This Apple Berry Crisp combines tender cinnamon-spiced apples, juicy blueberries, and sweet blackberries under a buttery, golden oat topping. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream for an easy dessert that bridges the gap between late summer and the first hint of fall.
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Table of Contents
A Note From My Kitchen
There’s something that just feels so cozy about combining the last of summer’s berries with crisp apples just as fall starts to creep in.
This Apple Berry Crisp has that perfect mix of juicy, jammy fruit under a buttery cinnamon-spiced oat topping. It works just as well for a casual family dessert as it does for entertaining. Like my Skillet Apple Cobbler, this easy fruit crisp comes together in a deep skillet or any oven-safe baking dish with simple ingredients. And, don’t forget the ice cream!
I think you’ll love this summery take on classic apple crisp.
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Ingredient Notes
- Apples: Choose a crisp-sweet apple that will hold its shape as it bakes. Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Fuji, or Gala are all good choices. Peel, core, and slice them about ¼-inch thick so they cook evenly. The recipe uses about 2½ pounds of apples.
- Blueberries and blackberries: Fresh berries add juicy bursts of flavor and beautiful color. You’ll need 2 cups of each.
- All-purpose flour and old-fashioned oats: These two pantry staples form the base of the crisp topping. Use old-fashioned rolled oats for the best texture; combined with all-purpose flour, they create a heartier, more substantial topping than quick oats.
- Butter: Cold salted butter is cut into the flour and oat mixture to create those delicious crumbly pieces in the topping. Keep it chilled until you’re ready to use it.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: A combination of both sugars sweetens the fruit and the topping while adding a little caramel-like flavor.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the juices released by the apples and berries as the crisp bakes so the filling is saucy rather than runny.
- Cinnamon and ginger: Cinnamon seasons both the topping and filling, while a small amount of ground ginger adds warmth without overpowering the fruit.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the fruit and balances the sweetness.
How to Make Apple Berry Crisp
- Make the crisp topping. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips.
- Finish the topping. Continue working in the butter until the mixture is crumbly with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Set aside.
- Prepare the fruit filling. Place the apple slices, blueberries, and blackberries in a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice. Combine the sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, then sprinkle over the fruit and stir to coat.
- Fill the baking dish. Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Add the topping. Use your hands to crumble the topping evenly over the fruit.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling, the apples are tender, and the topping is golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Valerie’s Tips
- Use the right baking dish. I baked this crisp in a 3½-quart enameled cast iron braiser, which gives the fruit plenty of room to bubble and helps the topping brown nicely. A deep 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet or a similarly sized oven-safe 3- to 3½-quart baking dish will also work well. Avoid anything too shallow, since the fruit releases quite a bit of juice as it bakes.
- Weigh the apples if you can. Four medium Cosmic Crisp apples weighed exactly 2½ pounds in my test, which was the perfect amount for this recipe.
- Slice the apples evenly. Aim for about ¼-inch thick slices so they become tender in the same amount of time the topping turns golden.
- Watch the topping near the end. If it’s nicely golden before the fruit is finished baking, loosely tent the dish with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes.
- Let it rest before serving. Give the crisp about 20 minutes to cool after baking. The filling will continue to thicken as it sits, making it much easier to serve.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Cover leftovers tightly or transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Warm individual servings in the microwave, or reheat a larger portion in a 350°F oven until heated through. The oven will help restore some crispness to the topping.
Make ahead: Assemble the crisp up to 6 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time if needed.
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Apple Berry Crisp
Ingredients
For the CrIsp Topping
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup cold salted butter, cut into small cubes
For the Filling
- 2½ pounds crisp-sweet apples, about 4 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
- Vanilla ice cream, optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F. Lightly coat a 3½-quart enameled cast iron braiser or similar baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the cold butter and use a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Place the apples, blueberries, and blackberries in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the lemon juice.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and toss until evenly coated.
- Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the fruit.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges, the apples are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, and the topping is golden brown. If needed, loosely tent with foil during the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. The filling will continue to thicken as it rests.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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