My blueberry buckle recipe is a deliciously moist cake, packed with fresh blueberries and topped with a buttery streusel topping.
Add a sweet-tart lemon syrup for a burst of lemony flavor that compliments this classic American dessert and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser!
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Home Baked Buckle has been in the United States for centuries, which leads many to believe it was developed by the early colonists. You’ll still find Buckle is extremely popular in New England, where it is often made with blueberries, which is what I chose for delicious homemade buckle!
While blueberry buckle is the classic version, the dessert can also be made with peaches, nectarines, raspberries, and any other fresh fruit available. You can even mix several types of fruit in your buckle.
The base of the buckle consists of a rich cake batter, which is sprinkled with fresh fruit. Some cooks prefer to split their batter, layering half in the bottom of the pan and mixing the other half with the fruit before pouring it in.
The fruit batter is topped with a streusel mixture. During the baking process, the cake batter rises up around the fruit, encasing the fruit in batter and causing the streusel to buckle, creating a distinctive crinkly appearance.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Blueberry Buckle. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How to Make Blueberry Buckle
Follow along with my easy to follow numbered instructions to see how to make blueberry buckle in your own kitchen.
- Place the very cold butter, sugar, flour and oats into a mixing bowl.
- Using your hands, mix until all the butter has been blended in making peas size crumbs. Set in Refrigerator until needed
- Add the butter, sugar, and lemons zest to the bowl of your mixer.
- Cream the ingredients together until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating.
- Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add half the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture
- Mix just enough to incorporate the flour.
- Add the Greek yogurt to the bowl.
- Mix the yogurt in just enough to incorporate.
- Add the remaining flour mixture, mixing just enough so it's barely incorporated (there will still be dry bits of unincorporated flour)
- Add the blueberries to the batter.
- Using a flexible spatula, fold the blueberries into the mixture. Be careful not to overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
- Add the topping over the batter and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Or until the buckle is lightly browned on top and feels just set in the center. It should spring back lightly when you touch the center.
- When the buckle is almost finished baking, make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking it until it thickens. It should take about 5 minutes. Don’t allow the syrup to brown.
Remove the buckle from the oven and pour the warm lemon syrup over it, letting it soak in.
Serve the Blueberry Buckle warm from the oven and if you’re feeling decadent try a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream with it.
Recipe FAQs
Blueberry Buckle is called "buckle" because the batter rises as it bakes and the weight of the berries and crumb topping weigh it down, causing the surface of the cake to have a buckled appearance.
A buckle is a cake that has fruit mixed into the batter, while a coffee cake usually refers to a single layer cake without fruit and topped with the same streusel topping.
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Blueberry Buckle Recipe
Ingredients
Topping
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed and chilled
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup oats
Batter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup Greek yogurt full-fat at room temperature
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
Lemon Syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice or lime juice
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Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°
- Butter a 9-inch (23cm) square cake pan.
Topping
- Mix very cold butter, sugar, flour and oats with your hands until all is well mixed with peas size crumbs. Set in Refrigerator until needed
Batter
- Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. (by hand with a wooden spoon or using an electric mixer)
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium-sized bowl.
- Add half the flour mixture to the creamed, mixing just enough to incorporate
- Add Greek yogurt, mixing in just enough to incorporate
- Add the remaining flour mixture, mixing just enough so it's barely incorporated (there will still be dry bits of unincorporated flour)
- Using a flexible spatula, fold the blueberries into the mixture. Being careful not to overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
- Add the topping over the batter and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Or until the buckle is lightly browned on top and feels just set in the center. It should spring back lightly when you touch the center.
- When the buckle is almost finished baking, make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking it until it thickens. It should take about 5 minutes. Don't allow the syrup to brown.
- Remove the buckle from the oven and pour the warm lemon syrup over it, letting it soak in.
- Serve buckle slightly warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or home made whipped cream.
Sunita says
Chef can I use frozen blueberries?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes you can, but don’t defrost them, just add the frozen blueberries to the batter.
Mo says
Outstanding! This was my husband’s reply when I asked him “How was it?”… and I agree. I couldn’t stop eating it! Since I cook dinner for another family, I used two 9×5 loaf pans so we could easily share. I ran out of time so didn’t make the lemon syrup … and it’s hard to think that anything could make this dessert more delicious, but I’ll give it a try next time.
Thank you Chef Dennis for another wonderful recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley says
you are very welcome and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the buckle.
Sara says
This buckle looks absolutely divine!! I absolutely love blueberry desserts, and this is so perfect for the season! I cannot wait to make this and enjoy it throughout the week!
Michele Peterson says
I love the addition of the key lime syrup to this classic dessert. Topped with whipping cream as you suggest it would be especially delicious!
Jess says
I just bought a basket of blueberries and was wondering what to do with them…this is the perfect recipe for them!
Christie Gagnon says
Blueberries, lime, and yogurt all in this buckle -sounds heavenly. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Rosemary says
Oh wow…divine! Blueberries are some of my favorite fruits, so this is an easy yes to make. Looks like you are using fresh blueberries, do you think frozen would work? Can’t wait to make this soon!
Amy Chung says
Blueberries and key lime?? Yum!
Amanda says
Everything about this buckle sounds amazing! I love the idea of pairing blueberries and key lime together — talk about the perfect spring dessert!
Gloria Fleck says
In the oven now.
9
Sula says
Blueberry Buckle is definitely a classic but the addition of key lime sauce is new to me. Love it!
Andrea Janssen says
Who doesn’t love blueberry cake! I’m a huge fan. Never had it with a crumble though, but I’m going to try it for sure.
Nicole says
Love this! The blueberry and key lime mix is perfect.
Sara LaFountain says
OMG we made this for dessert tonight and it was SO GOOD! I might have had seconds when the kids weren’t looking.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the buckle Sara and thanks for the great review!
Catalina says
I am drooling over this blueberry buckle. My new favorite one!
Marysa says
I have never made a buckle before, and it sounds delicious. We love going blueberry picking in the summer, and it would be a great way to use up all those berries.