Blueberry Brown Betty

This Blueberry Brown Betty recipe is perfect for enjoying seasonal fruit baked with crispy panko bread crumbs for a delicious sweet dessert. Fast and simple, this is one you can make at a moment's notice.

Cobblers, crisps, crumbles, buckles, and now Bettys. I've been having fun creating all of these summer fruit desserts and today I'm making a Brown Betty. Specifically a blueberry brown Betty. You may have heard of an apple brown betty but it's not quite apple season so when I saw this beautiful batch of blueberries I decided to use them instead.

What is a Brown Betty?

A Brown Betty is a fruit dessert that is layered with fruit and breadcrumbs or bread cubes. Some say that it originated in colonial times and that a woman named Betty was the creator.

In this recipe, I'm using panko breadcrumbs because they are extra crispy but you can use prepared breadcrumbs, homemade breadcrumbs, or bread cubes.

Preparing the Blueberry Brown Betty

I suggest that you layer the berries and the breadcrumbs. However, some people make this more like a crisp where all the fruit is on the bottom and the rest is a topping.

As with many fruit desserts, the juices can start to bubble over while baking so have it covered with foil. Once baked you can remove the foil and stick it under the broiler to brown for a minute or two. You may also want to set the baking dish on top of a cookie sheet to catch any spills.

The uniqueness of this Betty is the light texture. It almost falls apart when served.

For this reason, serving it in a small bowl or ramekin may be better than a simple flat dish. Either way, it tastes fantastic. With or without a little vanilla ice cream on top.