The Best Blackberry Crisp {Can Use Other Berries, Too!}
This amazing blackberry crisp loaded with juicy fruit and a buttery crisp topping is simple and so delicious! Even better, you can use other berries, too. Think of it as an all-purpose, best-ever fruit crisp!
I love a good fruit crisp. But I have a special place in my heart for fresh blackberry crisp.
It is probably my favorite of all the berry crisps out there (although if I’m being completely honest, this caramel pear crisp is my favorite of all favorites if we are looking at the crisp family as a whole).
A Beautiful Dessert
Fruit crisp desserts, like this one, are fantastic because not only do they taste amazing, but they are so quick to assemble.
In this recipe, the blackberries are tossed with:
- sugar
- flour
- lemon juice
And then layered on the bottom of a baking dish.
Simply top the fruit with that glorious streusel topping, and everything bakes together until bubbly, juicy, and perfect.
Adaptable for Other Berries
The great news about today’s best-ever blackberry crisp is that it’s actually divine with other berries, too, like blueberries or raspberries (haven’t tried it with strawberries, which tend to be more watery).
A couple weeks ago, I made this blackberry crisp with a combo of blueberries and blackberries, and it was amazing.
As long as you keep the ratios in the recipe pretty much the same, this blackberry crisp recipe will prove to be very adaptable.
The Topping is Where Its At
And since we’re friends, I can tell you, without fearing judgement, that 95% of the reason I love a good berry crisp is because of that golden, buttery topping sitting right there on top.
Blackberry crisp topping! Now you’ve got me excited.
All the texture and flavor of a glorious, sweet, buttery oatmeal cookie stretching as far as the eye can see across the fresh, juicy berries.
The last time I served this blackberry crisp, I decided to be bold and skip the vanilla ice cream (a very safe and delicious option) and go with a lemon frozen yogurt.
Oh my goodness, you guys.
It was unreal. Probably one of the better things I’ve ever eaten in my life (especially because I stole all of the topping from Brian’s serving when he wasn’t looking).
One Year Ago: Divine Tres Leches Cupcakes
Two Years Ago: Sweet and Spicy Pork and Pineapple Tacos
Three Years Ago: Whole Wheat Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
The Best Blackberry Crisp
Ingredients
Topping:
- 1 ½ cup (150 g) old-fashioned or quick oats (I prefer the texture of quick oats here)
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (212 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
Fruit:
- 8-10 cups (680-1020 g) fresh blackberries, washed and dried well
- ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (47 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt.
- Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or a couple forks until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is evenly cut in. Set aside.
- In another bowl, add the blackberries, sugar, flour and lemon juice. Stir until combined.
- Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and spread the fruit mixture on the bottom.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the crisp topping is golden (add time, if needed).
- Remove from the oven and let the fruit crisp rest for 10-15 minutes before serving (the fruit layer will thicken as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream (or lemon frozen yogurt!) or sweetened, whipped cream, if desired.
Can you use blackberry pie filling?
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure of the results – sorry!
AMAZING!
The crisp topping is amazing! I added 1/2 tsp of lemon zest along with the juice . It added a little extra zip and brighten the blackberries nicely. Thanks! I’ll be making this one again!!
Can I make this the same as the blackberry crisp but use fresh raspberries
Definitely NOT the best . Too little sugar in the berries, that’s for sure. And the crust is actually way too buttery! It was like a super buttery cookie batter , which I thought would be yummy but it made a weird
texture in the part that sunk into the berries and was too heavy. I’ve had far better crisp than this
I love the blackberry crisp. How do you think this would do with switching blackberries for raspberries and keeping everything else the same?
I think it would probably be terrific! Report back if you try it. 🙂
You should try adding huckleberry to the back berries. Adds a tartness that is to die for. Half the amount of the huckleberries compared to black berries. I live in Oregon and pick huckleberry around the same time black berries are ripe.
Excellent combo and a quintessential,fresh, NW specialty particularly w red huckleberries. Add cinnamon to the crisp topping.
Delicious!
Did you bake the individual ramekins or just serve the crisp in them? If you baked them, can you tell me how long? Thanks!
Hi Jamie, I just served them in the ramekins, but my sister makes this recipe as individual sized all the time and it works great. I’d check after about 20-22 minutes
I made this last night with our abundant supply of fresh blackberries. I had to do a double take to make sure there was no liquid ingredients, because it looked dry. But this recipe did NOT disappoint. It was delicious! The oatmeal on the top was the perfect crunch. I will say that I only used one stick of butter. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing it with the rest of the world!
I have made this several times now. It doesn’t disappoint. I have mede with blackberries, but usually use blueberries as my parents have several bushes, and I always have frozen blueberries. I make with Melt, dairy free butter. My husband is allergic to dairy, eggs and soy, so this recipe is a huge blessing! Top with some coconut whipped cream and he is a happy camper. I have some in the oven right now. Thanks Mel.
Made this tonight w/ 8 cups for frozen blackberries, so I added the 1/2 cup extra of flour. Might have been able to reduce to a 1/3 cup, but it was delicious w/ vanilla ice cream! Def keeper. We too grow our own wild berries! LOVE this recipe!
Absolutely delicious! We have a large patch of wild dewberries in our yard (cousin to the blackberry) and I made this today with some of our excess. Rave reviews!! Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This recipe is a keeper! I used Tapioca flour in the berry mix and almond flour in the crisp mixture to keep it more Keto friendly. And coconut sugar instead of white sugar. It is an amazing berry dish and don’t expect leftovers!
Just pulled this out of the 350°oven after 62 minutes! 45 wasn’t nearly enough.
I used all blackberries, so would increase white sugar to 1/2 – 3/4
of a cup.
Also the prep time was 30 minutes. If you don’t have a pastry blender it’s very difficult to incorporate the butter.
It does smell delicious, but the top ‘crisp’ doesn’t look very crunchy. Maybe I’ll try the regular oats next time.
Going to try some, now… It’s VERY good. Needed added sugar.
Prefer a thicker, crunchier topping. This was a bit soft and crumbly. Will try again, maybe with different berries.
unsalted butter or regular?
THANK YOU
I use salted butter
Thank you so much..gives you the browning!
I have blackberries in freezer I picked this summer…going to serve christmas week and pretend it is summer again!
Thank you for a topping focused berry crisp. This was my go-to recipe for the late summer when our wild blackberries were beyond abundant. I picked close to 10 lbs almost daily and had more than even my small herd of goats could keep up with. Everyone I knew and all neighbors received fresh picked, freshly baked blackberry crisps. Perfect sweetness and so forgiving if some berries were a bit tart. This will forever be in my recipe collection. Well done!!!
This is a no brainer failsafe incredibly delicious recipe – so simple and the lemon juice elevates it so it’s not so yucky sweet!
We made this for my sons 19th birthday and was a HUGE hit. We had other deserts, including a triple chocolate cake that is generally the crowd favorite. I kid you not when I say this was the only one people wanted.
Love this recipe! The only thing I change is to reduce the sugar a bit according to our family’s taste. We make this regularly and love it every time.
This recipe was fantastic! I had it warm out of the oven with some vanilla ice cream and it was amazing!!! The only tweak I made was to add some chopped pecans to the topping and it worked great. Highly recommend this recipe!!
This is an absolutely amazing recipe my entire family cannot get enough of it. I wish I can post pictures of it it looks amazing
making right now ! yum !
In my opinion crisp recipes never have the right topping to filling ratio BUT you have perfected it! It’s perfect without being too sweet!
I used an equal mixture of blackberries, raspberries and huckleberries and it was a delight. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi. I got some freshly-picked triple crown blackberries at church this morning. Such a blessing to be able to gather together again (safely spaced out and wearing masks, of course!). One of my favorite things about summertime church services is that people share their bounty! I found your recipe on Pinterest and I’m excited to try it out.
LOVE this recipe! Making it again with fresh blackberries and peaches!
Seriously delicious and super simple to make! The perfect balance of sweetness – not too sweet, and not too tart. I made this recipe as is, using about ten cups of fresh picked blackberries. Would be good with vanilla ice cream or just plain.
Note to precious comment: I use eight full cups of berries and Old Fashioned Oats. Yum.
Everything about this recipe is perfect. Such a delicious, easy alternative to pie. We have this giant “weed” Himalayan Blackberries just coming in and today is the second day in a row I’m making this. Once ingredients in topping are cut in well, bunch up in hands and then break over fillings to get some nice chunks. Everyone raves!
The title is right- this really IS the BEST blackberry crisp ever!
Do you think I could substitute brown sugar for coconut sugar?
Could definitely try!
CAN YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE WITH PEACHES???
I haven’t tried, but you could definitely experiment 🙂
CAN YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE WITH PEACHES???
The changes I made:
Add fresh grated nutmeg and cinnamon to the crisp
Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the crisp
This is my favorite crisp recipe!
You mentioned that you had not tried this with frozen fruit. I just did and the result was a delicious Blackberry Crisp!
The berries had been frozen for about 8 or 9 months so I let them sit on an open grid sort of rack to thaw. The juices drained into a pan which was then reduced to make a nice sauce to pour over the crisp (or on top of the whip cream).
I did add maybe a tablespoon of flour to keep it from getting too juicy.
This will go in our book as a “keeper.”
Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Yum!
Next time you are out Portland way, head a little farther West and try Unger Farms. My favorite clean farm. 🙂
YES, indeed. My neck of the woods as well!
Can you use frozen blackberries for this recipe?
I have not tried this with frozen fruit, but if you want to try it, I’d suggest these tips: don’t thaw the fruit before using and possibly increase the flour to 1/2 cup.
Great recipe! The blackberry filling is slightly tart and the crisp topping is just sweet enough. I used 10 cups of berries, which made the perfect ratio of filling and crisp. Happy New Year!
I made this for yanks giving and it was delish! I had to use frozen blackberries and did exactly what you said and added an extra 1/2 c flour and it came out great!!! When I make it again I will pour the flour sugar and lemon juice over the blackberries as it was harder to get it all mixed together. Thanks so much for a yummy and not difficult recipe!! Happy thanksgiving:)
Fabulous with blueberries. 5 stars.
Well intentioned people please make it before you comment.
This was absolutely delicious…I followed recipe exactly except used blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, all fresh not frozen… I also chopped some walnuts fine and added to topping but it was not necessary.. The topping was delicious and the filling had perfect consistency. The combination of flour and sugar and lemon gave it the perfect sweetness and not at all liquidy like a lot of crisps. My husband who normally would not choose a berry dessert loved it and told me to save that recipe because it was a keeper. Follow the proportions as stated and you won’t be sorry…it is now my favorite dessert. Oh we company over too and they raved about it…thank you for a great recipe!!!!
Hello, my name is Sharla and I’m a thief and an addict. I am a professional crisp topping thief! I may be know to prefer the top of coffee cake as well! Although I think we should all just form a support group! Haha!
Can’t wait to try this as I picked two huge bowls of blackberries yesterday!
Thank you for this recipe, delicious! I have already made it 4 different times now and just found it a month ago. I have tried it with 2 different gluten free flours; King Arthur’s all purpose GF and Cup for Cup GF best for baking. Both turned out perfect. I used mostly blackberries and some blueberries to round out the flavors. Crispy, buttery, fruity perfection……again Thank you! This recipe has made it to the spice cabinet door (I tape up my “can’t live without” recipes there, handy).
All the best,
Annette
This is the third summer I’ve used this recipe– it truly is THE BEST! For whatever crazy reason ive never printed it out, so have to find it again each time, but today finally got wise enuf to screen shot the ingredients to save time! So glad to find it again– it’s definitely my family and friends’ favorite!
There is one too many sticks of butter in the crumble topping. It turned out melty and not crumbly like it should have been. Very disappointed.
It was soooo good! Had a hard time not eating the topping before baking, lol! New family favorite!❤️
This crisp is sooo good! Made is last weekend in a cast iron skillet on the Traeger and it was a hit! My husband made sure we had berries for another Thank you for sharing!
I forgot to rate the recipe! 5 stars baby, 5! Awesomeness!
Annette
I like to do this with a self rising flour mixture on the bottom. Would this work adding the oats to the bottom mixture?
I haven’t tried that but you could experiment. Good luck!
I used what I had on hand. Frozen blackberries, frozen blueberries and fresh strawberries. I used 1/2 cup flour and it worked out great. Served with homemade vanilla frozen yogurt. I forgot about your mention of homemade lemon frozen yogurt or I would have tried that. I trust your palate!
Can this be made with frozen berries? Any adjustments necessary?
I haven’t tried it, but I believe others have with good results!
I have made this twice with frozen blackberries. I followed the suggestion of not thawing them first and increasing the flour to 1/2 C. and the crisp turned out beautifully. To help the berries fill more space in my pan, I poured them out in batches into my mixing bowl and cut them with kitchen scissors into rough halves. When mixed with the flour it was super easy to see which ones I had missed. I’m trying this method with strawberries for Mother’s Day. And the crisp topping is heavenly! 🙂
Here’s a quick variation. Put all the ingredients for the topping in a food processor and pulse until it forms into crumbs. Go ahead and use old fashioned rolled oats as they will be cut finer with the processing. This was much faster and created a yummy crumb top.
I also divided the topping into two batches and froze one for later. Then I made only half of the fruit filling and baked it in a smaller dish. We only needed enough for three people. Now you will have a fast start to another batch whenever you like as it freezes well.