We are in the heart of blueberry season which means it is time for blueberry recipes! I love blueberries and enjoy turning them into all kinds of tasty treats. Of all my blueberry recipes blueberry buckle coffee cake is one of my all-time favorites. It’s a great cake that really lets the blueberries shine, and the crumb topping just throws it right over the edge into deliciousness! This was also one of my granddad’s all-time favorites, and I still have fond memories of making this cake with my mom as a kid to surprise him with. I will always think of him when I make it, and it will always be one of those recipes that has a special place in my heart. I hope your family loves this one as much as mine does.
Tools, Tidbits, Tips & Tricks for this Recipe
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Don’t Over Work the Crumb
Crumb toppings are an easy and delicious way to top many desserts. There is really not much to them. However, the trick with crumb toppings is to make sure that your butter is cold and that you are not overworking it. You want to break up the butter until the other ingredients are well incorporated and form a coarse crumb. Once it is there, sprinkle it, and walk away. If you keep mixing it, especially if you are using your hands, the butter will start to melt and break down causing the consistency to change. Crumb topping is a classic example of less is more kind of thing.
Working with Frozen Blueberries
I love summer fresh blueberries! I know with the wonders of modern grocery stores you can get these beauties year-round, but the ones you get from the produce department in winter just do not compare with those local sun-ripened berries of summer. So every summer I put up a couple of bags of local blueberries in my freezer for when I want a blueberry something or other in the middle of winter. The frozen blueberries work great! However, they are a bit heavier when frozen so I just dust them with flour before adding them to the cake batter. The flour keeps the frozen berries from all settling to the bottom and allows me of the ease of using the berries without having to thaw them.
The Equipment
One of the great things about blueberry buckle cake is that it does not need a lot of fancy equipment. It was a godsend when I was first starting out and didn’t have a lot of kitchen supplies. All you really need is a mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and a pan to bake it in. There are many pans you could use as long as they are 8×8. However, I personally like using my 8×8 Pyrex for this cake. I think the cake looks very pretty in the glass and it is great for the beginning baker because you can see just how brown the sides are getting. The amazon link for the same Pyrex baking dish that I use is below. Though if you already have a metal 8×8 baking dish, that works perfectly well too.
Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 8x8x2 Baking Dish or layer pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups fresh blueberries washed with any stems removed
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease your baking pan
- Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk and egg and beat for 1 minute. (I like to use my stand mixer for this but you can also use a hand mixer.)
- Carefully stir in the blueberries. (This needs to be done by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula.)
- Spread the batter into the pan and sprinkle with crumb topping
- Bake 45-50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Crumb Topping
- In a medium sized mixing bowl add the sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter.
- Mix the mixture together until it becomes "crumb like." You can use pastry dough blender or just your hands. Sprinkle it on top of the cake batter before baking.
This looks so good. Uncle Mike would like this. I am definitely going to try and make this soon.
Yummy! I added a tsp vanilla and used 1/4 c buttermilk & 1/2 c milk instead of 3/4 c milk. Very good!
I’ll have to try the buttermilk 🙂
This coffee cake looks delicious! Maine is well known for it’s blueberries and I am looking forward
to trying this recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
Dee
Thanks! Let me know how it turns out!
Nora and I will be making this, soon! It looks yummy!
Delicious!
Simple and easy to make. Ate mind while still warm and it was delicious.
I’m so glad you liked it! It is great when it’s still warm.
Beautiful picture! Is Blueberry buckle the same as Blueberry Cake?
I make this and it’s a household favorite! I use an old potato masher and a butter knife to make the crumble. Works nicely and easier than a fork. Also, i use 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract in the batter. Love this!
I’m so glad that you like the recipe! The potato masher is a good idea.
Thank you for the tips! Making it today.
I hope you like it!
I couldn’t wait to try this. It looked so good. I made one for my husband and I and we love it! Gonna make more soon!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe! 😄
Can you use frozen blueberries?
Yes I use frozen blueberries all the time. Just throw them in some flour so absorb any excess moisture and keep them from sinking to the bottom.
This recipe is perfect. The cake turned out moist and delicious. It’s classic flavor is bakery caliber. It’s that good! For the topping, I used brown sugar instead of white and that was the only change I made. Perfect comfort food for Easter brunch for me and the hubby while in covid19 isolation!
This comment made my day! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
I loved this cake. It’s even better the second day!
I’m so glad you liked it!!!
I followed your recipe, but decided to try it in muffin form.
It’s easier for my husband and son to take to work.
Super good!!
How long did you bake the muffins? I make muffins too so family can grab and go in the morning.
I’ve done before and did 350 for 18-20 min. Test with a toothpick and if comes out clean they are done!
Thanks for the idea. I didn’t know you could convert this to muffins! Muffins are easier for our grandkids. 😎
Absolutely the best! Comes out perfect every time.
I’m so glad you like it! Be sure to check out some of my other recipes.
Could I please have the nutritional information? I have had type 1 diabetes for 30+ years. It’s important that I know how many carbohydrates I’m eating with every food.
Thank you!
Hi Jen. Unfortunately I don’t have the nutritional information for my recipes. Most of the ones I share have been handed down in my family for generations and don’t have a carb count with them. I’d guess it is rather high on carbs, however, given the flour and sugar.
Thank you, I can’t wait to make this for my family!!
It was fabulous and easy!!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Does it need to be refrigerated?
No, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Just cover it with foil or plastic wrap once it cools all the way to keep it from going stale.
Wow! This is a keeper! So good…especially right out of the oven😋
Holy man I made this today and it is fabulous! Thank you☺️
I’m so glad you liked it!!!
Can I use almond milk or another alternative milk??
Honestly I’m not sure since I’ve never used an alternative milk. I think it might work though. I think an alternative milk on something like this would work better than a custard or something like that.
If you try it let me know how it turns out.
I made it and it was super easy.
Would I be able to use a banana instead of the egg?
I’ve never tried it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
I had trouble with the crumb part. I think I didn’t mix it the right way and now it is too smooth. Should I put it in my fridge until it freezes and then crumble it?
Yeah I would pop it in the fridge for a bit so it can get good and cold but not freeze. Then once it’s cold try pulsing it in a food processor is you have one if not break it apart with your hands but try and handle it as little as possible.
This is excellent, super easy too! I added 1/2 TSP Almond extract the 2nd time I made it. This is my new go to for blueberry recipe. Makes the whole house smell amazing too!
Going to make this soon..one of my favorite cakes. I will use muffin form instead too -:)
Yummy! This is a keeper. Thanks.
The cake was too bland and the crumble had too much butter.
This is the only thing my husband wanted for Father’s Day breakfast! Thank you so much!
Can I make this in a 9 x 13. By just doubling the recipe
Absolutely! That’s honestly how my mom always makes it. Just double the recipe.
Can u make muffins instead??
Yes you can. Honestly I’ve never done it that way but there have been a few people who have told me that they have made in in muffin form instead and that it came out really well.
I made it last week with blueberries, today I used 2 cups of chopped firm peaches. It is delicious with either one. I believe you could substitute most any fruit in this recipe. I may try cherries next time.
Made this this morning and it’s perfect! I love that it’s not super sweet so it showcases the blueberries more!
I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk in place of milk. Used brown sugar instead of white for topping. It is delicious and easy! Alittle vanilla ice cream and it made a yummy dessert. I couldn’t wait til breakfast!
Oh my gosh! This was absolutely delicious. We used fresh blueberries from the farm. My kids can’t stop eating it and say it’s the best way to use our blueberries ever!
This cake is phenomenal!!! Simply perfect. Fresh blueberries takes it to a new level! I made a glaze using confectioners sugar, vanilla and a little hot water that I drizzled on top after cake was cooled…..omg……perfection! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s definitely a keeper!
I made this with Krusteaz gluten free flour and it was amazing!!! Not dense or dry like many gluten free breads
Thanks for sharing!
This is a very easy recipe to make…great for beginners or kids too…great way to use up 2 cups of blueberries too 😊 thanks for the great recipe Sam
I’m glad you liked it!
Could this be made and then frozen for a later use? Can’t wait to make it!
Amazing and so simple to make. Have made it 4 times in as many weeks. This recipe is a keeper!
Is there a way to make the cake part so dense?? It almost tastes like it’s not baked enough, but it passed the tooth pick test. 🤷♀️
This was a very dry and tasteless cake not a so-called coffee cake! Looks good but not worth making! Sorry!
Delicious. I made 2….one for my parents and one for my husband. He absolutely loved it as did my parents
This was AMAZING and so, so easy to make. Your recipe is definitely going in to high rotation in our house. Thank you! 💙
Ever prepared the mixture the night before and baked in the morning? Don’t know if that works with baked goods like it does with egg casseroles. Thanks.
Wow! Easy and so delicious! I have an 8 and 11 y/o who are opposite w their tastes for gods. They both devoured this along w hubby. Absolutely delicious. Followed the recipe exactly. Used fresh blueberries.
I have made this many times now and it is wonderful! My family and I love it. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Has anyone tried doubling the recipe?
Yeah I double it all the time. Just put it in a bigger pan like a 9×13.
Love this recipe! I made this cake and my family loved it so much it was gone in a few hours.
I added the zest of one lemon and a tsp of vanilla to the batter. I also substituted brown sugar for the crumb. On top of the crumb I even sprinkled a little extra brown sugar. This gave the cake a sweet crunch on top.
I am making this cake for the second time this week. : )
I also used a little vanilla extract in the batter. I topped it with silvered almonds prior to baking.. Delicious
One of the best blueberry coffee cakes I have ever made (and I’ve been baking for decades!) Thanks for sharing.
Yummy, moist and flavorful. Also not too sweet. I added about 1/3 cup chopped walnuts to the crumble topping. So delicious! Thank u for great recipe!
Very good. Company loved it! Very moist, a real hit!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. So quick and easy to make. I travel from Florida to Wisconsin to visit family 2 to 3 times per year, and the ingredients are always waiting for me there, as I am required to make it at least twice during every visit. It has quickly become a family favorite.
I’m so glad that you like the recipe!
It was wonderful! I made my vegan with soy milk, plant based butter, and a flax egg.
I haven’t made with blueberries yet but I had blackberries so made with that. So good!!
I used to make blackberry coffee cake but had lost the recipe. I was so happy to find this one!