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Home » Recipes » Cake Recipes

Blueberry Buckle Recipe

Published: May 13, 2022 · Modified: Jun 8, 2025 by Chef Dennis Littley

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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!

A slice of the finished blueberry buckle recipe on a white plate with blueberries in the background.
Table of Contents:
  • Audio Player
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Blueberry Buckle
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Blueberry Buckle Recipe

Audio Player



 

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.

A pan of the buckle sliced with lemons and blueberries around it.

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

Ingredients required to make the recipe.

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.

two images showing how to make a streusel topping.
  • 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
six images showing how to make a blueberry buckle.
  • 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
six images showing how to finish making blueberry buckle.
  • 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.
four images showing the last steps in making a blueberry buckle
  • 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.
whole pan of blueberry buckle with lemons and blueberries around it

Remove the buckle from the oven and pour the warm lemon syrup over it, letting it soak in.

slice of blueberry buckle with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top

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

Why is it called Buckle?

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.

What is the difference between buckle and coffee cake?

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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    Lemon Pound Cake (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)

slice of blueberry buckle being taken out of the pan

Blueberry Buckle Recipe

Chef Dennis Littley
Fresh blueberries make my Blueberry Buckle irresistibly delicious. Add Lemon Syrup and it's the perfect dessert, breakfast or snack cake.  Wouldn't you're friends and family love a slice of this deliciousness?
4.95 from 54 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Listen to the Post
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 55 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9
Calories 442 kcal

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

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 181mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 2gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 498IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    4.95 from 54 votes (36 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. heather says

    April 22, 2020 at 12:05 pm

    5 stars
    This buckle is delicious! I love the addition of key lime syrup! Gives it such an amazing flavor.

    Reply
  2. Bruce DeMustchine says

    April 22, 2020 at 7:28 am

    Two of my favorite flavors, blueberry and lemon. I noticed you have a blueberry lemon cake as well that I’ll have to make.
    Thanks, chef… I’m looking forward to perusing the rest of your websites recipe gems 👍🏼

    Reply
  3. Beth says

    April 21, 2020 at 10:23 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious! Although I don’t enjoy cooking dinner that much, I love to bake. I’ll make this once I can get all the ingredients!

    Reply
  4. Liz says

    April 21, 2020 at 9:26 pm

    Absolutely drooling at these pictures! I look forward to making this before quarantine is over.

    Reply
  5. Terri Steffes says

    April 21, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    My grandmother made blueberry buckle for us my entire life but NEVER with key lime syrup. I can imagine how delicious that would be. I have to try this.

    Reply
  6. Pam Wattenbarger says

    April 21, 2020 at 7:50 pm

    That would be a great dessert for when the blueberries on our tree ripen. I can’t wait to make this with our homegrown blueberries.

    Reply
  7. Michelle | Bliss from Balance says

    April 21, 2020 at 7:50 pm

    I’ve never heard of a “buckle” until now. It looks delicious though and something to add to the baking list!

    Reply
  8. Tasheena says

    April 21, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    5 stars
    This would be perfect to make for my family to have for breakfast or even as a snack.

    Reply
  9. Rena says

    April 21, 2020 at 4:23 pm

    5 stars
    I love blueberries but had never heard of blueberry buckle before.

    Reply
  10. Sarah Bailey says

    April 21, 2020 at 4:12 pm

    I have had such a sweet tooth craving time at the moment and this sounds like it would absolutely amazing! My mouth is salivating at just the idea!

    Reply
  11. Amber Myers says

    April 21, 2020 at 4:10 pm

    5 stars
    I am drooling. This looks incredible. I just love blueberries, so this is the perfect dessert for me.

    Reply
  12. melissa chapman says

    April 21, 2020 at 3:53 pm

    5 stars
    I had never heard of buckle before but it makes sense. It does look so good and I love blueberries. I do not usually bake but this looks worth the effort.

    Reply
  13. Jen says

    April 21, 2020 at 3:04 pm

    That looks tasty! I’ve had a major sweet tooth lately and have been trying hard not to give in too much

    Reply
  14. Laura Dembowski says

    July 20, 2016 at 1:08 pm

    I make blueberry buckle every summer but I never thought to add a glaze. Excited to try that.

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      July 20, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      It was really a nice touch Laura. I originally thought it would seep into the cake, but it pretty much all stayed on the topping.

      Reply
  15. D Duffy says

    July 12, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    I have never heard of Buckle – it looks amazing! Mayne similar to Frangipane? I will have to try it!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      July 12, 2016 at 9:22 pm

      Let me know if you get to try it, It’s quite a bit different from frangipane.

      Reply
Newer Comments »


My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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