Perfectly sweet and lightly lemony, this bubbling berry crisp is ideal for all of your summer entertaining needs. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into every bite, it’s always a crowd pleaser!

A gratin dish filled with Lemon-Blueberry Crisp.

Several months ago I watched Dorie Greenspan make madeleines on the Martha Stewart Show. While the madeleines looked divine, what struck me most from her demonstration was her handling of the lemon zest. Rather than whisk the zest directly into the dry ingredients, she placed it in a small bowl with the sugar and massaged the two ingredients together with her fingertips until she had created a moist and fragrant citrus sugar, a technique, she says, that serves to release oils from the zest into the sugar, making the lemon flavor twice as pronounced.

I still haven’t made the madeleines, but, when I remember to, I employ this citrus-sugar technique when appropriate when I’m baking. While it’s not critical — freshly grated zest, massaged into sugar or not, always adds a nice flavor — I have found that the technique does heighten the citrus flavor, which is especially nice in cakes and muffins and cobblers. Moreover, making the citrus sugar is kind of fun. Try it. It smells so good! And it makes just about the best fresh squeezed lemonade you could ever imagine.

The most recent dish I’ve given the citrus-sugar treatment to is my mother’s blueberry crisp, one of my favorites. Like most crisps, this one takes no time to prepare, and if you have a food processor, the topping — a mixture of flour, sugar, almonds and butter — comes together in seconds. The absence of oats and brown sugar in this crisp topping makes it particularly light and allows the lemon-sugared blueberries to really shine.

Lemon-Blueberry Crisp, Step by Step

To prepare the berries, place 6 cups of blueberries in a 10- to 11-inch gratin dish or a 9×13-inch baking pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch:

A gratin dish filled with blueberries topped with a tablespoon of cornstarch.

Toss to coat the berries in the starch:

A gratin dish filled with blueberries coated in cornstarch.

For the crisp portion of this recipe, you’ll need flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and, not pictured, a stick of butter and a lemon:

Measure out the dry ingredients…

Then zest in a full lemon:

Lemon zest added to the dry ingredients of the topping to make blueberry crisp.

Transfer the dry ingredients to a food processor:

Whirl until blended…

… then add 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of cold, cubed butter:

Blend until a dough forms:

Then crumble it over the blueberries…

Bake until bubbling and golden brown:

A gratin dish filled with Lemon-Blueberry Crisp.

Then spoon the warm crisp into dishes and top with ice cream:

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A gratin dish filled with Lemon-Blueberry Crisp.

Easy Lemon Blueberry Crisp

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Description

This lemon-blueberry crisp takes no time to prepare, and if you have a food processor, the topping comes together in seconds. The absence of oats in this crisp topping makes it particularly light and allows the lemony-almond flavor to shine. 

Notes:

  • This post was very recently updated: May 23, 2025. If you are looking for the old version, find it here. 
  • Baking vessel: I previously made this in a 9×13-inch baking dish, which works beautifully. Recently I’ve been making it in this 10.5-inch tart pan. 

Ingredients

For the berries:

  • 6 cups (850 g) blueberries, washed and stemmed
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the topping:

  • 3/4 cup (96 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup (56 g) almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Place the blueberries in a 10- to 11-inch gratin dish or a 9×13-inch baking pan. Toss the berries with the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch until they are evenly coated. 
  3. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, almond flour, and salt in a food processor. Zest the lemon into the processor. Purée until the dry ingredients are combined. Add the butter and purée again just until the mixture begins to clump — it will be mostly smooth. Crumble the topping over the blueberries. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crisp topping is browned and the blueberries are bubbling. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream. 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American