No ratings yet
By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on / Leave a Comment Jump to Recipe
This gluten-free blueberry crisp gets the ratios just right, with jammy fruit and crispy almond flour crumble topping in every bite. It's easy to make with a bowl, a spoon, and 15 minutes of active time. I've tested this recipe to perfection so that you and your guests won't believe it's gluten-free!
This foolproof recipe can easily be made dairy-free and vegan; see the recipe notes for these - and more - allergy-friendly substitutions.
Despite my years as a pastry chef making fancy desserts, fruit crisps and cobblers are my go-tos when I need a low-lift dessert that delivers big flavor with minimal effort. The combination of jammy fruit, crispy streusel, and cool ice cream are dessert perfection. I even have a whole section dedicated to fruit desserts in my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook!
I love making gluten-free rhubarb crisp in the spring and grain-free apple crisp in the fall. But come summer, I'm all about this gluten-free blueberry crisp. My formula combines almond flour streusel topping with jammy baked berries for a rustic fruit dessert that's sneakily gluten-free.
If cobblers are more your style, you won't want to miss my gluten-free blueberry cobbler topped with floofy oat flour biscuits.
Texture is Everything
When it comes to gluten-free crisps, the biggest challenge is getting a topping that stands up to the fruit rather than melting into it and becoming a gummy mess.
I tested this recipe multiple times for an almond flour crumble topping that's crisp, buttery, and sinks into the fruit filling just the right amount. The trick is using a combination of hearty almond flour, starchy oat flour and oats, and a touch of tapioca flour to stick it all together.
White and brown sugars add sweetness, while melted butter moistens the mixture into a crumbly streusel. I use a similar topping on this reader-favorite gluten-free blueberry coffee cake.
I left off the nuts for this crisp, but feel free to add some chopped walnuts, pecans, or sliced almonds to the topping if you like. However you make it, I promise that your guests won't believe this crunchy topping is gluten-free!
Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
Fruit Filling
The blueberry filling uses just 5 ingredients for a balanced fruit compote.
- Blueberries are the star of this crisp show. Use fresh blueberries when they're in season; I like to buy them in bulk at the farmers market. Make sure to remove any super squishy or moldy berries first. Or use frozen berries and extend the baking time as needed; no need to defrost them first. Feel free to use a mix of berries, such as raspberries and blackberries. Strawberries are usually more watery and might need more cornstarch to thicken the juices.
- Sugar adds sweetness and helps the fruit thicken and set. Feel free to sub by weight coconut sugar or maple sugar for refined sugar-free.
- Cornstarch thickens the filling. For corn allergies, use arrowroot flour, sweet rice flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour instead.
- Lemon juice and a touch of salt sharpen the flavors.
Topping
The almond flour crisp topping uses 9 ingredients. Learn why I use individual flours instead of GF all-purpose blends in my beginner's guide to gluten-free flours.
- Almond flour builds structure and adds richness. Sub almond meal or hazelnut flour. For nut-free, use ground sunflower seeds, or make the topping from this gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crisp instead.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats add heft. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill brand. For oat allergies, try subbing rice flakes or quinoa flakes.
- Oat flour and tapioca flour help the topping hold together. Sub teff or sorghum flour for oat flour, and cornstarch or arrowroot starch for the tapioca.
- White and brown sugars sweeten the topping. Use maple sugar and/or coconut sugar for refined sugar-free, subbed by weight (or about 50% more by volume)
- Cinnamon and salt add flavor. Cardamom can swap in for the cinnamon.
- Melted butter brings the topping together. Use plant butter for dairy-free and vegan, or try 7 tablespoons coconut oil plus 2-3 teaspoons of plant milk.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact quantities!
Method
This recipe makes one 9-inch round crisp, serving 8. It takes about 15 minutes of active time to make with just a bowl and a spoon, plus an hour to bake. If you're feeding a crowd, double the recipe and bake it in a 9x12-inch baking dish.
While some crisp recipes have you work softened butter into the topping, or parbake the fruit first, I've streamlined the recipe. The topping is made by simply stirring melted butter into the dry ingredients, and the fruit and topping are baked together.
Here's how it's done:
TBG Tip: I recommend using an oven thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure your oven runs true to temperature. It's best to swap these out every year or so to ensure accuracy.
Allergy-Friendly Options
This recipe is gluten-free and egg-free, and can easily be made dairy-free and vegan too.
- Dairy-free / vegan - swap the butter for plant based butter, such as Miyoko's. Decrease the salt if needed. Or use 7 tablespoons melted coconut oil plus 2-3 teaspoons plant milk to bring the crumble together.
- Grain-free / Paleo - use the almond flour crumble topping from this paleo apple crisp recipe
- Low-FODMAP - one serving of this recipe is naturally low-FODMAP if you use white and brown sugars or maple sugar. Serve the crisp with coconut milk ice cream.
- Low-histamine - this recipe is fairly low-histamine. To lower the histamine content more, use maple sugar for the sweetener, grind fresh, raw almonds to a powder instead of using almond flour, and trade the cinnamon for cardamom.
Variations
Feel free to make this recipe your own! Here are a few suggestions for changing things up.
- Blueberry Peach Crisp - trade half of the blueberries for an equal amount of sliced, firm-ripe peaches or nectarines.
- Mixed Berry crisp - use a combination of berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and any others you like.
- Blueberry Cardamom Crisp - swap the cinnamon in the topping for cardamom, which pairs beautifully with blueberries.
Storage
Like all fruit crisps, this one is best within a few hours of baking when the fruit is soft and the crisp is, well, crisp.
- Store the crisp at room temperature for up to a few hours.
- Leftover crisp can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. I find that reheating cold crisp tends to make the topping soggy, so I prefer just eating it cold at that point.
- Leftover crisp can also be frozen. Let it thaw to cold or room temperature before eating.
- If you'd like to heat leftover crisp, put it in a 350ºF oven or toaster oven for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
Troubleshooting
Fruit can vary in water content, so the most common issues with fruit crisps are that the filling will be either too watery or too firm.
- If the fruit is too runny, try baking the crisp longer to evaporate steam and thicken the juices. If it's still too runny, try adding more cornstarch next time.
- If the fruit is too firm, try using less cornstarch and/or baking the crisp for less time.
Pairings
Like any fruit crisp, this GF blueberry crumble isn't complete without something cool and creamy on top. Here are some favorite homemade dessert toppings:
- Dreamy 5-Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream
- 4-Ingredient Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
- 5-Minute Mascarpone Whipped Cream
However you serve up this gluten-free blueberry crisp, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Bojon appétit!For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along onInstagram, Facebook, YouTube, orPinterest, purchasemy award-winning gluten-free baking cookbookAlternative Baker, orsubscribeto receive new posts via email. And if you make thisgluten-free blueberry crisp, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp with Almond Flour Crumble
Print RecipePin Recipe
This gluten-free blueberry crisp has jammy fruit and crispy almond flour crumble topping in each bite! It takes just 15 minutes of active time to make. DF, vegan, nut-free, and refined sugar-free options included.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Fruit
- 5 cups (650 g) fresh or frozen blueberries picked through to remove any super squishy berries
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar (or 3 tablespoons / 25 g coconut sugar or maple sugar)
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Topping
- 1 cup (112 g) blanched almond flour
- ¾ cup (75 g) gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (37 g) gluten-free oat flour
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) tapioca flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar (or 6 tablespoons / 50 g maple sugar)
- ¼ cup (50 g) packed light or dark brown sugar (or 6 tablespoons / 50 g coconut sugar)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- vanilla ice cream, for serving
Equipment
1 9-inch round or 8-inch square baking dish
Instructions
Prepare Things
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
Place a 9-inch round ceramic baking dish (or something similar in size) on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This will catch any drips from the bubbling crisp.
Fruit
In a large bowl, stir together the blueberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt to combine.
Scrape the fruit and any juices into the baking dish.
Crumble Topping
In another large bowl (or the same one, wiped dry), combine the almond flour, oats, oat flour, tapioca flour, white and brown sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
Add the melted butter, and stir with a spoon or spatula until the topping is evenly moistened and forms large clumps.
Crumble the topping over the blueberries, using your fingers to form some of it into hazelnut-sized chunks.
Bake
Bake the crisp in the lower third of the oven until the fruit is bubbling a lot, and the topping is golden.
If the topping is browning too quickly, move the crisp to a lower rack, or decrease the oven temperature.
Let the crisp cool to warm or room temperature. Spoon it into bowls, top with ice cream, and devour!
Notes
Ingredient Swaps:
- In place of blanched almond flour, use almond meal or hazelnut flour. For nut-free, try using ground sunflower seeds, or use the topping from this gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crisp instead.
- In place of oat flour, use an equal weight of teff flour, sorghum flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- In place of oats, use rice flakes or try quinoa flakes (these may bake differently than oats)
- For a grain-free paleo blueberry crisp, use coconut sugar in the filling and top the crisp with this paleo crisp topping.
- For dairy-free / vegan crisp, use plant butter, decreasing the salt if the butter is salty. Or use 7 tablespoons melted coconut oil and 2-3 teaspoons plant milk to bring the crumble together.
Don’t skip the ice cream: that space where melty ice cream meets warm compote and buttery streusel is pure bliss. Try this withhomemade vanilla ice creamorcreme fraiche ice cream.
Storage:
- The crisp is best within a few hours of baking when the fruit is soft and the crisp is, well, crisp.
- Store the crisp at room temperature for up to a few hours.
- Leftover crisp can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. I find that reheating cold crisp tends to make the topping soggy, so I prefer just eating it cold at that point.
- Leftover crisp can also be frozen. Let it thaw to cold or room temperature before eating.
- If you'd like to heat leftover crisp, put it in a 350ºF oven or toaster oven for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
Nutrition info is for 1 of 8 servings; values are approximate.
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 275mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 351IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg
Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!
You might also like...
Almond FlourOat FlourTapioca flourDairy-FreeGluten-FreeRefined Sugar-FreeVeganSpringSummer
« Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits with Almond Flour
Hungry for more?
Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.
Learn more and find out where to buy →
