Easy-Peasy Blueberry Crisp
Goodbye Summer & Hello Autumn!
Every year my husband and I go on a Florida vacation with my in-laws to say goodbye to summer and relax as a family. Growing up on the Long Island Sound, I lived 20 minutes from the beach and would spend most of my summer days building sandcastles and jumping in the waves. Now, I live at least 4 hours away from any spot on the Atlantic. Beach stir crazy doesn’t BEGIN to cover it. Once I’m there, I get to walk in the smooshy wet sand down to my beach chair (complete with a pina colada, paperback book, and tons of snacks) and I can feel the tension melt away. It’s a much-needed retreat, and I’m so thankful for all of the planning my mother-in-law puts in to create a fabulous week.
But now we’re back, and I’m ready to dive right into fall! With the south, that means it’s currently the awkward seasonal transition where our Georgia weather can’t really decide what it wants to be. You can still bask in the last of the summer sunsets complete with lawnmowers cranking and wafts of grilled barbecue chicken in the background. At the same time, there’s a slight chill in the morning air, and the neighborhood kids start wearing pants for their school outfits of choice. Regardless, I continue to keep watch on our trees and countdown to the first crunchy leaf of the season.
One of my faaaaaavorite recipes to make during this season squeeze is Blueberry Crisp. It’s the perfect way to say goodbye to summer while ushering in plenty of cozy autumn goodness. Fun fact – Georgia is one of the leading producers of blueberries in the nation! So much for being known for peaches. But I’m certainly not complaining. This crisp has all the juicy sweetness from the tender, end-of-season summer berries and a crispy, oat-y, brown sugar crust that will have you yearning for sweater weather. Great warm for dessert (with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on top), cold for breakfast (with a dash of whipped cream and cinnamon), or an anytime snack – this one is sure to send off summer in style!
This crisp is a little different than the usual approach I take with other fruit like apples and peaches. Typically, the topping is made by cutting in cold butter. In this case, it’s melted! Blueberries are naturally high in pectin, which means when they cook with sugar, they produce a thick, syrupy sauce. It belongs on everything! Pancakes, waffles, ice cream, cake, yogurt – the list can go on and on. By melting the butter for our topping, it helps create a thicker, more solid barrier against the blueberries. Thus – no blueberry soup! The oat topping stays nice and crispy (as it should), and the berry compote is luscious and rich. Believe me – you’re going to want seconds.
Easy-Peasy Blueberry Crisp
Serves 8|Prep: 5 minutes|Cook: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbs. cornstarch
- ½ cup AP flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup old fashioned oats (aka rolled oats)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 stick of melted butter (8 TBS)
Steps
- Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees.
- Make the Base:
- Combine granulated sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl until well mixed.
- Toss blueberries gently with the sugar mixture.
- Scoop the covered blueberries into an 11’ x 7’ dish.
- Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top of the blueberries.
- Make the Topping:
- Combine first five topping ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pour melted butter over the mixture.
- Mix until totally combined.
- Sprinkle the topping over your base mixture, ensuring the blueberries are completely covered.
- Bake at 375 Degrees for 35 – 40 Minutes.
- Enjoy!
