This is the perfect blackberry crisp recipe that I have been baking since my early childhood, exactly how my Granny Janny made it. For 40+ years, this berry crisp has been a summer tradition for my family and I just love sharing the dish with you. The buttery oatmeal topping combines with the tangy but sweet blackberries for a quintessential summer dessert.
For more great berry desserts, try my roasted berries, blueberry dump cake, or my granny's strawberry shortcake.
Jump to:
Growing up, I knew it was blackberry season when my trusty horse, Dusty, returned from the fields with a tell-tale sign: purple-stained lips (from feasting on the ripe blackberries).
If I were lucky enough to outpace Dusty in harvesting these juicy berries, I'd gather a generous amount and head back home to bake this fantastic dessert for breakfast.
Inspired by childhood memories and the simple joys of berry picking, this blackberry crisp recipe is not just about creating a dessert; it's about reliving those golden, sun-kissed days.
With a perfect balance of juicy blackberries and a golden, crispy oatmeal crumble topping, each bite is a harmonious blend of textures and flavors.
🥘 Ingredients
Blackberry Filling
- Blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- Sugar
- Lemon Zest (optional; lime zest can also be used)
Oatmeal Streusel Topping
- Flour
- Oats
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg
- Butter (cold)
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Blackberry Crisp
This recipe is really quick to assemble, so start your oven preheating before you begin.
This recipe makes about 8 servings.
Preheat. Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and generously butter a baking dish. You'll need a 10" springform pan, cast iron skillet, or 2+ quart casserole dish.
Prepare the Blackberry Filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the blackberries with 4 tablespoons of sugar. If desired, add lemon zest or lime zest for extra flavor. Stir gently to coat the berries evenly.
Make the oatmeal streusel topping. In a separate large bowl, mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 cups of rolled oats, 1½ cups of packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg. Cut in 1½ cups of cold butter using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs.
Assemble the crisp. Transfer the sugared blackberry mixture to a buttered baking dish, spreading it evenly. Then, evenly distribute the oatmeal streusel topping over the blackberries.
Bake until bubbling. Bake the blackberry crisp for 40-45 minutes at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4). The topping should turn golden brown, and the berries should bubble around the edges.
Cool and serve. Remove the crisp from the oven and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and makes serving easier.
Serve with my vanilla no-churn ice cream or top with whipped cream. Enjoy!
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💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Berry variations to try. Experiment with different types of berries or a mix of berries for varied flavors. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or a combination can offer a delightful twist to the traditional blackberry crisp.
- Berries to topping ratio. The secret to its irresistible taste lies in the perfect balance between the berries and the oatmeal topping. I prefer a 50/50 ratio, as each spoonful creates my perfect blend of flavors and textures.
- Enhancing the topping. Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the oatmeal streusel topping for added texture and a nutty flavor. Alternatively, consider adding a handful of granola for extra crunch.
- Reduce calories. This topping is very calorie-dense, to reduce the overall calorie count use half the topping ingredients.
- Spice it up. Experiment with different spices like my apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or garam masala (which tastes lovely with blackberry sweets).
❓ Blackberry Crisp Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use frozen blackberries. There's no need to thaw them; just use them directly in the recipe. You may need an additional minute or two, but the baking time overall should be the same.
Yes, you can prepare the crisp topping in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
In the case of blackberry crisps, this is a difficult question to answer.
Typically a crisp has a sugar streusel topping (no oats) and a crumble has the topping with oats.
However, blackberry crisps have been so commonly made with an oatmeal topping that this version is the most common.
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📖 Recipe Card
Blackberry Crisp
Ingredients
Blackberry Filling
- 5 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- lemon zest (optional, or use lime zest)
Oatmeal Streusel Topping
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1½ cups light brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1½ cups butter (cold, cubed)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Preheat & Mix Blackberry Filling
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃/Gas Mark 4), then butter a 9-10 inch pan or 1.5-2 quart casserole dish.
- In a medium to large-sized mixing bowl, add the 5 cups blackberries and 4 tablespoon sugar, plus the optional lemon zest or lime. Stir gently to coat the berries.
Mix Oatmeal Streusel Topping
- In another mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups rolled oats, 1½ cups light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Mix the evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Add the cold 1½ cups butter and use a pastry cutter to cut it in until it reaches pea-sized crumbles.
Assemble & Bake
- Add the sugared blackberry mix to your prepared baking dish, making an even layer that covers the bottom. Top the berries with the dry crumble oatmeal streusel crust mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven at 350℉ (175℃/Gas Mark 4) for 40-45 minutes or until berries are bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven when done and cool for 5 minutes before serving while warm.
Notes
- Experiment with different types of berries or a mix of berries for varied flavors. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or a combination can offer a delightful twist to the traditional blackberry crisp.
- The secret to its irresistible taste lies in the perfect balance between the berries and the oatmeal topping. I prefer a 50/50 ratio, as each spoonful creates my perfect blend of flavors and textures.
- Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the oatmeal streusel topping for added texture and a nutty flavor. Alternatively, consider adding a handful of granola for extra crunch.
- This topping is very calorie-dense, to reduce the overall calorie count use half the topping ingredients.
- Experiment with different spices like my apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or garam masala (which tastes lovely with blackberry sweets).
Nutrition
Neal says
This is amazing!! Especially with the local berries here in Oregon. Thank you for the great recipe😊
Judith Riley says
Made this with wild blackberries I'd picked the day before. It was wildly delicious!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Ha! Glad it was enjoyed!!
Linda Lopez says
Can this be made ahead of time?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You can make this ahead of time by assembling the berries and topping separately (then add the topping just before baking). It also stores exceptionally well. If you leave it in the baking dish, you can reheat the whole dessert at 350F (175C/Gas Mark 4) until warmed to your satisfaction. Enjoy!
Terry says
I’m thinking of making this in 8 oz mason jars. Have you ever done that? If so, should I leave enough room to add ice cream or whipped cream ?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I haven't made this in mason jars, but if I did, I would leave an inch of spacing at the top for the berries to bubble up to and for adding toppings. Enjoy!
Laura owens says
Outstanding!
Trevor says
Fantastic and easy blackberry crisp! Perfect with vanilla ice cream!!!
Megan Singer says
Absolutely delicious! I’ve made it twice now and it’s a recipe that I’ll use forever! Thanks so much!!
Meredith A DeVoe says
This was absolutely delicious. Thank you!!
Shirley says
Could I use a thickener?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, definitely! You could add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the berries before transferring into the baking dish. Thanks for asking!
Meredith DeVoe says
You don't really need a thickener, as the topping kind of sinks into the fruit and thickens it.
Georgie says
This blackberry crisp is so delicious! I added lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to the blackberries, along with a dash of vanilla extract. I feel like that really helped bring out all the flavors! 🙂
Barbara says
I hope my post does not post. I rated this a 2 due to it not crisping up after it cooled and baked it for 50 min. But once I put the leftovers in the fridge it got nice and crisp. I still think to much butter. the taste was very good
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thanks Barbara, you can always cut back on the butter, but you run the risk of having some patchy dry spots in your topping. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your results!
June P. says
This blackberry crisp is a keeper for sure! Loved it completely and so did the grandkids. Thank you for all the work you do.
Nicola says
Really tasty with way less calories than other recipes.
Portobello says
I made this recipe the other day and we loved it. I put the mixture in a couple ramekins because I was bringing them over to a friends house. I made the rest in a 8x8 pan and realized afterwards it was supposed to a 13x9 pan so I had lots of toppings left over. It was a bit juicy on the bottom of the pan and I would add 1 tbl. of cornstarch to the mixture to thicken it up when I make it again. (of course, next time in the appropriate size). It was super delicious.
AS says
My husband says 5 stars and I agree. Amazing!
Joan says
Loved the recipe! Absolutely delicious and not to sweet. Will be making this for get togethers. I used a bag of thawed, frozen blackberries with blueberries and strawberries. I also added a container of fresh blueberries. It came out beautiful and was delicious with or without ice cream Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Lenore says
Really yummy but I should have tossed the berries with a couple tbsp of flour with the sugar. The blackberry juice was pretty thin. I'll try that next time....I have a freezer full of blackberries! Thanks for a great recipe that I'll use lots.
Gabrielle says
Used fresh blackberries from our yard to make this today and it was amazing! I’ve always doubled the topping from recipes in the past, your recipe is just the perfect amount of berries and topping.
Anonymous says
Great recipe! We loved it!
Anonymous says
this is amazing. I made for our family 2 times now and it was a hit. Served with ice cream was delicious
Angela @ Delectable Cooking and Baking says
So glad to hear that your family loves it too! It is absolutely perfect served warm with ice cream <3