Blueberry Crisp with Frozen Blueberries

Blueberry Crisp is one of my all-time favorite baked fruit desserts. It’s a cozy dessert on a cool winter day, or a tasty summer treat.

This quick and easy dessert, has everything you could ask for.

It’s super sweet and literally bursting with yummy blueberry flavor. And forks fight over the crispy crumble topping. I mean, who doesn’t love buttery bits of brown sugar and oats?

The only problem is, blueberry season goes by in a flash every summer. And during the off-season, fresh berries from the produce section are a little pricey, especially since I need dessert-recipe quantities.

That’s why my go to recipe is blueberry crisp with frozen blueberries.

Blueberry Crisp with frozen blueberries is as delicious as when it’s made with fresh berries, with the added bonus that you can make it all year-long.

And honestly, I prefer baking crisps, cobblers and pies with frozen blueberries over fresh. The frozen blueberries just seem to have a sweeter blueberry flavor compared to the ones from the grocery store.

Of course, if I could get hand-picked blueberries from the farmer’s market at the peak of blueberry season, I’d say otherwise.

But the blueberry season is limited, so frozen it is.

As you can see, it’s not a sacrifice!

Blueberry Crisp Ingredients

Just like my recipe for cake mix blueberry cobbler, what I love about this blueberry crisp recipe is I can make it at a moment’s notice.

Frozen blueberries keep up to a year in the freezer and with the exception of a fresh lemon, I almost always have the other ingredients on-hand.

Blueberry Fruit Filling Ingredients

• Frozen Blueberries
• Cornstarch and water (for a thickening agent)
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Cinnamon
• Sugar

Crumble Topping Ingredients

• Oats (I prefer quick oats)
• Flour
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Butter (Keep it cold to cut it into the crumble mixture.)

How to Make Blueberry Crisp with Frozen Blueberries

Once the frozen blueberries are prepped to bake with, making blueberry crisp is as simple as making the blueberry filling and buttery brown sugar oat topping.

Thaw and rinse the frozen blueberries.

One of the most important steps to take when baking with frozen blueberries is to thaw and rinse the berries!

This process melts any ice crystals on the berries before baking.

It also washes away some of the blue dyes that stain your teeth. I also do this before making blueberry compote with frozen blueberries.

All you have to do is put the frozen blueberries in a colander and run them under a gentle stream of cold water.

Repeat this process until the water runs clear.

If the berries aren’t completely thawed, let them sit in the colander for a few more minutes. Then carefully pat the blueberries dry on paper towels.

Make the blueberry filling.

After prepping the blueberries, place them in an 8×8 baking dish.

Combine the cornstarch, lemon juice, water and cinnamon in a small bowl to make a thickening agent. Pour it over the blueberries.

Next, pour the sugar on top. Gently fold the sugar and cornstarch mixture into the mix.

At this point, I recommend baking the blueberries for about 15 minutes while you prepare the topping.

When you remove it from the oven to add the topping, spoon off any excessive juice, if any. Set aside this blueberry syrup. It’s delicious over ice cream!

Make the crumble topping.

Making the crumble topping is simple.

First, stir together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Then, slice the cold butter into thick slices. Using a pastry cutter work the butter into the dry ingredients until they’re pea-sized.

Spread the topping evenly over the blueberries.

Bake the blueberry crisp.

Bake the blueberry crisp made from frozen blueberries until the topping is a nice golden-brown.

I know it’s tempting to slice right into it when it’s done, but let it cool for about 45 minutes.

I promise you, it’s worth the wait. The blueberries will reabsorb some juices, allowing it to thicken up. As you can see from the my photos, my crisp isn’t the least bit runny.

Tips to Prevent Runny Blueberries

Nobody wants a runny blueberry crisp that resembles soup more than compote.

Here’s a list of tips to prevent runniness.

• Thaw, rinse and pat dry frozen blueberries. This process eliminates excessive water.
• Don’t skip the lemon juice. Not only does lemon bring out a bright blueberry flavor, but the pectin in lemons helps thicken the blueberry juice.
• Use a cornstarch slurry. This thickens the blueberry juice.
• Pre-bake the blueberry filling before adding topping. This gives you the chance to spoon off any excessive juices, if necessary.
• After baking the crisp, let it rest for 45 minutes. The berries will reabsorb some of the liquids and thicken up. The blueberry crisp will also hold together nicely when sliced into.

How to Serve Blueberry Crisp

In my opinion there’s is only one way to serve blueberry crisp, warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

For a little extra brightness, garnish the ice cream with lemon zest.

Did you spoon off any blueberry syrup after partially baking the crisp? Drizzle some over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you love blueberry crisp, then give my easy recipe for cherry cheesecake dip a try.

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