Craving a warm summer crisp with a scoop of vanilla? This recipe for blueberry crisp has a hint of lemon and a crunchy almond streusel topping. It’s quick and easy to make using fresh blueberries. Bake the blueberry lemon almond crisp in individual ramekins for easy serving.
Blueberries are one of my husband’s favorite fruits and in the summertime we’ve always got a pint (or two or three) in the refrigerator.
Thing is, they have a limited shelf life the later it gets in the season.
So while they’ll usually last a week in the fridge in the beginning of summer… toward the end their freshness and snap — wanes.
Scott is the first to notice their decline since he regularly tops his morning yogurt with a handful of blueberries.
When they begin to get soft, he lets me know with a “We need to do something with these berries, they’re starting to go.” Hence this Blueberry Lemon Almond Crisp.
In my experience, the best thing to do with berries that are just past their prime is to heat them until they burst and leak their juice to make a luscious compote.
Desserts like this are nirvana to me. Can there be anything better than a gooey warm fruit filling with a crumbly sweet topping? I think not!
And assembly is quick and easy — which just makes it that much better!
The crumble topping is a simple mix of brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and butter with a little lemon zest and a handful of sliced almonds thrown in for extra crunch.
Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients and add the almonds last.
Cook the berries with sugar, lemon juice and zest, just until the berries start to burst and turn a beautiful rosy purple color, then stir in the slurry of water and cornstarch to thicken the mixture.
Fill the ramekins with the blueberries and sprinkle on the topping. That’s it!
I strongly recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper over the baking sheet, because if/when the fruit expands it can overflow the sides and make cleanup a pain.
Let the crisps cool for about 15 minutes before serving – you don’t want the lava-like fruit to burn the roof of your mouth – take it from someone who knows!
More summer fruit crisps:
Blueberry Lemon Almond Crisp
INGREDIENTS:
For the crisp
- ½ cup+ 2 tablespoons flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
- ½ cup sliced almonds
For the blueberry filling
- 2 ½ cups blueberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons water
- 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the chunks of butter and work them into the flour mixture with your finger tips until well combined and crumbly. Add the sliced almonds and work them into the crisp so that they’re evenly distributed. Set aside.
- In a small prep bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch to form a slurry. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan add the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice, stir and heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to bubble. Add the slurry and cook for one minute until mixture thickens.
- Transfer the blueberry mixture into four 1/2-cup ramekins. Top the blueberry filling with crumbles of the crisp topping.
- Cover a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. Set the ramekins on the baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
NUTRITION:
Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!
No almonds listed in recipe….?
Fixed it — 1/2 cup of sliced almonds! Thanks for the heads up… I just got a new recipe card, so there must have been a glitch.
Gorgeous, as usual! What a great idea for a crisp! They are my all time favorite!
Definitely need to make these! All those flavors sound divine together and there’s nothing better than a fruit crisp on a summer day. Also what a great way to use blueberries that aren’t at their peak!
I LOVE the combination of lemon and blueberry and I am very much looking forward to trying your beautiful crisp! What a great summer dessert!
I always have leftover blueberries in my fridge now I know what to do with them! Thanks so much for this recipe…pinning for later! 🙂
Please let me know how you like it, Jamie!
Your husband sounds just like my fiancé! He adores blueberries too and I often hear him calling me and I’m like “what now?!” and it’s because he can see they’re about to go! I will definitely be making this crisp for him because it looks delicious and such a great way to use blueberries!
I wish you and your fiancee a lifetime of happiness and blueberries!
I absolutely adore using cardamom in fruit desserts, especially with blueberries! What a beautifully fragrant crisp this must be. Such gorgeous photos, too. I wish I could dive into my screen with a spoon!
By all means, help yourself!
So, I’ve restarted this comment probably 6 different times because I can’t decide which way to compliment and rave about this. So, I’m going to slam it all together. “I love cardamom with blueberries – one of my favorite pies has that combination…your photos are gorgeous – I stalk you instagram because I love the pics so much…individual desserts are best…I agree about cooking blueberries as being the best way to use them when they are past their prime…and I feel you on burning the roof of my mouth – I have way too much experience with that because I get to impatient. That’s why I always have the ice cream to go with it – it’s like food icyhot”. 🙂
Thank you, Mackenzie! I love the idea of food Icy Hot – had never thought of it that way before. I’m pretty sure we should be best friends and regularly get together for happy hour and chit chat!
This looks and sounds beautiful! I love the idea of the cardamom in the crisp, and did you have almonds in there, too? What a lovely dessert!
Thank you, Leah! Yes, there’s almonds too — we love a good crisp in this house.
This is just beautiful! I love small dessert bites full of flavor like these!
Thank you Reesa! I’m with you – individual desserts are the best!
Every single picture just reels me in. So appetizing !!! And really looks Scrumptious!!!
Oh how I wish I had some blueberries in my fridge…a trip to the market is due! And this recipe is on my menu real soon.
I’m always at the market – most women spend their money on shoes — I spend mine on ingredients! LOL! Enjoy!
Now these look absolutely delicious, and a comforting dessert for autumn!
Beautiful job! The recipe looks amazingly good and the photos are as well. Outstanding.
I’m so glad you think so!
Absolutely beautiful photos! My mouth was literally watering by the time I got the the end of the post. 😉 I love making fruit crisps, and you’re right, it’s the BEST way to use up past-its-prime fruit.
Thank you so much – I’m glad to have elicited that reaction!
These look so amazing! I have a weakness for berries, especially in desserts. Yum!