If you’re ever in need of a last-minute sweet, try my mixed berry crisp recipe! It’s nearly impossible to resist the gooey, sweet, and tart berries combined with the pleasing crunch of a buttery oat and brown sugar crisp topping. Top off the warm, jammy berry filling with a frosty scoop of ice cream to make the whole experience absolute perfection.
You don’t need much time or many ingredients to make a triple berry crisp either—just a handful of ingredients and four easy steps are required. And, since you can use frozen or fresh berries in any combination you like, this summery dessert is a back-pocket staple you can rely on all year round. For more berry dessert recipes, check out my classic strawberry shortcakes, lattice-topped blackberry pie, or easy blueberry cobbler next!
Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need for the best berry crisp! The full list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Crisp topping — brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon are the main flavor components of the topping. A bit of all-purpose flour helps to hold the topping together, forming delightful little crumbles that turn crisp in the. Feel free to swap in gluten-free oat flour and rolled oats if needed!
Cold unsalted butter — I prefer using cold butter and then chilling the finished topping to ensure it bakes up crisp yet tender.
Mixed berries — any combination will do, though I recommend you use a blend of both sweet and tart berries, like blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
Lemon juice — a squeeze of fresh citrus juice brightens up the berry mixture, adding the perfect amount of acidity.
Granulated sugar — neutral white sugar is great for sweetening the juicy berry filling while letting their individual flavors shine through.
Berry Crisp Recipe
Equipment
- Pastry blender or fork
- 8×8-inch square or 2 quart baking dish
Ingredients
For the Crisp Topping:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90g)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (165g)
- ¾ cup rolled oats (or quick-cooking) (70g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter cubed (113g)
For the Berry Filling:
- 6 cups mixed berries (830g), such as blackberries, raspberries and blueberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40g)
Instructions
For the Topping:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the oat mixture until crumbly. Then, squeeze the mixture into larger clumps using your fingers, until all of the flour mixture is worked into the butter.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Filling:
- Rinse the berries and drain them thoroughly. Place them in a large bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice over top, then sprinkle with the sugar and flour. Fold together gently to coat.
- Transfer the filling to a greased 2-quart or 9×9-inch square baking dish.
- Scatter the crisp topping evenly over top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, tenting after about 30 minutes if the topping browns too quickly, until golden brown and bubbly all over.
- Let cool slightly, then serve scoops with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Add a pinch of salt to both the filling and topping to help balance the sweetness and acidity of the berries, if desired. Or, use salted butter in the topping!
- If using frozen berries, there is no need to thaw the berries, though you will need to add an additional 1 tablespoon of flour as the frozen berries will likely release more juice. Bake for an additional 10 minutes to account for the cold filling. (With the longer bake time, it’s important to tent the crisp after 30 minutes in the oven so that the topping doesn’t brown too much!)
Nutrition
How To Make Berry Crisp
1. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients—flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon.
2. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until crumbly, then use your fingers to squeeze into larger clumps. Chill until ready to use.
3. Rinse and drain the berries, then place in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, sugar, and flour; gently fold to coat.
4. Pour the filling into a greased baking dish, and sprinkle the topping evenly over the berries. Bake until golden and bubbling. Cool the hot fruit crisp slightly before serving with vanilla ice cream.
Should I Use Fresh Or Frozen Berries?
Either! Generally speaking, I like using fresh, juicy berries when they’re in season and frozen berries when they are not! Frozen berries are picked and then preserved at peak freshness and will often be more flavorful than out-of-season berries from the store. If you have lots of frozen berries in the freezer, this homemade berry crisp recipe is a perfect way to put them to use! Just remember to increase the flour in the filling by a tablespoon to account for extra liquid frozen berries will release when they cook.
Variations
- Add spices to the topping. Ginger and cardamom are nice warm spices to add to either the crisp topping or the berries. ¼ to ½ a teaspoon is plenty!
- Make the topping with melted butter instead. Increase the amount of flour in the recipe to 1 cup (120g). Melt the butter, then cool it slightly before stirring it into the flour mixture with a fork. Pinch small clumps together with your fingers, then refrigerate it for about 15 to 30 minutes before putting it on top of the crisp so that it doesn’t melt into the berry juices. You could even use cooled browned butter!
- Out of oats? Try making these berry crisps with plain streusel topping instead.
- Make individual servings of berry crisp. This is great if you want to save some for later or if you want a nicer presentation for dinner parties. Simply divide the filling and topping among 6-8 small ramekins, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly.
Can I Double The Recipe For A 9×13 Dish?
Yes! Making a bigger batch of triple berry crisp is an easy dessert for a larger party. Double the recipe, following the same instructions, and place it in a 9×13” casserole dish. The baking time will be roughly the same; just keep an eye on the center—you want a thick, bubbling filling and golden brown top.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- You can use any variety of berries you wish! And don’t feel like you have to use all three—this blueberry crisp recipe is proof that using just one type of berry is deliciously tasty. If you use a bigger berry like strawberries, be sure to chop them into smaller pieces.
- If the topping is getting too brown before the filling is bubbling, tent or cover it loosely with foil. Just don’t seal the pan by folding down the foil, or the topping will turn soggy.
- Use a ceramic or glass baking dish for the best results. Metal baking tins can cause the berry filling to burn to the bottom.
- Clump up the oat-crisp topping! This is essential to a topping with plenty of texture that stays crisp out of the oven. After cutting in the butter, use your hands to squeeze clumps of the oat mixture. You want some larger clumps (almond size) and some smaller clumps (pea size). Some crumbly or sandy portions are okay!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Simply assemble the berry crisp filling in the pan, cover it well, and chill for up to 12 hours. Store the crisp topping separately and sprinkle it over the top before baking. (You may need to break it up again.)
Allow any leftovers to cool to room temperature, then carefully transfer them to an airtight container or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge for several hours. To reheat, uncover and place the dish in a toaster oven or regular oven at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the topping and tent with foil if it’s browning too quickly.
Yes! You can freeze this triple berry crisp before baking it. Choose a freezer safe baking dish and make sure to let the berry filling cool completely before adding the oat crisp topping. Wrap the pan well in several layers of plastic wrap (pressing a piece of plastic or parchment directly against the topping to ward off freezer burn) and freeze for up to 2 months. You can bake it directly from frozen (make sure to unwrap it!), adding about 10 minutes of baking time as needed to achieve the bubbly filling and golden brown crisp topping.
If you’ve tried this Mixed Berry Crisp recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Leave a Reply