Berry Crisp

This mixed berry crisp is packed with an assortment of sweet fresh or frozen berries and topped with a buttery oat crumble. A bit of orange zest in the filling puts this delicious summery crisp right over the top. 15 minutes to assemble, 45 minutes to bake, and you’ve got a delicious dessert ready in an hour!

One thing that no one tells you about becoming a parent is just how many berries kids can eat. I seriously can’t keep up with the number of fresh berries my girls can put away in the span of a week.

So we obviously get really happy around here when summer-ripe berries start popping up at the market. They really do beat anything you can buy in Ohio in the dead of winter—plus, the prices are so much better.

When I can get a good mix of berries, I love turning them into this crisp. You all know how much I love cheesecake recipes and a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, but you might not know how much I love a good crisp recipe.

Sweet fruit topped with a buttery oat-packed crumble? So. Good.

You can use any mix of berries you love or have on hand for this recipe, and it takes only an hour to make from start to finish. 

And even better? You can use frozen berries when fresh ones aren’t in season. Who said you can’t enjoy a summer dessert any time of year?

What’s the difference between crisp, crumble, and cobbler?

All three desserts involve fruit filling and some sort of pastry topping. The difference in the pastry topping is what differentiates the three.

• Cobblers have a drop biscuit topping (like this blackberry cobbler), a pie crust-like topping, or even a cake-like topping (like my easy peach cobbler). 
• Crisps have a streusel topping that has oats in it, making the topping…well, crispy! Strawberry rhubarb crisp is a great example.
• Crumbles are similar to crisps but traditionally don’t have any oats in the streusel topping, like in my berry crumble bars. Although often the lines get a little bit blurred between crisps and crumbles and sometimes the names are used interchangeably.

Ingredient notes

• Assorted berries: You’ll need 6 cups of fresh assorted berries or 32 ounces of frozen mixed berries. If you are using strawberries, be sure to remove the tops. If they are large, cut them in half or quarter them so they are closer in size to the other berries you are using. 
• Sugar: I like to use granulated sugar in the filling and brown sugar in the streusel topping. If you’re out of brown sugar, whip up a 2-ingredient brown sugar substitute to use instead.
• All-purpose flour: You’ll need this for the filling and the topping. Readers have successfully used a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking mix to make this gluten free.
• Orange zest: You can skip this if you like, but I love the depth and complexity it adds to the filling.
• Baking powder, baking soda, and salt: For the topping.
• Oats: I typically use quick-cooking oats in this recipe. If you only have rolled oats, just keep in mind that the topping will have a bit more of a chewy texture to it. Do not use instant oats.
• Melted butter: Unsalted, please. If you only have salted butter, you can omit the salt in the topping.

How to make my berry crisp recipe

Gently stir together the berries with the sugar, flour, and orange zest. Be gentle so that you don’t break down some of the more fragile fruits, such as raspberries. Add the filling to a 2-quart baking dish and set it aside.

To make the crisp topping, stir the dry ingredients together and then drizzle in the butter. Use a fork to stir the butter in; you want all of the dry ingredients to be moistened and crumbs should start to form.

Sprinkle this evenly over the fruit, then bake for 45-50 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling all around the edges of the dish. 

I do recommend letting the crisp cool for at least a few minutes before digging in. The filling will thicken as it cools.

Top with a scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream and enjoy!

Make-ahead and storage tips

This berry crisp recipe is best the same day it is made, as that is when the topping has the best crunchy texture. 

But the topping? That’s totally something you can make ahead.

Mix the crisp topping together as directed, then transfer the crumbs to an airtight container. Store it in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you’re freezing it, you may want to lay the crumbs out on a line sheet tray, then place that in the freezer to harden before moving them to the container so they don’t freeze together as much.

When you’re ready to bake, stir together the filling and then sprinkle the pre-made streusel over the top and bake as directed.

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Of course the crisp is best when it’s warm, so I like to pop leftovers into the microwave for about 30 seconds before digging in. 

More fruit crisp recipes

If you loved this mixed berry crisp recipe, be sure to check out:

• Peach Crisp
• Cherry Crisp
• Cranberry Apple Crisp
• Apple Pear Crisp
• Apple Crisp Bars