directly from the freezer. There are exceptions, like apples, but they're available year-round.
Step-by-step VIDEO
FAQ
You probably need to use more butter. The right amount of butter (and, to some degree, sugar) crisps up the topping during baking, as opposed to a more floury one if you use the wrong amount of butter. This recipe produces a crisp topping.
I recommend keeping leftovers in the fridge and covered to avoid dryness. After a while, the fruit will start to ferment or macerate in its juices, ruining the dessert, especially if the room is hot.
It has to do whether you use rolled oats in the topping or not.
I grew up eating an apple crisp without oats. Decades later, when Google came around, it turned out that a crisp recipe uses oats and a crumble doesn't. Well, what do I do now? The truth is that both are used interchangeably around the globe.
We can also call it blueberry crisp and roll with it. It will still be the same delicious fruity dessert. So let's not get too picky and enjoy them!
Ingredient list
- Blueberries: I recommend fresh blueberries whenever you can, but know that frozen ones work just as well.
- Sugar: I like the mix of white sugar for the topping (crunchiness) and brown sugar for the filling, giving it a caramel undertone. But you can use only one type for both layers (I tend to favor brown sugar).
- Lemon: lemon zest and fresh lemon juice are used. You can't go wrong with this combination of flavors.
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Vanilla extract.
- Ground cinnamon.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations
- Use other berries like raspberries and blackberries or a mix.
- Coconut pecan crumble: I used to make the topping with coconut and pecans. Very unique and delicious. The variation can be found in the Notes section of the recipe card below.
- Blueberry pie: this recipe easily makes a blueberry crumble pie if you add a pie crust; make sure you use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. I like the Perfect Flaky Pie Crust recipe (with shortening and barely sweet) or the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry recipe if you want a more French-style, all-butter, sweeter version.
- Blueberry bars: use a shortbread base or graham cracker crust layer, and make blueberry crumble bars. Make sure you add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
Steps to make a blueberry crumble
Crumbles are super easy to make.
You can use the food processor, a medium bowl and a fork or pastry cutter, or your hands (my favorite, always) and a large bowl because it's a little messier.
Blueberries
You can use fresh or frozen ones. The filling ingredients are simply stirred in the baking dish for ease and convenience.
Crumble topping
It's a simple method: we stir the dry ingredients together, cut into it cold butter pieces and mix everything until crumbly. That's it!
Baking
The juices will bubble up and the top will be golden brown and dry.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Blueberry filling: use fresh or frozen berries, both work well. Thicker fruit filling: following some comments on similar recipes (Blueberry Dump Cake and Blueberry Cobbler recipe), I added cornstarch as an optional ingredient for the blueberry mixture, especially if using frozen berries which tend to release more liquid. Some of my readers felt the blueberry filling was not firm enough. All variations are in the Notes section of the recipe card.
- Lemon: the amounts of juice and zest are easily customizable. Lemon zest is stronger and makes desserts more bitter, so you can use an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice and reduce the zest, for example. Just follow your taste buds.
- Crumble: this is very versatile, and you can play around with brown sugar instead of white or add some sliced almonds. There's a coconut variation below if you like that combination (hint: it's so good!).
- Ratio: these types of desserts can be adjusted to your taste regarding the proportion of fruit and topping you use. I like more fruit and a crisper topping, but for example, my father likes a more floury topping (I know!), so I use less butter when he's coming over. Play around until you find what works for you and your family.
- Flavorings: vanilla extract or paste and ground cinnamon enhance the lemon flavor and add a unique touch. But feel free to omit them if that suits you.
Related recipes you might like:
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Blueberry Crumble (quick and easy)
Ingredients
For the crumble:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and in pieces
For the blueberries:
- 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, optional but needed if you want a thick, syrupy filling
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
For the crumble:
- Mix 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, pinch salt, and ½ cup sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Add cold ½ cup unsalted butter in pieces and integrate with your hands or a pastry cutter, until grainy and the butter is the size of peas. You can do this in a food processor; make sure you stop processing when it still has butter bits. Don’t turn it into a paste.
- Cover and keep refrigerated while you make the filling orup to a week. Or frozen for a month.
For the blueberries:
- Have ready an oven-proof glass or ceramic dish (I use an 8x11-inch oval one, but a 9-inch round or square baking dish also works).
- Scatter 4 cups blueberries in the dish and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Grate ½ teaspoon lemon zest over them and stir to mix lightly.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract over the berries. If using the 2 teaspoons cornstarchdissolve them first in the juice. Mix lightly with a spoon.
- Top the blueberries with this mixture. It will cover the surface irregularly and the edges will not have much. That’s fine.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until dry, golden, and the blueberry juices are bubbling.
- Let cool on a wire rack until warm and eat with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated, covered in plastic wrap, and warm slightly before eating.
Carol says
Left a comment in the wrong place. We loved this crisp! Added more sugar for out taste.
Louisette says
Thanks for the nice recipes. question re. this recipe - if using frozen blueberries do I have to thaw them or can I use them directly from the freezer?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Louisette, use them directly, no need to thaw them. Happy baking!
Carol says
Made this and we loved it! Used a tad more sugar for the crumble and it was sweet and delicious.
Ann says
Crumble was not crumbly after baking. It was gummy and gooey. Won't use this recipe again. Huge waste of delicious blueberries.
Hannah says
This crumble turned out so delicious! My husband loved it and asked what the ingredients were because it was so yummy. I didn’t have a lemon so I had to used an orange instead and it s came out great. I can’t wait to make this again!
Paula Montenegro says
Happy to know you loved it Hannah! Yes, orange pair wonderfully with blueberries, I use it a lot. Have a great weekend.
Stella says
Super good totally recommend if you do not have oatmeal.
Sarah says
My first time baking a crumble and came out perfect now have to make it every holiday 🙂
Very quick prep I used frozen berries came out not too wet with some cornstarch ❤️
Alma says
Love this recipe. Very easy and well directed. But, When do I use the vanilla extract and cinnamon?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Alma, they're mixed with the blueberries.
Jane says
Delicious!
Easy to make; used half almond flour and half brown rice flour to make it gluten-free; quick thawed frozen blueberries and sprinkled with 1 teaspoon
corn starch as they are juicy. The best ‘no oats’ recipe I’ve tried.
Renee vanzandt says
Oh my gosh I love it super easy and so yummy thank you will be making this all the time
Paula Montenegro says
SO happy you loved it Renee! Thanks for letting me know. Have a great week.
Hope says
Coconut addition not in notes…says see below in notes but nowhere on page
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Hope, it's added to the recipe card Notes. Thanks for the heads up. Happy baking!