Are you looking for a crowd pleasing gluten-free dessert that's super allergy-friendly? You've hit the jackpot with this Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp! It’s a mouthwatering dessert that embodies the taste of late summer in every bite.
Recipe Price: $8.05 | Per Serving: $2.01 | Makes: 4
It's sweet, it's tangy, and so so good!! Everyone loves the juicy blueberries baked with a golden, crumbly topping. Blueberry crumbles, crisps, and cobblers are some of my favorite desserts to make because they're so easy and delicious.
Crisps in particular are so easy to make gluten-free and allergy-friendly. See below for ways to keep this totally gluten-free, nut-free, grain-free, and dairy-free.
If you love this recipe you might also enjoy this Rhubarb Peach Cobbler and my Easy Fruit Crisp!
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Why You Will Love This Blueberry Crisp
- Great Flavor. Fresh or frozen berries become soft and jammy in the oven, and cooking them mellows out their tart flavor.
- Easy to Make. I love the ease of making gluten-free blueberry crumbles and crisps! They come together quickly and easily and require minimal effort for a dessert to feed a crowd or just the family!
- Ultimate Summer Dessert. This gluten-free berry crisp is an easy dessert that's perfect for summer. Use fresh berries in the summer when they are at the height of the season, and frozen berries the rest of the year.
- Versatile Recipe. This recipe works great with both fresh and frozen berries (see notes in the recipe card), but can also be made with a variety of other fruits. We make it with fresh apples in the fall!
- Allergy-Friendly Dessert. This blueberry crisp is naturally gluten-free, but can also be made nut-free, dairy-free, or grain-free. See modifications below.
Ingredients
This gluten-free blueberry dessert is easy to make using simple, wholesome ingredients. If you commonly bake gluten-free, you will likely be familiar but if you're new to this diet, here's an overview of the main ingredients.
- Blueberries: Frozen wild blueberries are my go-to option here, but feel free to use fresh berries or regular frozen berries.
- Arrowroot powder: This helps thicken the liquid released by the blueberries as they cook. You can also use cornstarch, gluten-free flour blend, or regular flour if you don't need this crisp to be gluten-free. And if you're really in a pinch, stir in 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds (to the berries) after the first bake before adding the crisp topping.
- Maple syrup: We're using just 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup for this whole recipe! It is enough to round out the flavors without being overly sweet.
- Old fashioned rolled oats: To keep this gluten-free, make sure you choose gluten-free oats! For celiac, I recommend oats with a gluten-free certification.
- Almond flour: Works perfectly in the oatmeal crisp topping as a gluten-free flour option that provides a mildly nutty flavor; we will also be adding some sliced almonds for additional texture.
- Coconut flakes: I am using unsweetened here, but sweetened will also work.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg are the best warming spices to give your crisp topping more flavor.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for a bit more control over the sodium in the dish. I have used salted butter here before and it worked perfectly fine.
Be sure to check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities of each.
Dietary Modifications and Variations
- Paleo: This is not Paleo. Replace the oats with sliced almonds for a Paleo and grain-free option.
- Vegetarian: Yep, it is!
- Vegan and Dairy-Free: Replace the butter with a non-dairy butter such as Miyokos, or simply use coconut oil.
- Use Different Berries: You can easily use use strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or even a mixture of berries instead.
- Swap out the Berries: You can also try this same recipe using apples, peaches, or pears instead of blueberries.
- Nut-free: Replace the nuts with seeds such as hemp, sunflower, or pumpkin, and replace the almond flour with a gluten-free flour of your choice. (ex: 1:1 flour, rice flour)
How to Make Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp
This blueberry crisp comes together in just a few simple steps. Here's a look at the highlights.
- Place the blueberries in a medium oven-safe pie or casserole dish. Add arrowroot powder and one tablespoon of maple syrup and stir well. Bake for 15-20 minutes until frozen berries have begun to soften and release their juices.
- Combine the topping ingredients including the oats, almond flour, coconut flakes, sliced almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir them all together.
- Melt the butter and combine with an additional tablespoon of maple syrup.
- Stir the melted butter and maple syrup into the dry ingredients until the mixture is combined and has a crumbly texture.
- Remove the blueberries from the oven and top with the oat mixture. Spread it out so it's mostly even over the top of the blueberry crisp.
- Bake your gluten-free blueberry crisp for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the topping has a touch of golden brown color.
- Let your baked berry crisp rest for a few minutes before serving. Top it with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy.
How to Store
Store your gluten-free blueberry crisp at room temperature for the first 12 hours. After that, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
You can also freeze it for up to three months. I suggest freezing it in individual portions to easily grab later. I recommend thawing overnight in the fridge before warming it up. Alternatively you can thaw this using the defrost setting on your microwave.
To enjoy your leftovers, heat them in an oven-safe baking dish at 350° until warmed through. This will crisp up the topping again after being refrigerated. In a pinch, you can warm this up in the microwave for about 90 seconds, but the texture will be much softer than the oven option.
I love serving this blueberry crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (Straus is my favorite), but feel free to add a dollop of full-fat greek yogurt or whipped cream instead.
Expert Tips
- Serve Warm. Crisps are best enjoyed warm while the topping is still crunchy.
- Serve with Ice Cream. This gluten-free blueberry dessert tastes amazing with a scoop of ice cream on top! You can also top it with whipped cream. The creaminess makes a nice contrast to the warm fruit.
- Using Frozen Berries? Be sure to cook the berries before adding the topping. I recommend this when using fresh as well, but consider it essential when using frozen berries.
Recipe FAQs
Yes and no! Oats are naturally gluten-free, but throughout the US and around the world, they are often grown next to gluten-containing grains (rye, barley, wheat), and are almost always processed on the same machinery as gluten-containing products.
For this reason, regular oats that are not marked gluten-free are not safe for those who have gluten sensitivities, allergies, or celiac. Typically in the US, a product with less than 20 parts per million of gluten is considered “gluten-free” and safe for consumption for those with gluten sensitivities.
Conventionally grown and processed oats (not gluten-free) have been shown to have more than 200 parts per million of gluten.
Almost! Crisps and crumbles are both variations on pies, but a crisp contains oats in the topping, while a gluten-free blueberry crumble usually contains more flour, as well as butter and sugar, without the oats.
Yes! Blueberries, just like all fruits, are gluten-free. If you are very sensitive to gluten, be sure to check that your frozen fruit contains only fruit as some fruit-based desserts and smoothie pouches may have allergens added.
Absolutely - in fact, frozen blueberries are perfect for baking. Baking the blueberries before adding the topping and using a thickening agent like arrowroot helps frozen blueberries turn into a gorgeous crisp! I typically use frozen blueberries in this recipe.
Your berries may have been extra juicy! You can bake it a little longer or add more arrowroot powder or cornstarch to prevent this from happening. Additionally, letting the crisp cool for 15 minutes before serving will also help it firm up a bit.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 16 ounces frozen blueberries about 3 cups, see notes for fresh
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder can use cornstarch or flour
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup more needed for the topping
For the topping:
- ½ cup gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour or almond meal
- ½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut flakes feel free to use sweetened if you prefer
- 3 Tablespoons sliced almonds
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt just a pinch or two
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- Optional topping: 4 servings vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Add the frozen blueberries to a medium oven-safe pie or casserole dish. Toss with arrowroot powder and 1 Tablespoon maple syrup. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until berries have begun to soften.
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the topping - oats, almond flour, coconut flakes, sliced almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Melt the butter and combine with 1 additional Tablespoon maple syrup. Stir the melted butter into the dry ingredients until well combined. It should look a bit crumbly.
- Remove the blueberries from the oven. Top with the oat mixture, spreading it out into a mostly even layer.
- Bake crisp with the topping for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the topping has a touch of golden brown color.
- Let rest at least minutes before scooping into bowls! Top with ice cream and enjoy.
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