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An easy Apple Blueberry Crisp made using fresh, vibrant ingredients with just 15 minutes of prep work. The perfect dessert to bake during the overlap between apple and blueberry season. Gluten-free, Refined-sugar free, Vegan option.
This easy Apple Blueberry Crisp is the best of both worlds. Crisp, tart apples combined with sweet, fresh blueberries then baked with a streusel topping until hot and bubbly. It’s gooey, crisp, crunchy, and the perfect companion for warm summer evenings. Trust me when I say the whole family will go back for seconds of this sweet treat!
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Apple Crisp vs Apple Crumble: What’s the Difference?
If you didn’t know better, you might think these classic desserts were one in the same. The dessert names are even known to be used interchangeably across the web. But while an apple crisp and an apple crumble are both unbelievably delicious baked desserts made with a thick and gooey fruit filling, they do have one key difference that set them apart from one another: the topping.
A crisp is traditionally topped with a crumbly topping made from flour, oats, butter, and sugar. It’s also not uncommon to find a crisp recipe that contains chopped almonds or walnuts in the topping.
A crumble on the other hand is very similar, but the topping is made with a simpler, softer streusel. It rarely contains oats or chopped nuts and is instead made with a simple mixture of flour, butter, and sugar.
This difference leads the topping of a crisp to be more “crispy,” if you will, while a crumble topping remains soft and buttery! No matter what you want to call this blueberry apple crisp recipe, I just ask that you serve it with a scoop of ice cream and share it with your favorite people. Now let’s get baking!
What You Need for this Apple Blueberry Crisp
Making a homemade crisp is much easier than it may seem. All you need is 8 simple ingredients, including:
- Butter: Melted butter combines all of the crisp topping ingredients into a crumble-like consistency and yields a buttery, crispy oat topping. I used dairy-free salted butter. If you opt for an unsalted butter, use a more generous pinch of Kosher salt.
- Flour: The binder in both the topping and the fruit filling. All-purpose flour is my go-to choice, but a whole wheat flour or mixture of the two will work fine!
- Oats: Adds a hearty, nutty flavor and texture to the crunchy crumble topping. For the best texture, I recommend using rolled oats or quick-cooking oats.
- Sugar: Brown sugar sweetens both the topping and filling while letting the sweetness in the fruit shine.
- Fruit: The combination of granny smith apples and juicy blueberries creates the perfect mix of sweet, tart, and juicy flavor!
- mix of sweet, tart, and juicy flavor!
How to Make Apple Blueberry Crisp
- Mix the dry oat topping ingredients together, then pour the melted butter over top and mix again until combined.
- Combine the fruit filling ingredients, then spread into an even layer across the bottom of a greased skillet.
- Crumble the oat topping evenly over the fruit.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the fruit mixture is bubbly and the crisp topping is golden brown.
- Cool the crisp for 10-15 minutes until set, then serve warm, as desired.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Use a baking scale: In addition to giving you the most precise measurements, using a baking scale also helps cut down on the amount of dishes you’ll need and makes it incredibly easy to double a recipe without weird fractions. If you haven’t invested in a baking scale yet, now’s the time! Almost all of my baking recipes provide grams measurements for your convenience.
- Dice, don’t slice! Many vegan apple crisp recipes are made with apple slices, but this can lead to a final crisp with crunchy apples. Dicing the apples ensure they’ll become soft and gooey without any additional prep work.
Serving Suggestions
Classic fruit crisps are typically served warm or at room temperature with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a simple dessert I look forward to indulging in every year and with this apple variety, we can now indulge well past summer and into the fall months.
If you want to take it to the next level, add an additional dollop of your favorite whipped cream (I love this Coconut Whipped Cream!), or even a drizzle of Dairy-Free Caramel Sauce. You’ll have a hard time finding the wrong way to serve this easy dessert.
If you’re looking for more delicious apple recipes, you’ll also love these Vegan Apple Turnovers, this Wholesome Apple Crumb Pie and this Vegan Apple Cake!
How to Store Apple Blueberry Crisp
Leftover fruit crumble and crisp recipes can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. To prevent the blueberry apple crisp from drying out, tightly cover any leftovers with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap.
This crisp can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the crisp to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container. Seal tightly, removing any excess air if possible.
When ready to eat, thaw frozen crisp overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or oven.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free option: In the crumble topping, use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour and use gluten-free certified oats. In the filling, swap the all-purpose flour with either cornstarch or arrowroot powder (it will thicken better than a gluten-free flour blend). You may also be interested in these naturally gluten-free cobbler recipes: Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Grilled Peach Cobbler and Blackberry Cobbler.
- Refined-sugar free option: Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar or give my Blueberry Crumble Bars or Two Person Berry Crumbles a try. These recipes are naturally-sweetened with maple syrup.
- Butter substitutions: If you’re out of butter, substitute melted coconut oil or another oil of choice. I have not tested an oil-free version of this apple blueberry crisp, but if you are interested in a similar oil-free dessert, I highly recommend my Vegan Berry Galette.
- Make it a crumble: No oats? No problem. Substitute the rolled oats with an additional 1/2 cup of flour.
Recipe FAQs
I personally prefer tart apples like Granny Smith, but any apple variety that is firm enough to hold their shape once baked are delicious, too. Popular varieties other than Granny Smith include Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, and Braeburn. Use your personal favorite or what is accessible to you.
There are a number of reasons a crisp can become soggy, but it’s most often caused by too much moisture in the fruit filling. To avoid this, follow the measurements for the filling carefully, make sure to bake the crisp long enough, and use fresh apples, not frozen.
Yes, homemade crisp can be prepared in advance and reheated. Reheat, loosely covered with foil, for 20-25 minutes at 350F, or until warmed through.
Definitely! I always use dairy-free butter to make this dessert recipe. It’s the only swap necessary to turn this apple blueberry crisp into a vegan apple crisp. If you’re interested in additional vegan desserts, check out my Vegan Dessert Collection on the blog!
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Apple Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients
For the Crumble Topping:
- 8 tablespoons salted butter melted (I used dairy-free)
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats or sub with 1/2 cup extra flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Fruit Filling:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 3 cups peeled cored, & ½” diced granny smith apples (about 2)
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour or sub cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 10” cast iron skillet (or similar sized pan) with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
- Make the Crumble: Add the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small bowl and mix well with a fork. Pour the melted butter over the flour mixture and mix until evenly combined.
- Fruit Filling: Add the blueberries, apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt to the prepared cast iron pan. Mix well with a spatula until combined, then spread out to form an even layer across the bottom of the pan.
- Assemble: Use your hands to crumble the crumble evenly over the fruit, leaving some pieces bigger and some smaller.
- Bake: Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumble has browned. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to set.
- Serve: Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream, or as desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free oats for the crumble. I recommend using cornstarch or arrowroot powder for the fruit filling instead of gf flour.
- Refined Sugar Free: Use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, or make my Blueberry Crumble Bars which are sweetened with maple syrup!
