There is nothing more delicious in summer than crumble desserts with seasonal fresh berries such as this blueberry crumbles. Bubbling and delicious blueberries topped with a buttery crumble baked until crisp and golden. The best part is it takes just 5 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to bake.
Table of Content
Are you enjoying all the summer fruits in season this year? Or, shall I say, are you taking full advantage of all the fresh fruits and veggies in season?
Blueberries have got to be one of my favorite fruits. Not just because they are so healthy but also they are tart and sweet all at the same time. During the year, I often use frozen blueberries but fresh... now that's something else! Isn't it?
Why make this crumble?
- One of the reasons I love berry crumbles is this. Look at that thick tart yet sweet chewy fruit syrup. Next, look at the crisp buttery bits of crumble on the top. Now imagine a spoonful of that syrupy fruit with the crispy crumble that just bursts in the mouth. There's a mouthful you cannot resist. Explosion!
- A fruit crumble is really the easiest dessert you can make in summer with any fruit. Berries and stone fruit, such as peaches, apricots, and apples are always a big hit.
- Today, I am making these with blueberries but you can also make them with other berries such as raspberries, blackberries, or even a combination of mixed berries. Of course, stone fruits such as apricot, plums, peaches, and nectarines, are also the perfect candidates for crumbles.
- By the way, a blueberry crumble bar is a great way to take these fruit crumbles to family and friends when you visit.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Blueberries – The crumbles work with fresh or frozen. And if you are using frozen, you can keep the amount of sugar unless they are sweetened. Some brands use sugar as a preservative, so read the label, please.
- Sugar – I like using a mix of white and brown sugar. The white adds sweetness and keeps a beautiful color while the light or brown sugar brings with it the flavor of molasses, which when combined with cinnamon or nutmeg is an absolute luxury.
- Unsalted Butter – I always use unsalted because I like to control the amount of salt I use. And if you use salted butter that’s fine. Just omit salt in the recipe. Margarine or veg shortening works as well, and yet they both will affect the texture of the crumble. Margarine has a bit more liquid, so you may need to use a tad less. While vegetable shorting will make the crumble topping crisper.
- Cornstarch – Blueberries are juicy and the cornstarch helps thicken the juices giving you that thick syrup-like consistency rather than a pool of liquid.
- Vanilla – Always use good quality vanilla extract, bean paste, or vanilla sugar.
- Spice mix – There are so many flavors you can add. Like pumpkin spice or gingerbread spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I admit that when it comes to crumble, I often prefer the fruit to shine. So, I usually add just a pinch of cinnamon and a grating of nutmeg.
Step by step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5.
- Crumble - In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, nuts/oats, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, spice, and chilled cubed butter. Pulse a few times – until crumbly until you have a combination of small and large breadcrumb consistency. Keep chilled.
Pro tip – The crumble mixture can be made up to 4 days in advance. Keep it in the fridge at all times to ensure the butter stays chilled.
- Fruit – Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a greased 8 x 8 square pan or 6-inch pie pan. Alternatively, you can also use 4 x 4 oz ramekins for individual servings. Set aside.
Pro tip – Greasing the pan with butter is optional but will prevent the crumbles from burning into the pan.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the blueberries. Making sure to cover all areas.
Pro tip – I like to do this with my hands and make sure to cover all areas. Try to put the large crumble pieces on the top as they do look prettier.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before you serve.
Pro tip – If you choose to make small individual ramekins, you will need only 12 to 15 minutes of baking time. - Fruit crumble can be served hot or cold. We love to serve it warm with chilled ice cream or cold with whipped cream.
Pro tip – The fruit syrup is very hot. So, make sure to wait for 10 minutes to prevent anyone from getting hurt.
Frequently asked questions
I love baking the crumble fresh, so the topping stays wonderfully crisp. And yet, you can make this crumble in advance. Cool it completely before you wrap it well and place it in the fridge.
Both are baked fruit desserts. A cobbler uses dollops of biscuit dough or pie dough topping, which often when baked looks very similar to a cobblestone. A crumble uses a streusel-like topping made of flour, sugar, and butter with the addition of nuts.
Again a crumble and a crisp are also both baked fruit desserts and both use a streusel topping made with butter, sugar, and flour. And yet, a crumble uses the addition of nuts while crips use rolled oats. These oats become crisp and flaky when cooked while the crumble topping is cakey and dense.
It is very tempting to add more butter to the crumble topping, but too much butter will blend the mixture of flour and sugar. Creating the perfect crumb with flour and sugar requires that you do not add too much butter. Ideally, a ratio of 1:1:2 works best - One part butter: one part sugar: two parts flour
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Printable Recipe
Easy Blueberry Crumble
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Ingredients
Fruit Base
Crumble
- 1 cup (125 g) All-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoon (60 g) Light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon (60 g) White sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted butter chilled, cubed
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Spice mix cinnamon / gingerbread
- ½ cup (40 g) Almond meal or rolled oats
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg fresh grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5.
- Crumble – In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, nuts/oats, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, spice, and chilled cubed butter. Pulse a few times – until crumbly until you have a combination of small and large breadcrumb consistency. Keep chilled.Pro tip – The crumble mixture can be made up to 4 days in advance. Keep it in the fridge at all times to ensure the butter stays chilled.
- Fruit – Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a greased 8 x 8 square pan or 6-inch pie pan. Alternatively, you can also use 4 x 4 oz ramekins for individual servings. Set aside. Pro tip – Greasing the pan with butter is optional but will prevent the crumbles from burning into the pan.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the blueberries. Making sure to cover all areas. Pro tip – I like to do this with my hands and make sure to cover all areas. Try to put the large crumble pieces on the top as they do look prettier.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before you serve.Pro tip – If you choose to make small individual ramekins, you will need only 12 to 15 minutes of baking time.
- Fruit crumble can be served hot or cold. We love to serve it warm with chilled ice cream or cold with whipped cream.Pro tip – The fruit syrup is very hot. So, make sure to wait for 10 minutes to prevent anyone from getting hurt.
Recipe Notes
- Fruit - you can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen make sure to thaw well, then drain excess moisture so the crumble does not become soupy.
- The perfect crumble topping is in the ratio of flour, sugar, and butter - Two parts flour, one part butter, and one part sugar works every single time. You can replace some of the flour with oats and nuts.
- Freezing crumble mixture - you can store any extra crumble mix well wrapped in a freezer bag (to prevent ice crystal) for up to 3 months.
- Gluten-free fruit crumbles - simply replace the flour in the recipe with your favorite-gluten free flour and oats.
- Reducing sugar - you can reduce sugar by simply tasting the blueberries. If you have sweet blueberries reduce the sugar accordingly. If the blueberries are tart, you can also use maple syrup or honey to substitute some of the sugar.
- Reheating crumble -A few minutes in the microwave will bring it back to it syrupy goodness. Then a few minutes in the oven will help crisp the streusel topping as well.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Angie
I wonder if your recipe has an error. To have a 1:1:2 ration of sugar, butter and flour, the butter would need to be 1/2 cup. Therefore it is 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c butter and 1 c flour.
Veena Azmanov
Yes, Angie - it is 1/2 cup butter and the sugar has been divided between white and brown so they are both 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup. Thanks
Deanna
If I’m using frozen fruit do I need to thaw it out first? And also if I’m not using 4 ramekins what size baking dish should I use? Thanks!
Veena Azmanov
Hey Deanna. Sorry for the late reply, just found your comment in the spam, unfortunately. You can use frozen blueberries. No need to thaw. You can use an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Thanks
Annie
Wow not sure if any of those people commenting how great it looks actually tried making a crumble following this recipe. It absolutely needs more butter. I thought 56 g sounded too little but looked that it has good reviews so trusted the raiting. The topping turned out absolutely dry and the recipe has way too much sugar. If you write optional oats in recipe please also add how much butter to add to this. What a waste of great blueberries.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Annie. Sorry, this recipe did not work for you.
I myself have made this recipe more than once and the proportions are right.
You can use less sugar but perhaps you had very sweet blueberries. I have made this with fresh and frozen blueberries so 1/4 cup sugar for 1 heaping cup of blueberries is just right and balances out the tartness.
As for the crumble I did mention in the notes above that if you use oats you will need more butter - but since you mentioned it, now, I have written it in the card below as well.
As for the butter in the crumble, again, the ratio of butter to flour is right. Any more butter and you rick the crumble melting to a flat biscuit.
Sorry, you didn't enjoy this recipe but I have rechecked the recipe and I do think the proportions are correct. I do make fruit crumbles often so this is my goto recipe.
Thanks for stopping by.
Diana
I always make an apple crumble but not a blueberry one. Your version looks amazing, I'll have to try it.
Veena Azmanov
I love apple crumble too. Absolute classic
Erin M
Hello there! We are excited to make this today. I just made the topping and am wondering if I put it all on the two cups of berries? It seems like a lot. This is my first crumble, so I'm not sure what to expect!
Veena Azmanov
Hey Erin. yes, actually we do add a lot of crumble. But this is a very versatile recipe and you can certainly use less crumble or add more blueberries.
The crumble is the best part of this dessert. When the blueberries cook down they get quite soft and syrupy which tastes nice with the crumble.
Thanks
Erin M
Thanks for the feedback and this recipe! It turned out so good!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Erin. Happy you enjoyed it