Berry Crisp
A crisp topping should be just that — crisp — not soggy or sandy. Cold butter cut into the oat mixture by hand creates irregular crumbs that bake into crunchy clusters. The fruit underneath bubbles up around the edges, thickening with a little cornstarch into a jammy sauce. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Dessert • 45 min
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen; any mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and sliced strawberries)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (for filling)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (or 4 tablespoons if using frozen berries)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
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Steps
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×9-inch or similar 2-quart baking dish.
- In a large bowl, toss the berries with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until evenly coated. Let the mixture sit and macerate for 10 minutes while you prepare the topping; if using frozen berries, skip the maceration step and go straight to assembling.
- In a food processor, pulse the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt a few times to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining, about 8 to 10 pulses. Do not overprocess into a paste.
- Pour the berry mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Scatter the oat topping loosely over the fruit by the handful; do not press it down.
- Bake until the fruit is bubbling thickly around the edges and the topping is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. If the topping browns before the fruit is bubbling, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Let the crisp cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving, so the juices thicken slightly. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Assemble the crisp up to the point of baking, cover, and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Bake straight from the refrigerator, adding 5 extra minutes to the bake time. The raw topping can also be frozen for up to 1 month and baked from frozen.
Storage
Cover leftover crisp and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp the topping, or microwave individual portions for 30 seconds.
Substitutions
Replace up to half the flour in the topping with almond flour for a nuttier flavor and slightly more tender crumble. Swap the cinnamon for ¼ teaspoon cardamom for a floral twist. Use frozen peaches or cherries in place of some or all of the berries.
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
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