Cozy and warming, this apple blueberry crisp without flour is perfect for a family dessert on either a summer's night or a colder day! It's so easy to make with affordable ingredients of sweet juicy fruit, oats and a hint of spice and has very little 'hands on' prep time.
Do check out my cardamom apple crisp for another fun apple dessert idea!
There's just *something* so cozy about a fruit crisp for dessert on a winter's day don't you think? With a balance of sweet red apples, tart green apples and gooey blueberries, this blueberry apple crisp is always a favorite in my home!
I love the combination of sweet and tart flavors, and I especially like that this fruit crisp is so simple to put together with basic ingredients and pantry staples!
So let's talk through this recipe for apple and blueberry crisp and you'll soon have a cozy dessert and a kitchen filled with the delicious aromas of home baking.
While this recipe works year-round, you may like to check out my rhubarb blueberry crisp for a spring dessert, and my blackberry and apple crisp for fall!
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
Balance of sweet and tart fruit. We use tart Granny Smith apples alongside sweet red apples and blueberries for the best combination of flavors.
Affordable ingredients. No tricky-to-find-in-the-store ingredients here, they're all shopping list staples I think!
All simple recipe steps. You don't need to be a whizz in the kitchen to make this apple and berry crisp, and kids can help too!
🍎 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Apples - I like to use a mix of tart Granny Smith apples and sweet red apples. Granny Smith apples are a good option as they retain their shape, whereas red apples tend to soften a little more.
- Blueberries - both fresh and frozen berries work well in a crisp recipe. And frozen blueberries are more affordable out of season! Simply add as they are, no need to thaw them beforehand.
- Oats - I suggest to use old-fashioned rolled oats for the topping and gluten free oats, if you have that dietary requirement.
- Cardamom and nutmeg - to give the crisp some warming hints of spice. Adjust the quantity to taste preference.
📖 Swaps and variations
Use different apples. Fancy a more tart flavor? Use all Granny Smith apples if you prefer!
Swap cinnamon for cardamom. My low histamine readers will wish to note that cinnamon is very debated in terms of histamine, so only use if you know you tolerate well.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making this apple blueberry crisp is very simple, has minimal hands-on prep time and all easy recipe steps.
All the instructions are set out in the recipe card below, but these photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Dice the apples
De-core and dice the apples into small pieces of roughly the same size, for an even cook time (image 1). It's down to preference whether you peel or not, but of course de-core the apples.
Step 2: Scatter fruit in a baking pan
Scatter the diced apples and fresh or frozen blueberries into your baking pan and drizzle over the honey (image 2). Distribute the fruit so you have apples and blueberries across the pan.
Step 3: Make the oat topping
In a large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, butter, pumpkin seeds, cardamom and nutmeg. Use your fingers to soften and 'rub' the butter through the oat mixture so it becomes slightly sticky (image 3).
Step 4: Add the oat topping
Scatter the oat topping over the fruit in an even layer (image 4). Bake the apple and blueberry crisp for 40-45 minutes until the crisp topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling. Check the crisp after 30 minutes, and every 5 minutes thereafter for any signs of burning.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries. Both work equally well, and frozen blueberries are more affordable out of season.
- Dice the apples evenly. Personally I like to dice my apples, but you can also slice them. Either way, dice into roughly the same size pieces for an even cook time.
- Use rolled oats. I suggest to use rolled oats to make the crisp topping as they have more substance than instant oats that are much finer in texture or steel cut oats that are much larger.
- Use gluten free oats, if required. This can be a gluten free apple blueberry crisp if you use certified gluten free oats.
📋 Frequently asked questions
An apple crisp has an oat-based topping, whereas an apple crumble does not include oats and has a flour-based topping.
I suggest to use at least some green apples, such as Granny Smith apples, for both their tart taste and also because they hold their shape well when baked in the crisp.
It's down to preference whether you peel the apples or not. Make sure to de-core them, but it isn't necessary to peel unless you wish to do so as the skins will soften when baked in the oven.
Rolled oats are a good option for making an apple crisp. I don't suggest to use quick-cook oats that are powder-like in texture.
Allow the apple crisp to cool, then portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months (my low histamine readers may wish to see the freezing guidance from SIGHI around not freezing food for an unnecessarily long time). I will say that is it better to bake and enjoy the crisp at the time you make it, however.
🍽 How to serve
You can of course enjoy this blueberry and apple crisp as it is, or add some fun toppings and sides:
- Vanilla ice-cream is a classic side for apple crisp, so if it works for you add a scoop or two!
- Serve with spoonful of a sweet fruit sauce such as my blueberry applesauce or my peach applesauce for some additional fruity flavors!
🥣 More tasty desserts
Find so many sweet treats to enjoy with friends and family on my desserts page, including more crisp recipes such as my cherry blueberry crisp and blueberry blackberry crisp, as well as my very popular spiced poached pears and pear fritters. Some recent recipes to try out:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Apple Blueberry Crisp (without Flour)
Equipment
- Baking pan Measuring 12 x 9 inches
Ingredients
For the fruit filling
- 5 apples red and green apples, cored and diced
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoon honey
For the crisp topping
- 1.5 cups oats gluten free, if required
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom optional
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg optional
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360F / 180C.
- Add the cored, diced apples and blueberries to the baking pan and drizzle with honey.
- In a large bowl, add the ingredients for the crisp topping - the oats, butter, spices, pumpkin seeds and brown sugar. Rub the butter between your fingers so that it softens and combines with the oats and other ingredients. Top the fruit filling with the mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the topping begins to brown. Keep an eye on it in the last ten minutes for any signs of burning!
- Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving as the fruit will be very hot.
Notes
- Dice the apples into roughly similar size pieces. It's down to preference whether you peel them or not.
- Keep an eye on the crisp towards the end of cook time, as the topping can catch and nobody wants a burnt crisp!
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- the SIGHI list scores cinnamon as 0, other lists rate it as higher histamine.
- nutmeg scores 1, with a note, 'small amounts are well tolerated'.
- cardamon scores 0, but with a note that some varieties aren't well tolerated.
- brown sugar specifically isn't rated. Cane sugar scores 0.
- honey is debated as to its histamine content. Swap out for maple syrup if you prefer.
Oliver says
This is a beautiful dessert, sweeter than other crisp recipes but not too much! I used only green apples as I prefer their taste, and that too has a lovely balance. Isn't heavy at all and would be great to freeze portions for breakfast too!
Claire says
Lovely to hear that you enjoyed the crisp Oliver, and I think the breakfast idea is fab!
Leticia Paranawitane says
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I love easy and YUM❣️
Claire says
Lovely to hear that you enjoyed it Leticia!
Andreea says
A big thank you for this dessert recipe!
I make it without cinnamon and or other spices, with frozen blueberries and it's really delicious! 😉 In the season maybe I will try it with blackberries!
Claire says
So lovely to hear that you enjoyed it Andreea! I think it will be delicious made with blackberries as well!
Audrey says
Could the butter be replaced with coconut oil by any chance? Looks so yummy 🙂 Thank you
Claire says
Hi Audrey, yes you can easily replace the butter with coconut oil. I would use a little less and see how the oats bind together, and then add more as needed 🙂
Audrey Mo says
Thank you! I used less coconut oil and replaced the sugar with slightly less coconut sugar and frozen berries. It came out beautifully!!
Love your recipes and how accessible your ingredients are. It's made low histamine meals much more enjoyable 🙂
Claire says
Hi Audrey, so glad you like the apple crisp! And great ingredient swaps to try. Very happy to read that you enjoy the recipes 🙂
Melissa says
Just made this and I love it - delicious and so simple to make. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Claire says
So glad you liked it Melissa!
Sheryl says
This looks so tasty and full of nutrition! Definitely great for breakfast or a snack!
throughthefibrofog says
I think I'm making it for a snack a little too often lately! 🙂
Katie Clark says
I love oats, so adding that instead of flour is wonderful. Having blueberries for added sweetness and flavor to the solid texture of apples really is a winning combo!
throughthefibrofog says
I much prefer oats, and it's healthier too I feel. You may notice from my recipes that I do love a blueberry!
Shruti Chopra says
Thank you for explaining the variation in the crisp. I'm glad there is a gluten free version to it and the idea of oats sounds so much nicer - I am assuming it'll have a nicer bite to it.
throughthefibrofog says
I much prefer the oat version, it has nicer flavour and texture in my opinion. Should be good for you as it's gf using suitable oats!