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Summer's sweetest duo comes together in this laid-back blueberry peach crisp. The juicy peaches mingle with plump blueberries for that perfect sweet-tart combo, all tucked under a golden, buttery oat crunch. It's the kind of no-fuss treat that steals the show without trying—just honest, mouthwatering goodness that captures summer's best flavors in every spoonful.
When friends dropped by out of nowhere last weekend, I whipped this up and watched the whole pan disappear before I could blink. There's something about hot fruit dessert meeting cold ice cream that makes everyone forget their table manners and grab seconds right away.
Fresh Fruit Picks
- Plump blueberries: Give little pops of tangy sweetness and gorgeous color throughout your dessert
- Juicy peaches: Add natural sweetness and soft, melty goodness that works beautifully with the berries
- Brown sugar: Brings out the fruit's natural sweetness with hints of molasses flavor
- Lemon juice: Cuts through sweetness and wakes up all the fruit flavors
- Cornstarch: Turns all those delicious fruit juices into a thick, spoonable sauce
Crunchy Topping Elements
- Pecans, chopped: Give that amazing crunchy bite and toasty flavor to every spoonful
- Butter, chilled: Makes those irresistible pockets of richness throughout the topping
- Cinnamon: Adds cozy warmth that plays up the natural fruit flavors
- Brown sugar: Delivers those deep, caramel-like sweet notes
- Flour: Creates the base that holds your crumble together
- Salt: Makes all the other flavors pop and cuts through sweetness
- Oats: Bring that classic homestyle texture and rustic look
Easy Assembly
- Fruit Base:
- Mix your blueberries and chunked peaches with brown sugar, a splash of lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss gently until everything's coated. Dump it all into a buttered baking dish.
- Topping Mix:
- Throw pecans, cold butter chunks, cinnamon, brown sugar, flour, and salt into your food processor. Pulse a few times. Toss in the oats and hit pulse a couple more times until you've got coarse crumbs.
- Putting It Together:
- Scatter your crumbly topping all over the fruit mix. Pop it in a 375°F oven for about 25-35 minutes until you see golden brown topping and bubbling fruit around the edges. Let it cool a bit before digging in.
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My grandma showed me how to make fruit crisps when I was just a kid. She always told me not to mess with the topping too much and to grab the freshest fruit I could find. Whenever my kitchen smells like baking fruit and cinnamon now, I can't help thinking about her.
Tasty Pairings
Serve it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Want a breakfast twist? Try it with some Greek yogurt and a honey drizzle. For something extra special, add a stream of caramel sauce on top.
Mix It Up
Swap in blackberries instead of blueberries if you want a deeper berry kick. Add a few drops of almond extract to bring out even more flavor in the fruit. Try walnuts or almonds if you don't have pecans handy.
Storage Smarts
Pop any leftovers in the fridge with a cover for up to three days. Warm it up in the microwave for a quick fix, or toss it in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes to get that topping crunchy again. You can make extra topping and freeze it for a month if you want to save time later.
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I've tried tons of fruit crisp combos through the years, but this blueberry peach mix always wins first place in my book. There's just nothing better than that contrast between warm, sticky fruit and that crunchy, buttery lid on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I use frozen fruit instead of fresh for this blueberry peach crisp?
- You can totally use frozen fruit in this treat, which lets you enjoy it all year long. For frozen blueberries, just toss them in frozen. With frozen peaches, let them thaw a bit and drain the extra water so your treat doesn't turn mushy. You might want to bump up the cornstarch to 1½ tablespoons with frozen stuff to soak up that extra moisture. You'll probably need to cook it 5-10 minutes longer too. It'll still taste great, though nothing beats using fresh, in-season fruit.
- → Can I make this blueberry peach crisp ahead of time?
- You sure can! You've got a few ways to go about it. You can fix the whole thing up to a day before, wrap it up and stick it in the fridge, then bake when you're ready to eat. Or you can get the fruit mix and crumbly topping ready separately, keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days, and put them together when you want to bake. If you're planning way ahead, you can put the whole unbaked treat together, wrap it tight, and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you're ready, bake it frozen at 375°F, just add about 15-20 minutes to the cooking time. If you've already baked it, warm it back up in a 300°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- → I don't have a food processor. Can I still make the crumble topping?
- You can absolutely make the crumbly topping without any fancy gadgets. Just grab a bowl and mix all your dry stuff for the topping (flour, oats, brown sugar, pecans, salt, and cinnamon). Then add cold butter cut into tiny chunks. Use a pastry tool, a couple forks, or even your fingers to work the butter into the dry mix until you get a bumpy, uneven mix with bits ranging from tiny pea size to small marble size. The mix should look kind of rough with butter spots all through it. Many folks actually like this handmade method better since it gives you a more rustic, varied texture in your fruit treat.
- → What's the difference between a crisp, a crumble, and a cobbler?
- These sweet treats are alike because they all have baked fruit with some kind of topping, but they're not the same thing. A crisp, like what we're making here, has a crumbly topping with oats and nuts that gets crunchy when baked. A crumble has a similar top layer but usually doesn't have oats or nuts—just flour, sugar, and butter. A cobbler comes with a biscuit or cake-like topping dropped or poured over fruit, making it look bumpy or 'cobbled' when baked. There's also something called a buckle (fruit mixed in cake batter with crumbs on top) and a betty (layers of fruit and sweet breadcrumbs). Depending on where you're from, these names might get used differently, but a crisp always has that signature crunchy, oat-filled topping.
- → How do I know when my blueberry peach crisp is done baking?
- You can tell your fruit treat is ready when you see a few key things. Most importantly, the fruit filling should be bubbling around the edges and maybe through some spots in the topping. This bubbling means the cornstarch has worked to thicken all the juices. The topping should look deep golden brown, not too light (undercooked) or too dark (burnt). When you stick a small knife in the middle, the fruit should feel soft without much pushback. If your topping is getting too brown but the filling isn't bubbling yet, cover it loosely with foil and keep baking. Don't worry if it seems a bit runny when you first take it out—it'll firm up as it cools down.
- → Can I substitute other fruits in this crisp recipe?
- This treat works great with all sorts of fruits depending on what's in season or what you like. Some good swaps or add-ins could be: blackberries or raspberries instead of (or along with) the blueberries; nectarines, plums, or apricots in place of peaches; apples or pears for a fall version (cook about 10 minutes longer); or cherries for another summer option. When switching fruits, try to keep the total amount around the same (about 6-7 cups). Adjust the sugar based on how sweet your fruit is—less for super sweet fruits or a bit more for tart ones. For really juicy fruits like strawberries, you might want to use 1½ or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch instead.