This Blueberry Pecan Crisp is the perfect simple summer dessert and such a fun way to use up those delicious summer berries! Whip up the nutty crumble and eat it straight away or leave it in the fridge and bake it later.
I don't think it would truly be summer if we didn't make a fruit crisp! Or a crumble, call it what you like. Although, as we're including some oats here, this is technically a crisp! And it's such a great way to use the amazing berries we have available at this time of year - today we're using blueberries! For me, blueberries aren't a classic crumble filling but after trying them here, I am converted. I made a plum and blackberry crisp a few years ago and I was so obsessed I knew I needed to recreate it, but with blueberries. The result was so vibrant and tangy, so let's get baking!
Ingredients in this fruit crisp
You just need a few simple ingredients to make the most incredibly delicious fruit crisp:
- Butter - in this recipe we're browning the butter for extra flavour, but you can skip that step if you like.
- Flour - I use plain (all-purpose) flour but you can use any you like, including gluten-free if needed.
- Ground almonds or almond flour - adds a nutty flavour, replace with regular flour if preferred.
- Oats - I like jumbo rolled oats, but use what you have.
- Chopped pecans - they go so well with blueberries and add the perfect bite to the crisp.
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon and salt
- Blueberries - use fresh or frozen, depending on what's available or convenient for you.
- Orange zest and juice - switch out for lemon or omit if preferred but trust me, orange tastes amazing with blueberries! If you do choose to omit the orange juice, make sure you replace the liquid with the same volume of something else - some water or milk will do just fine.
- Vanilla extract
- Cornflour (cornstarch) - to thicken up the juices just a little.
How to make a blueberry crisp
Fruit crisps are one of the simplest and easiest desserts to make! It's hard to go wrong and the results are stunning!
- Start by making the topping. I like to use browned butter which has been re-solidified slightly because it adds lots of toasty flavour to the crisp but you can use softened or even melted butter if you prefer. It's simply a case of rubbing the butter into the flours and oats until you have a rubbly mixture. Do this by rubbing the butter and flour gently between your thumb and forefingers. Stir in the other ingredients and then move onto the fruit!
- Stir together the blueberries, orange juice and zest, vanilla, a little sugar and the cornflour (cornstarch).
- Pour the fruit into your pie dish or dishes. For the photos I used 4 individual pie dishes but instead you could use 6 smaller ramekins or one regular (9") pie dish for this amount.
- Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and lightly press down then bake to perfection! When you pull the crisp from the oven and the fruit is bubbling at the edges - isn't that just one of the most beautiful sights ever?
- Alternatively, keep in the fridge to bake later. Simply make as directed, cover and place in the fridge until you're ready to bake. Perfect for those summer nights when you don't want to spend all evening cooking!
How to serve
Serve up this juicy blueberry crisp with a dollop of something creamy and cool on top. Vanilla ice cream is the obvious choice but I can highly recommend a big spoonful of thick and creamy Greek yoghurt too (as shown in the photos!). Crème fraîche would also be delicious. Enjoy!
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and either eat cold or reheat in the oven to keep the topping crisp.
I hope you'll give this blueberry pecan crisp a try! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on Instagram! I love to see your creations!
If you're looking for more blueberry recipes, why not try:
- Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Passionfruit Layer Cake
- Quinoa Spelt Blueberry Breakfast Muffins
- Easy Pear and Chocolate Crumble (Gluten Free)
- Strawberry Crumble
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Pecan Crisp
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, (90g)
- ½ cup plain flour, (60g)
- ½ cup ground almonds or almond flour, (50g)
- ½ cup rolled oats, (50g)
- ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped, (50g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed, (50g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 4 cups blueberries, (500g)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Zest of an orange
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
Instructions
- Start by browning the butter. Place the butter in a small saucepan and set over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, keep cooking, swirling every now and then, until the milk solids turn a reddish brown and start to smell fragrant. This should take around 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a small heatproof bowl. Leave to cool until the butter has re-solidified. (You can speed this process up by placing the bowl into the freezer for about 10 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Place the flour, ground almonds and oats in a large bowl and mix together. Dice the browned butter and add this to the dry ingredients. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it's the size of peas.
- Stir the pecans, sugar and cinnamon and salt into the flour, oat and butter mixture. Set aside.
- Place the blueberries into a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract and cornflour. Mix briefly.
- Divide the fruit and juices between 4 small pie dishes or one regular sized (9”) pie dish. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the top and lightly press down.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the crisp topping is golden brown and the fruit has bubbled up around the edges.
- Serve warm with plenty of vanilla ice cream or Greek yoghurt.
Notes
- Feel free to use softened or melted butter instead of brown butter if you prefer or if you're short of time.
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries - frozen may result in the fruit layer being slightly more runny so it might be wise to increase the cornflour (cornstarch) by a teaspoon.
- See recipe post for more notes and tips.
Martin says
Bluberries have passed me by so far, but this might be the chance to change my mind - looks so attractive!