Blueberry Buckle Recipe

Blueberry Buckle is an old-fashioned dessert bursting with juicy blueberries, a buttery streusel topping, and a lemony glaze. If you love blueberries and cake, you should try this recipe. You can make this in less than an hour, and the house will smell heavenly for the rest of the day!

Blueberry Buckle is a nice twist on the classic coffee cake. It has a buttery crumb top with a moist filling that easily melts in your mouth. This recipe is also great even when using other fresh or frozen fruits. So, if you have loads of them in your fridge, you should really try making this one. With my tried and true recipe, you will love the result!

Not only do blueberries are also full of antioxidants, they also taste great. They are easy to eat and bake with because you do not have to peel or chop anything. You will love how easy this recipe is, too. All you have to do is mix together the batter and topping, pour it into a pan, bake, glaze, and serve. Simple to do and fun to eat.

My grandma always let me help with the glaze when making this recipe. She would measure two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice in a small bowl and put the powdered sugar in another bowl. I would add one tablespoon of lemon juice to the powdered sugar and then mix it well. If it were still too thick, I would add another teaspoon until it was perfect or until the lemon juice was gone. Most of the time, I used all of the juice. A few times, I had a tiny bit left over. Once, I needed a bit more.

Why you will love this recipe

• It’s cake: Who doesn’t love cake? As long as you love blueberries, this cake is for you!
• Versatile: This dish is great breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert, and can be made with a variety of fruits and berries.
• Easy to make: You don’t need anything special: just a mixer and some bowls.
• If you have blueberries: If you have blueberries, you probably have everything else you need, too.

What you’ll need to make blueberry buckle

Special items:

• Baking pan – I use an 8×8-inch baking pan.
• Stand mixer – To mix the ingredients.
• Mixing bowls – For stirring ingredients.
• Spatula – To fold in the blueberries.

The ingredients for blueberry buckle

Buckle batter:

• Sugar – Use white granulated sugar for the proper consistency and taste.
• Brown sugar – Light brown sugar is packed for a rich flavor.
• Butter – I recommend unsalted butter at room temperature for easy incorporation.
• Egg – Also, put it at room temperature for more straightforward incorporation.
• Lemon zest—I highly recommend zesting your own lemon for the best flavor. It is easy and much cheaper.
• Lemon juice – Same here. Cheaper, easy, and tastes so much better.
• Flour – I make mine with all-purpose flour, but cake flour would also work great.
• Baking powder – You need this for rise and lightness. Do not skip this ingredient.
• Salt – I prefer kosher salt for its cleanest taste and no additives when I bake.
• Milk – Whole milk for extra creaminess.
• Cornstarch – To toss the blueberries in to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
• Blueberries – I like to use fresh blueberries when I make mine. If I do not have fresh blueberries, I always have some that I froze myself that I can use.

For the topping:

• Butter – Cold, cut in cubes to work into the flour to make chunks.
• Brown sugar – Packed light brown sugar for a rich flavor that is not too rich.
• Sugar – White granulated sugar to give it the proper texture and taste.
• Flour – I use all-purpose flour, but you can use what you like.
• Cinnamon – The sweet, woodsy flavor goes excellent with nutmeg for a nice fruity kick.
• Nutmeg – Brings a warmth to cinnamon with an extra spiciness.

For the glaze:

• Powdered sugar – Makes the glaze silky and sweet.
• Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed gives your glaze a wonderful tanginess.

How to make blueberry buckle?

1. Prepare the pan and oven: Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
2. Mix the wet ingredients: Now, use a stand mixer to cream the butter, sugar, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice until light and fluffy.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: Then, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.
4. Combine them all: Next, Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture a bit at a time, alternating with the milk. Mix until just combined.
5. Toss and add the blueberries: After, gently toss the blueberries with the cornstarch in a small bowl with the spatula. Fold them gently into the batter.
6. Mix the topping: Last, mix the topping ingredients in a medium bowl until the butter is still a bit chunky. Then, spread it evenly over the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Make the glaze: In the meantime, mix the glaze ingredients until smooth. After it cools completely, add it to the top of the blueberry buckle.

Expert tip

How to pick the best blueberries for baking

There are five major types of blueberries grown in the United States including half-high, southern highbush, northern highbush, rabbiteye, and lowbush. The most common of these varieties is the northern highbush blueberry. They are more disease-resistant than the others and produce larger berries. Within these varieties, different cultivars are best for baking: Patriot, Elliott, Chandler, and Bluecrop. However, new ones come out often so these can change.

Now, if you are picking your blueberries in the field, you want to choose the ones that are deep purple, almost blue-black, and have a waxy coating. They should fall off the bushes easily, just by touching them. You do not want them to be red, pink, green, or extra-firm. These are under-ripe. Also, those that are mushy are over-ripe. Patriots are typically ripest at the end of May or the beginning of June. Bluecrop in July. Chandler in mid-July. And Elliot from mid-August to mid-September.

In the store, look for blueberries that are waxy and dark blue-black with a firm but not mushy feel. They should smell subtly sweet but not overly so. If they are wrinkled or dry-looking, they may be past their prime. It is essential to get sweet and juicy berries for this recipe. Since it is cakey, you need the juiciness. When you get them home, lay them out in a single layer in a breathable container in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Do NOT wash them.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Blueberry buckle muffins: Pour the batter into muffin pans, sprinkle with the crumble, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Another berry: Instead of blueberries, mix and make this with blackberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries.
• Different fruits: You could also use chopped apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, plums, lemons, oranges.
• Other toppings: Change the topping by adding chopped pecans, walnuts, or slivered pecans.
• Chocolate: Another way my family loves this dish is with a cup of mini-chocolate chips in the batter and chocolate added to the glaze.
• Other spices: Try it with different spices like ginger, rosemary, or basil.

Serving suggestions:

It can be a dessert, snack, or even a breakfast cake. 

• Since blueberry buckle is much like cake, you can serve it topped with ice cream. I love it with plain old vanilla.
• Instead of ice cream, try it with a big scoop of my rich homemade whipped cream on top. You only need two ingredients!
• Add a spoonful of my blueberry sauce to the top of each slice of blueberry buckle for even more berry flavor when you serve it.
• For beverages, serve the adults blueberry margaritas, and the kids can have blueberry lemonade.
• Try pairing this sweet delicacy with a nice hot cup of London fog latte.

Frequently asked questions

What is a blueberry buckle?

This deliciously sweet dish is an old-fashioned coffee cake or dessert that gets weighed down by the blueberries and crumb topping, causing it to buckle in the middle. This is where it got its cute name. The cake batter rises while the fruit and crumbs hold it down. The juicy blueberries are sweet and tangy, and the crumb topping is light and cakey. I add a lemony glaze to the top of mine for a burst of lemon flavor that makes it even better.

How do you add frozen blueberries to the cake batter?

If you have frozen blueberries, you can use them instead of fresh ones. I never thaw mine first. That is not necessary and just adds more moisture to the cake, making it watery and keeping the color from leeching. Instead, toss them in cornstarch or flour first. The excess water will be absorbed by the cornstarch, holding them in place. Also, do not stir them in. Just sprinkle and fold them in gently with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Why is my blueberry buckle watery?

You may cut or damage the blueberries when mixing them into the batter. This will release the liquid in them, letting it escape into the batter. The liquid needs to stay inside the berries where it belongs. Fold in your blueberries gently. Otherwise, you will likely have dry, chewy berries and wet, soggy cake. This can also happen if you use too much liquid or not enough dry ingredients in your batter. Be sure to measure carefully.

What is the difference between blueberry buckle, cobbler, and crisp?

A buckle is more like a cake, and a cobbler or crisp is more like a pie. The blueberry cobbler has blueberry filling topped with a buttery biscuit dough. It does not have a cakey texture at all. A crisp has a blueberry filling with a sweet and crunchy streusel topping made with oats or flour with nuts. A buckle is more of a cake with a soft streusel topping made from flour and sugar.

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: Wrap leftovers in plastic and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.   
• Freezing: If you plan to keep it longer, wrap it in plastic and then foil before putting it in a freezer-safe container. It will stay fresh for several months.
• Defrost: Thaw your frozen blueberry buckle overnight for the best flavor and texture.
• Reheating: To reheat it, put it in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds. The glaze will melt, but you can make more.

More recipes with blueberries:

Recipe tips:

• If you can, go to a blueberry field and pick your blueberries. It is fun, and you get to see what you are picking.
• Be gentle with your berries when mixing them into the batter so you do not damage them, or they may break open and leak out their juices.
• You can use frozen berries, but do not thaw them; toss them in cornstarch first.
• Fresh blueberries are almost black with a waxy coating.
• Make sure you use cold butter in the topping so it has chunks to give it a crumbly texture.
• Do not add the glaze until your cake is completely cool; otherwise, it will melt and run right off.