This gluten-free blueberry crisp gets the ratios just right, with jammy fruit and crunchy almond flour crumble topping in every bite. Oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar make the topping clumpy, chunky, and full-flavored, while lemon juice gives the fruit filling a bright and balanced flavor.
This low-lift dessert is easy to make with a bowl, a spoon, and 15 minutes of active time. Tested to perfection – you won't believe it's gluten-free!
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 tart and tangy gluten-free rhubarb crisp in the spring and the coziest almond flour apple crumble 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.
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.
Brown sugar adds sweetness, while melted butter moistens the mixture into a crumbly streusel.
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 make the filling taste bright and balanced.
Topping
The almond flour crisp topping uses 9 ingredients including almond and oat flours. 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.
- Brownr sugar sweetens 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.
However you serve up this dreamy 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 on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-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 Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
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
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light or dark brown sugar (or ¾ cup / 100g coconut sugar, maple sugar, or a blend)
- 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, brown sugar, 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, 40-60 minutes
- 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 to allow the fruit juices to thicken and the topping to crisp up. Spoon it into bowls, top with ice cream, and devour!
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. You may need to add a little extra cornstarch to the filling if the berries are more watery.
- Blueberry Cardamom Crisp - swap the cinnamon in the topping for cardamom, which pairs beautifully with blueberries.
Ferrari 296 says
I can tell you put a lot of thought into your posts. It's much appreciated.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw thank you for the kind words and recognition. I feel very lucky that I get to do this for a living!
Galen says
I made this using mulberries from my trees and baked it in a solar oven for fun and to keep the house cooler. The topping didn't crisp well but that's the oven. It tends to get a little steamy. But it's very delicious, especially with the vanilla ice cream. I'll toss the leftovers into the toaster oven and I bet the topping will crisp nicely.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Mulberries are such a treat. I've been getting some from the farmers market and they are as sweet as candy. I bet they taste amazing baked into a crisp. I'm so glad you liked the recipe despite the solar oven steaminess!
Jen says
Made this for my husband for Father’s Day. We both loved it! Absolutely delish!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Yay, I'm so glad it was a hit!
Trish says
Hi Alanna! Did I overlook the baking time somewhere? I have it in the oven for 35 minutes and will be playing it by ear :-)
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Yikes, thank you so much for catching my copy/paste fail Trish! Added in the times. Mine takes the full 60 minutes in my oven, which seems to be accurate according to my external thermometer. How long did yours take and how did you like it?
Trish says
I gave it 40 minutes total and my oven thermometer was accurate too. As you say, just keep an eye on the oven! It is delicious! That’s the only kind of recipe you do!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw yay, I'm so glad you liked it!
Nancy C says
wow, jammy it is! Crisp is terrific and do make those little hazelnut-sized bits to add craggly texture. recipe is a summer keeper. I added a small handful of shredded coconut to the topping and it turned out great. thanks, Alanna!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad you loved this crisp! Shredded coconut in the topping sounds delightful – I bet it makes it extra light and crunchy. Thanks a bunch for the sweet note, it's much appreciated!
Trish says
Made this over the weekend and used blackberries and peaches with cardamom and cinnamon. I served it with homemade vanilla ice cream to celebrate a friend’s 60th birthday. Everyone loved it! Almost forgot - I added pecans to the topping and it made your terrific recipe even better!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
YESSSS that sounds amazing Trish! I love all of those flavors together and I can imagine how lovely they would be in the crisp. And with homemade vanilla ice cream - yum!! Why wasn't I invited?? ;)
Andrea Eisenberg says
This was a "whatever fruit I had in the freezer" crisp - Michigan cherries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. Brought it to a holiday gathering which was filled with very sweet desserts. I received so many compliments about the crisp! I think the main reason is because it wasn't overly sweet and you could really taste the berries. Definitely will be making this again!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so glad the crisp was a hit - all those fruits sound divine! It must have been a treat to have a taste of summer during this darker, cooler time of the year too. Thanks so much for the sweet note! <333
Taura Greenfield says
This is the best gluten-free fruit crisp recipe I’ve ever made. And I’ve been making them for 30 years. The crisp topping gets nice and crunchy with a rich buttery toasty flavor. Best of all, after a night in the fridge, it stayed crunchy. My husband and niece have declared the best crisp I’ve ever made. I’m so excited to have this recipe and to have discovered you.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw so glad you and your husband and niece love this crisp so much. That is high praise indeed from a fellow crisp aficionado! I also love cold leftover crisp straight from the fridge. I'm looking forward to trying this topping with other fruit this summer too!