Martha Stewart Blueberry Crisp

Martha Stewart blueberry crisp is an easy dessert made with three pints of fresh blueberries, a buttery oat topping and a little lemon, ready in 1 hour 15 minutes. It's an easy summer dessert for potlucks, cookouts or Fourth of July dinners, and it's made with no dough to roll or fuss over.

Squeeze the topping into clumps with your hands before it goes over the berries, because those clumps are what turn crunchy and golden. Skip it and the topping bakes up flat and sandy instead of crisp.

Martha adds a little baking powder to the topping, which lightens it so it doesn't bake up dense like a plain oat layer. She also keeps the sugar low and adds lemon juice, so the berries stay tart and bright instead of jammy.

Martha Stewart Blueberry Crisp

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

290

kcal

Juicy blueberries bubble under a buttery oat topping that bakes up crisp and golden in an 8-inch dish. The cornstarch turns the berry juices into a loose, glossy sauce, so it spoons up thick but never stiff.

Ingredients

• 6 cups (3 pints) blueberries
  

• 1/2 cup sugar
  

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  

• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  

• 1/2 cup rolled oats (or chopped nuts, such as almonds)
  

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  

• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  

• 1/3 cup sugar
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Then get the filling ready so the berries don't sit around.
• Mix the filling: Mix 6 cups blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt in a large bowl. Stir until no dry cornstarch is left, so the juices thicken evenly while it bakes.
• Fill the baking dish: Transfer the berry mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread it out so the topping has a level surface to sit on.
• Stir the dry ingredients: Stir together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. You can swap the oats for chopped almonds if you like.
• Cream the butter: Cream 6 tablespoons softened butter with 1/3 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. A hand mixer works best, though soft butter can be stirred by hand.
• Form the clumps: Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then squeeze the topping with your hands into clumps.
• Top the berries: Sprinkle the clumps evenly over the filling. Leave some bigger pieces, since they bake up the crunchiest.
• Bake and cool: Bake for about 1 hour, until the center bubbles and the top is brown. If the topping browns too fast, tent the dish with foil, then cool it on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 8x8 square cake pan, KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Checkered Chef cooling racks. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use frozen blueberries for this crisp?

Yes, frozen berries work fine and you don't need to thaw them first. If you like a thicker filling, add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch, since frozen berries release more juice.

How do I keep the blueberry filling from turning watery?

The cornstarch does most of the work, so don't leave it out. If your berries look extra juicy when you mix them, add one more teaspoon of cornstarch.

How long do leftovers keep and how do I reheat them?

Let the crisp cool completely, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a 350°F oven, since the heat crisps the topping back up, whereas the microwave makes it soggy.

Can I make the topping ahead of time?

Yes, make extra batches and freeze them in freezer bags. Then spread the frozen topping over fresh fruit whenever you want a quick crisp.

What's the difference between a crisp and a crumble?

It comes down to the oats. A crisp has oats in the topping, while a crumble leaves them out for something more biscuity and tender. You can also swap the oats for chopped almonds in this crisp.