Blueberry Almond Crisp
This blueberry crisp recipe is the perfect summertime dessert! It's easy to make with blueberries, maple syrup, lemon, oats and almonds. Gluten free, too!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Here we are in high summer, and it seems to be going just right. Slow. Lazy. Everyone’s out of town. My hot yoga class is empty (because only crazy people like me want to do hot yoga on a hot day). I’m nursing a sunburn and rocking some uneven tan lines. The locusts outside are screeching in unison every evening. Everything is as is should be.
Blueberries won’t be here much longer, so I had to make a blueberry crisp before they go. I found a hefty two-pound container at Trader Joe’s and baked them into a brilliantly purple dessert with a gluten-free almond and oat topping.
I’ll enjoy this crisp for breakfast with yogurt and later, for dessert with ice cream. Repeat every day, all week. It’s summertime!
Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp
My original concept for the topping included cornmeal, not almond meal, but my medium-grind cornmeal didn’t soften up enough during baking. Hence, the crisp turned out to be a “crunch,” which wasn’t my intention.
My runner-up idea was a blueberry and almond crisp, with both almond meal and sliced almonds, and it turned out just right. Tons of blueberries, some maple syrup, bright lemon flavor, oats and almonds—you can’t go wrong there.
My favorite part about making this crisp? Unlike all my other crisp recipes (and I have more than a few!), this crisp recipe doesn’t require any chopping of the fruit. Just rinse off those blueberries and you’re good to go!
This is simple summer dessert at its finest.
Please let me know how this crisp turns out for you in the comments! If you’re craving more summertime crisp recipes, don’t miss my gluten-free peach crisp, plum crisp or strawberry rhubarb crisp (if you can’t find rhubarb, replace it with an equal amount of additional strawberries). View all desserts here.
Watch How to Make Blueberry Almond Crisp
Blueberry Almond Crisp
This amazing blueberry crisp recipe is the perfect summertime dessert! It’s easy to make with blueberries, maple syrup, lemon, oats and almonds. It’s gluten free, too! Recipe yields 6 to 8 servings (a lot!).
Ingredients
Lemon blueberry filling
- 2 pounds blueberries (that’s 32 ounces, which is about 5 cups or a little less than 3 pints), fresh or frozen*
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (less than 1 small lemon, zested—scale back to ¼ teaspoon zest if you don’t love lemon)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Gluten-free oat and almond topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free for a gluten-free crisp)
- ½ cup packed almond meal or almond flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (Greek or regular), or additional melted butter
Don’t forget vanilla ice cream, for serving!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse and drain the blueberries and pick through them to remove any stems still attached. In a 9-inch square baking dish, mix together the blueberries, maple syrup or honey, arrowroot or cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice and cinnamon.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond meal/flour, sliced almonds, brown sugar and salt. Mix in the butter and yogurt. Stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture is moistened throughout.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the oat mixture over the filling and use your fingers to break up the mixture until it is evenly distributed (no need to pack it down).
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is actively bubbling around the edges and the top is lightly golden. Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream (I insist!).
Notes
Recipe adapted from my pear cranberry crisp.
*How to use frozen blueberries: Defrost the blueberries in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 2 hours (no need to drain off excess juices). Or, while the oven is preheating, place the frozen blueberries in your square baker. Warm them up in the oven, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until they have defrosted to the point that they are cool to the touch but no longer frozen. Then add the maple syrup, etc. and proceed with the recipe as written.
Make it nut free: Omit the sliced almonds and use ¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup oats instead of the almond meal and oats specified above. It will no longer be gluten free. If you want to keep it gluten free, I suspect that you could replace the almond meal with oat flour or more oats (haven’t tried that, please comment if you do!).
Make it vegan: I believe you could use melted coconut oil in place of the browned butter/yogurt (use 4 tablespoons coconut oil and add up to 3 more, until the topping mixture is moistened throughout) and maple syrup instead of the honey. I haven’t tried it, though.
What’s arrowroot starch? Arrowroot starch is a great thickener to use in place of corn starch, which is often genetically modified. It’s gluten free, too. Look for it in the baking section of well-stocked grocery stores or buy it online (affiliate link).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Beautiful!!! The light in these photos is amazing. I never get light that produces such vivid images. love! Can I bug you to ask where the bowl is from in the last 2 photos?? I feel like I’ve seen it a few times but can’t remember from where…and I think I need it. :)
Thanks, Ashley! The afternoon light in my “studio” is pretty bright, sometimes obnoxiously so! I got the bowl at West Elm a while ago!
Those two last pictures, with the blueberry mingling with the ice cream… oh my word! My mouth filled with saliva! This looks and sounds heavenly.
This looks amazing!! I’ve been loving fresh berries lately and this would be the PERFECT recipe to bring to a cookout!
Definitely!!!
That pile of fresh blueberries is perfection! So far this summer, I’ve made a cherry crisp and a peach crisp…this blueberry one will be next! :)
What a beautiful piece; it completely encompasses all that summer fruit is. I love the light in your photos as well. Can’t wait to make this crisp! I may have to make a version with peaches as well! My mouth is watering….
Gorgeous! I love that this is gluten free. Almonds and blueberries make such a great pair!
That picture of Cookie is so cute! It definitely looks like she’s feeling the heat though… My little pup Ivy has been seeking cool surfaces to lay on and extra water to drink! We can’t wait until the weather gets a bit cooler so we can go hiking again :)
Thanks, Sarah! Cookie has several favorite cool/shaded spots in the house! Hope you two get to go on a hike soon.
YUM! Love how this turned out!
Thanks, Cara! xo!
This looks delicious, and with ice cream? Possibly a perfect summer dessert. I just got our annual bulk shipment of blueberries (we buy and freeze about 40 pounds and grow some as well), I’ll have to give this recipe a try, it looks fantastic.
Wow, 40 pounds! That’s a lot of blueberries! Hope you love this crisp.
Yes, it’s a lot. I make a couple batches of blueberry/currant jam and then we freeze the rest in our chest freezer for use throughout the winter and spring.
The crisp was delicious! It would have been even better if I had some vanilla ice cream – next time. Thanks again for the recipe!
Blueberries all year, love it! Glad you enjoyed the crisp, John!
Could you help me out with an adaptation of this recipe. I can’t have any sugars including honey. I can have stevia and some xylitol. What would you recommend for a crisp topping that doesn’t allow the brown sugar etc. I appreciate any input concerning this.
Hi Holly, that’s a good question. I haven’t tried this, but I would probably just omit the sugar in the topping altogether and make the filling a little extra-sweet to make up for it. I don’t have any experience with stevia or xylitol so I’m not sure which amounts to suggest, I’m sorry!
Even though you switched over the almond meal, I love the original intent to use cornmeal. Did you consider trying to mix the two?
Hey Eliza, I think that a finely ground cornmeal would work well. The problem with medium-grind cornmeal was that it was still crunchy after baking, so adding/mixing almond meal in wouldn’t help with that issue.
Sounds great! A perfect combination of summer flavors, and I love how easy it is to throw together (because no one wants to spend hours in a hot kitchen during the summer).
Calling my name… I love anything “crisp”. I have several on my blog, but I’ve never dedicated one to blueberries. Gonna have to try this one!
Thanks, Lisa! Hope you love it!
Perfect crumble topping! This sounds so good!
This is PERFECT. I have to try this now!!!
Wow Kate this looks perfect…and I just love that face…Of Cookie I mean…so cute and sweet!
Mmm…fruit crisp for breakfast is the best. I was just thinking yesterday about how I haven’t made a crisp all summer. Did you enjoy Not that kind of girl? Been meaning to read that too!
Yes, I enjoyed it, although I was cringing throughout much of it! Lena really lets it all hang out.
Hi Kate,
I’m new to your blog and am quite excited to try this blueberry crumble!! It looks yummy!
Thanks for saying hi, Jamie! Glad you found my blog and hope you love the crisp!
Getting Pinned to This Week’s Menu :)
Looks amazing!
And love the posts with pics of Cookie; she is toooooo cute!
Thanks, Jenna! Hope you love it! :)
Made this for my children and they absolutely love it!!!
Yay! Thanks, Sara!
So beautiful!! You are making me want this for dessert right now!!
This looks so tasty! I want to make it for a family get together but one person is allergic to oats (not gluten). Any suggestions for the topping?
Hi Anne! That’s a tough question. I’m not really sure what to suggest to replace the oats. Quinoa flakes might be similar. Maybe you could do a cobbler topping instead? Here’s an idea: http://www.food.com/recipe/fresh-blueberry-cobbler-71109
Thanks Kate! I ended up making a cobbler-like topping like you suggested, but couldn’t resist keeping the sliced almonds in it. Worked out great, the dish was a hit!
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Anne!
This looks so yummy!
I have been eating loads of blueberries lately and this will go on my list of things to make using blueberries, Pinning for sure! I love that you gave a vegan version. Thanks Kate.
I love that this is so low maintenance! The best way to enjoy summer fruit.
Oh my… this is my kind of summer dessert! Lovely post!
What a spectacular summer dessert! And I love how easy it is to make. Now, the real challenge is not accidentally eating all the blueberries before I can turn on the oven… :)
This looks scrumptious! I’m thinking of making a vegan version this week so I will let you know how it turns out! Can you please tell me if you think frozen blueberries would work?
Please do! Yes, I’m pretty sure you could use frozen blueberries, no problem. Just be sure that the top is nice and golden before your remove it from the oven… I don’t think it will take much, if any, longer.
Hi Kate! This looks quite delicious. The idea of a “crunch” like this actually really appeals to me, was the only change the switch from cornmeal to almond meal?
Hey Shana! Yes, that’s all I did. My medium-grind cornmeal was just plain gritty, though, so I’m not sure it has the “crunch” you’re going for. The crisp topping provided here is crisp!
Do you think I could fudge a little on the butter/Greek yogurt combination, ie more yogurt, less butter, and still have decent results? My husband has to follow an extremely low fat diet and it doesn’t matter if it is good or bad fat, it just has to be low fat. If I was the only one eating it, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Yes, I think so! I originally replaced some of the butter with yogurt, so I think you could get by with more yogurt and less butter.
Holy smokes! Your recipe is to die for…ok, that may be overkill but it was seriously delicious!
I substituted more of the Greek yogurt for butter by decreasing the butter by over a tablespoon and increasing the yogurt, hence making it a tad lower fat for my husband The next time, and there WILL be a next time, I will sub even more.
The crisp topping was so flavorful and I loved the orange in the blueberries. They were sweet without being cloyingly so.
Thank you!
Oops. I meant the lemon in the blueberries, not the orange…although maybe I would try that…
Naaahhh, it was too good as it is!
Thank you so much, Kathy! :)
Want to say thanks for the recipe, the Crisp tasted so good. Yum!
Hooray, thank you!
That photo of the ice cream melting into the crumble is almost too much for me to take. Love that this is almost a one pot crumble. Also, how did you like Lena’s book? I actually really liked it, even though it was very weird in some parts. I’d say it was my unique read of 2014.
Thanks, Genevieve! I liked Lena’s book, although I was definitely cringing during, like, a third of it. She’s a talented writer, though. I think that’s a fair classification! :)
Not sure if anyone else already mentioned anything about the butter/yogurt replacements, but I replaced them with earth balance buttery sticks and unsweetened applesauce and it was perfect. Thank you!!
Awesome, thank you for letting us know!
This looks delicious!
The photos are glorious! I want to jump in there and swim around in that sea of purple. Crisps are my summertime (actually, anytime) favorite.
This was delicious, served with vanilla ice cream and topped leftovers with some plain yogurt. Such a simple dessert!
Thank you, Lindsay!
made this back in August when blueberries were in season for a dessert party (there were 10 of us). served with vanilla ice cream. everyone loved it. they practically licked their plates clean!
Thanks, Vicki! Now I’m craving more blueberry crisp. :)
We’ve made this for ourselves before and loved it! We’d love to make it for some friends we will see soon. Kate, do you think this could be assembled a day ahead of time and baked right before serving? Or will the the oat mixture get soggy? Thanks!!
Hey Brent, so glad you enjoyed it! I think it would get soggy that way. You could, however, mix up the wet ingredients and dry ingredients and store them separately overnight (be sure to refrigerate the wet ingredients). Then just mix them as directed in the morning and bake!
Sounds great, that’s what I’ll do. Thanks for the great (and speedy) advice, Kate! Can’t wait for your cookbook!!
This is a great recipe. I made it with coconut oil instead of the butter and yogurt and it was delicious!
Could you use raspberries instead? Would it change any amounts of ingredients?
This recipe is excellent, and I love how you’ve made it healthier and added more protein with the almonds! I was thinking about adapting this for peaches– any suggestions on what to do differently?
Hey Heather, I’m sorry I didn’t see your comment sooner. I just published a very similar peach crisp, though!
Awesome, thank you! That was perfect timing :)
Made this last night – easy and super yummy! Thanks!
Hi Kate!! First of all I love your blog! I share it with all my friends and family! Second, for this recipe what do you think if I substitute 2 cups of blackberries or rasberries?
Hi Kate,
I love your recipes and have been making this for ages. Super delish – thank you! Have just moved however into a house with a gas oven and I can’t figure out how to bake this properly. It’s been baking for over an hour at a seemingly high heat and it isn’t browned yet or even bubbling. I’ve now jacked up the temp! Do you have any experience or suggestions for baking/cooking in gas ovens? Thanks so much :) Anj (London,UK)
Hi Anjy! I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying my recipes. I’ve baked in gas ovens before, but never experienced that issue, so I’m wondering if your oven might need some work. You might want to buy an oven thermometer to make sure it’s functioning properly (I got one on Amazon for under $10). Wish I had better advice to offer!
I served this at a family gathering and got many rave reviews! No one even noticed that it was gluten-free. Definitely worth making again.
Hooray! Thank you!
Do you have nutrition facts available for your recipes? Trying to show comparisons to blueberry pie for an event I’m putting on. Thanks!
This is the best fruit crisp! My family raved about it, and I got requests for the recipe from several people. I subbed pistachio flour for the almond flour because that’s what I had handy, and it turned out great. I also threw some cinnamon into the crisp part, because I really can’t get enough cinnamon!
Hey Catherine- I’m so glad you got rave reviews on this one! Your variation sounds delicious.
My roommate and I made this a few days ago, and it was heavenly! Also super easy to make! :)
Delicious! Made this in 6 large ramekins which were perfect for individual servings. They were gobbled up in no time – the lack of ice cream was no deterrent. This is a keeper and will definitely be on the dessert menu again. Very soon!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Can I use frozen blueberries?
I think you could, Jennifer, but you would want to watch the moisture level as they will release more water than fresh blueberries. In the same vein, it might alter the baking time a bit because of the additional moisture. Let me know how it goes!