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August 11, 2023

Brown Butter Blueberry Crumble with Pistachios

This easy blueberry crumble is the perfect summer dessert. Juicy fruit with a crunchy top, it’s just waiting for a big scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

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Brown Butter Blueberry Crumble with Pistachios being scooped out of a baking dish with a spoon
Photography by Gayle McLeod

A Blueberry Crumble Recipe To Make Again, And Again

This easy blueberry crumble is one of those recipes that you can (and should!) commit to memory. It is, at almost every step, simple to adapt for ingredients that you have on hand. If you’re rich in peaches, use those! It’s also equally as delicious when made gluten and/or dairy free. The real purpose of this recipe is to bake summertime fruit with a simple crumble top. Make this for the perfect finish of your next BBQ, with a Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken, Avocado and Melon Salad, Perfect Tomato Salad and Pesto Potato Salad.

pistachios, butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, blueberries, cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice in prep bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Homemade Blueberry Crumble

  • Pistachios – We love pistachios for this crumble, but if you have walnuts, almonds, or pecans those will all work. Adding nuts to a crumble topping adds a nice depth of flavor and crunch.

  • Butter, flour, oats, and brown sugar – This is the backbone of the crumble topping. Very easy to eat a spoonful of this before baking. You’ve been warned.

  • Blueberries – We use blueberries, but you could also make a blueberry and peach crumble, or just a peach crumble, or…you see where we’re going here.

  • Cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice – These ingredients help the fruit filling “set” so it’s not too runny and perfectly sweet.

pistachios being toasted in a skillet
butter being browned in a skillet and stirred with a wooden spoon
flour, oats, brown sugar and salt being stirred into browned butter in a skillet
flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and browned butter being mixed in a bowl

How to Make The Best Blueberry Crumble

  • Toast the pistachios. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the nuts until lightly browned and fragrant. Keep your eye on the pan, because this can go off the rails quickly! Roughly chop once cool.

  • Brown the butter. Add the butter to the small skillet you used for the nuts. Once melted, use a wooden spoon to swirl the butter a few times as it foams and makes crackling sounds. Continue swirling until tiny brown bits begin to form on the bottom of the pan. This is when the magic happens, and you have a nice toasty browned butter that has way more flavor than regular butter.

  • Make the crumble topping. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in the browned butter until small clumps form and there are no dry parts left. Add in all but 2 tablespoons of the pistachios. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 30 minutes.

  • Sweeten the fruit. In a medium bowl, stir together the blueberries, salt, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice.

  • Assemble and bake the crumble. Pour the fruit into a 9-inch pie pan or an 8-x-8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the crumble topping and bake until the filling is bubbling and the crumble topping is golden brown. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of pistachios. Let the crumble cool for 15 minutes before serving.

flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, browned butter and pistachios being stirred together in a bowl
blueberries, salt, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice being combined in a bowl
blueberries tossed with salt, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice in a baking dish
Brown Butter Blueberry Crumble with Pistachios in a baking dish

How to Store Leftover Crumble + Tips

  • If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they are best eaten for breakfast the following day, and they’ll also keep in the fridge for a few days. You can freeze a crumble, in its entirety or by the scoop, wrapped tightly.

  • This is so easy to make with gluten free oats and gluten free flour, and the butter can be replaced with a dairy free butter.

  • Don’t have enough blueberries? Just mix in other berries. We’ve found that black berries work great!

Brown Butter Blueberry Crumble with Pistachios being scooped out of a baking dish with a spoon

More Berry Delicious Recipes From The Modern Proper

Brown Butter Blueberry Crumble with Pistachios in a bowl topped with a dollop of whipped cream

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Brown Butter Blueberry Crumble with Pistachios

  • Serves: 10
  • Prep Time:  1 hr 5 min
  • Cook Time:  1 hr
  • Calories: 288

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup raw pistachios
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks)
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position.

  2. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pistachios and toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool, then roughly chop with a sharp knife.

  3. Return the skillet to the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter. Once melted, use a wooden spoon to swirl the butter a few times as it foams and makes crackling sounds. Continue swirling until tiny brown bits begin to form on the bottom of the pan. Once these bits start browning, about 2-3 minutes, remove the pan from the heat.

  4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir in the browned butter until small clumps form and there are no dry parts left. Add in all but 2 tablespoons of the pistachios. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 30 minutes.

  5. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the blueberries, remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice. Transfer the berry mixture into a 9-inch pie pan or an 8-x-8-inch baking dish. Evenly sprinkle with the flour-browned butter mixture. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the crumble topping is golden brown, 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of pistachios. Let the crumble cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories288
  • Protein3 g
  • Carbohydrates35 g
  • Total Fat16 g
  • Dietary Fiber2 g
  • Cholesterol36 mg
  • sodium235 mg
  • Total Sugars19 g

Brown Butter Blueberry Crumble with Pistachios

Questions & Reviews

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  • Ali

    Delicious! The flavors in this crumble are so amazing! I love the pistachios! One thing I would change would be the amount of cornstarch. Next time I would only add one tablespoon, as I thought it turned out a bit gluey. But overall fantastic and I will definitely make again!

    Thanks Ali, glad you enjoyed it!

  • Kay

    WOW! That topping is what dreams are made of. Everyone LOVED this!

    Thanks Kay, so happy everyone enjoyed it!