Easy Blueberry Apple Crumble

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This homemade blueberry apple crumble is an easy-to-make dessert! The heavenly aroma and warming flavors will leave you craving for more!

A closeup of baked blueberry apple crumble in a white baking dish with a spoon.

This irresistible apple blueberry crumble (aka apple blueberry crisp) is made with fresh, juicy blueberries, apples and a crunchy, buttery crumble topping. It's a wonderful, comforting dessert that combines sweet and tangy fruit with a luscious, buttery crumbly topping. Sheer bliss in every bite!

This blueberry and apple crumble is one of my all-time favorite summer desserts.

Love desserts with fruit? Try my Streusel Top Apple Muffins, my Easy No-bake Strawberry Charlotte Cake, or my Easy Blueberry Chocolate Cake.

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What you'll need
Equipment
How to make blueberry apple crumble
Recipe Notes
Tips for success
Frequently asked questions
Related recipes
Recipe

Why you'll love this blueberry apple crumble

Simplicity. This blueberry apple crumble is surprisingly easy to make with minimal prep time.
Versatility. You can easily customize this dessert according to your personal preferences. For example, you can easily adjust the sweetness or swap out the apples for other fruit, like pears, or you can change the ratio of fruit.
Bursting with freshness. This dessert has the perfect balance between sweet and tart fruit.
There are few ingredients. You only need a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably already have.
It's crowd-friendly. This crumble can easily be doubled.
Great for get-togethers. This apple blueberry dessert is a perfect cozy treat for friends or a wonderful end to a dinner party because it's light.

What does this blueberry apple crumble taste like?

This apple berry crumble has a delicious combination of fresh fruit mixed with a subtle hint of cinnamon, which really compliments the dessert and adds warmth.

I really like the contrast between the soft fruit filling and the crispy crumble topping. And, to me, the crumble topping has the perfect thickness for this dessert and adds a lot of texture.

This is the best apple and blueberry crumble!

What you'll need

Ingredients for the crumble topping

Labeled ingredients for crumble topping.

Old-fashioned oats - They make the perfect oat crumble topping and add crunchiness.
All purpose flour - The flour will help thicken up the filling a bit.
Sugar - I use light brown sugar, but you could use granulated sugar, instead.
Butter - I use unsalted butter. Butter gives this crumble an incredible flavor, but you could also replace it with block margarine or vegan butter.
Cinnamon & salt - I use a little bit of both and they really enhance the overall flavors.

Ingredients for the filling

Labeled ingredients for blueberry apple crumble filling.

Apples - I personally don't like tart apples, like granny smith apples, so I always use sweet apple varieties. For this recipe, I used Starking Delicious apples. Feel free to use whichever apple variety you like.
Blueberries - I highly recommend using fresh blueberries for this recipe.
Flour - This is needed to thicken the filling.
Sugar & cinnamon - I use a little light brown sugar because I like how it has a slightly caramel taste, but you can use granulated sugar, instead. The touch of cinnamon really elevates the dessert.
Lemon juice - You only need 1 lemon for this recipe.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

Equipment

9½ - 10 inch (24.5 - 26 cm) baking dish

mixing bowls

How to make blueberry apple crumble

Step-by-step Instructions

First, make the crumble topping

Stirring melted butter with flour, old-fashioned oats and spices in a glass bowl.

Put all the ingredients for the topping in a large mixing bowl and stir everything together.

Two hands mixing crumble topping ingredients in a glass bowl.

2. Use your fingers to make clumps. Then set it aside.

Now it's time to make the fruit mixture.

Cutting apples into chunks on a wooden cutting board.

Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces or cubes.

Stirring fruit mixture in a metal bowl with a spoon.

2. Place the apple pieces into a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir everything together.

Blueberry and apple crumble filling in a white baking dish.

3. Spoon the filling into a baking dish and spread it out evenly.

Crumble topping over blueberry apple mixture.

4. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the surface without pressing it down. Then bake!

TOP TIP

When adding the crumble topping over the fruit, leave a few spots on the edge uncovered. That way you'll be able to see it bubble up while it's baking and you'll know it's ready.

Recipe Notes

Make-ahead options & Freezing Instructions

I sometimes make the crumble topping ahead and freeze it. That way I can make my crumble whenever I have fresh, seasonal fruit. This also saves me a bit of prep time, too.

You can make the crumble and then spread it out on a tray and put it in the freezer. Once it's frozen, store it in freezer bags for up to about 2 ½ months. Take it out of the freezer right before you bake the crumble - there's no need to thaw it.

Storage Tips

Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to about 4 days.

An overhead photo of blueberry apple crumble next to blueberries and an apple on a blue kitchen towel.

Variations

Make it vegan - Simply replace the butter with vegan butter or margarine. Just make sure to use block margarine, not the tub kind, because I find it has more moisture which will affect the crumble topping and could make it too wet.
Add more texture - For a crunchier crumble, you can add some nuts to the topping. Chopped walnuts or almonds would be great.
Use mixed berries - For even more flavor combinations, add mixed berries to the filling.
Turn this into an apple blueberry pie with crumble topping. - Just add a pie crust on the bottom. For the crust, you can use my recipe from my blueberry pie. Or, instead of a classic blueberry pie, make this an apple and blueberry pie.

Tips for success

Weigh your ingredients for accurate results - This is especially crucial when making the crumble topping.
Select fresh fruit - I really love this crumble with ripe, seasonal fruit.
Balance the sweetness - Depending how ripe your fruit is, you may need to adjust the sweetness. I suggest tasting your blueberries before adding them to the filling. If they're really sweet, you can reduce the sugar accordingly to maintain a balanced flavor.
Be gentle with the topping - Don't press it down. Just sprinkle it over the fruit.
Use the right baking dish - I used a 9½ inch (24.5 cm) baking dish for this recipe. You can use a square baking dish or an oval one, or whatever you have available. Just make sure it's at least 1½ inches deep (about 4½ cm) and no larger than 10 inches (26cm). If the dish is too big, the crumble will be thin and flat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Of course, this berry apple crumble is amazing with vanilla ice cream. You could also add a dollop of Greek yogurt or whipped cream dusted with some cinnamon.

I love how the ice cream slowly melts into pools around the crumble. Also, the contrast between the warm crumble and cold ice cream is amazing!

Blueberry apple crumble topped with vanilla ice cream with a baking dish filled with crumble behind it.

But what I really love for added indulgence, is drizzling some homemade salted caramel sauce on top! Salted caramel sauce adds another dimension to the dessert, entirely!

Frequently asked questions

Can I use frozen blueberries?

I've never made this recipe with frozen blueberries, but I believe it's possible. I would thaw and drain the blueberries well because I believe the extra moisture could make the filling soupy.

How do I get my crumble crunchy?

I think using old-fashioned oats really helps in adding texture and making it crunchy. You could also add some nuts to the topping.

What type of apple is best for crumble?

I believe any apple will work! I personally love sweet apples, like Starking Delicious or Gala apples.

Enjoy!

Let me know how this blueberry apple crumble turns out for you in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!

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