This Mixed Berry Crisp is a summer favorite that takes just a few minutes to throw together. It’s got a juicy berry filling topped with a buttery oat crumble that pairs perfectly with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Our berry crisp can be made with frozen berries, or with fresh berries in the summer if they are in season and ripe. The filling has a little cornstarch to help keep it nice and thick. For more fruit crisp recipes, you can also try our Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Blackberry Crisp, or this Caramel Apple Crisp.
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Best Mixed Berry Crisp
When summer is in full swing, I make this easy recipe for berry crisp on repeat. For the mixed berry filling you can use any combination of fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries that you’d like. They’re all tossed together with sugar, lemon juice, and a little cornstarch to help thicken the mixture as it heats.
The buttery oat crumble topping is flavored with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Not only does it taste amazing, it also smells amazing while baking in the oven. And for a little taste of summer heaven, serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Key Ingredients
- Mixed Berries - using a frozen bag of mixed berries works great, or you can choose any combination of frozen raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries. I don’t recommend using strawberries because they aren’t quite the same size and texture. Also be sure that you do not thaw them ahead of time. If it’s summer and you have access to fresh berries, you will need about 8 cups. Gently wash in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Cornstarch - this helps to thicken the berry mixture and keep the crisp topping from getting too soggy. If you don’t have cornstarch you could use flour instead.
- Sugar - this recipe calls for regular granulated sugar for the fruit filling. You could substitute a little honey if you’d like.
- Lemon Juice - fresh lemon juice balances out the flavors, but it also helps to set the natural pectins in the berries which keeps the filling nice and thick. Lime juice would also work.
- Butter - room temperature butter works great for making the crisp topping. If you use salted butter just reduce the additional salt slightly.
- Brown Sugar - I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe but you can use dark brown sugar if you prefer the flavor.
- Spices - I like to use a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg for this Berry Crisp recipe. You could substitute other baking spices such as cardamom or cloves.
- Oats - be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats because they will give the crumb topping a slightly chewy texture. Avoid steel-cut oats!
How to Make This Berry Crisp Recipe
- Make the berry mixture. In a large mixing bowl combine the frozen berries, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice. Toss to evenly coat the berries. Transfer the berry mixture to a 9" x 9" baking dish, or a 10" cast iron skillet.
- Make the oat crumble topping. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix on low speed until the mixture forms about ½" chunks.
- Add the crumb topping. Using your fingers, sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the berry mixture.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Tips
- Gluten-free: Just swap out regular flour for a gluten-free flour blend and make sure to use certified gluten-free oats for the crumble.
- Add nuts: Add an extra crunch by incorporating chopped nuts into the topping. Walnuts, almonds, or pecans work particularly well.
- Individual portions: Create personalized portions of mixed berry crisp by baking them in individual ramekins or mason jars.
- Make-ahead instructions: you can make the oat crumble and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 2 months! That way, you will only need to combine the berry mixture, top with the crumble, and bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, it’s not necessary to refrigerate your Berry Crisp. You can store it at room temperature covered with aluminum foil for up to 3 days. If you want it to last a bit longer, you can cover and store it in the fridge.
If your Berry Crisp comes out of the oven a little too watery, more than likely you didn’t add enough cornstarch or it wasn’t baked for long enough. The best way to keep your crumb topping from getting soggy is to add cornstarch to the berry mixture and make sure the berries are bubbling before pulling it from the oven. Not only does the baking process cook out some of the water, it also helps to activate some of the natural pectins in the fruit. This all helps absorb some of the extra moisture, allowing the topping to stay nice and crisp.
If you bake your Berry Crisp in a preheated oven at 400 degrees, it should take between 35-45 minutes for the topping to become golden brown and the berries to be bubbly. If you make individual portions in small ramekins, the bake time will be a little shorter.
Both fresh berry and frozen berry crisp work great, you will just need to use a slightly different amount. For this recipe you will need either 6 cups of frozen berries or 8 cups of fresh berries.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Room Temperature: cover any leftover Berry Crisp with aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: you can also cover and refrigerate your crisp for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: you can microwave a small portion or reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Freezing: if you want to freeze, I recommend freezing the oat topping and fruit mixture separately in airtight containers for up to 2 months. When you want to bake your crisp, pull from the freezer and transfer to a baking dish before baking as directed.
Mixed Berry Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
Berry Mixture
- 6 cups Frozen Mixed Berries or about 8 cups fresh berries (Note: use the mix without strawberries)
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Oat Crumble Topping
- 8 Tablespoons Butter room temperature
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
- ⅔ cup Light Brown Sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
Instructions
For the Berry Mixture
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the frozen berries and sprinkle the cornstarch and sugar over the top. Add the lemon juice and then toss to evenly coat.
- Transfer the mixed berry mixture to a 9" x 9" baking dish, or a 10" cast iron skillet.
For the Oat Topping
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and oats. Mix on low speed until the mixture forms about ½" chunks.
- Using your fingers, sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the berry mixture.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the mixture is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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This is the best Mixed Berry Crisp recipe, perfect for making all summer long. It's made with juicy mixed berries and has a buttery oat crumble topping.
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