Triple Berry Crisp with Oat Crumble

Sweet mixed berries are tossed with lime juice and sugar, then topped with a buttery oat crumble! This triple-berry crisp with frozen berries is easy to make and irresistibly good.

I'm crazy for mixed berries. I cook them on the stove with lime juice for a quick snack almost daily. I love the combination of citrus and berries even without a crisp or crumble atop.

This mixed berry crisp is sweet but not overly so, and the topping is crunchy, not mushy (like some crisp recipes I've tried!). My favorite way to serve it is with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a generous dollop of whipped cream. Yum!

It's not unusual for me to whip up a mixed berry crumble on a weeknight and pop it in the oven right before I put the kiddos to bed. Late-night desserts are my favorite kind!

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Berry Crumble Ingredients

This berry crisp with frozen berries requires simple ingredients you may already have on hand! Be sure to use the combination of rolled and quick-cooking oats, which gives the crisp its buttery crumb texture.

Frozen mixed berries - I use frozen berries because when berries are perfectly ripe I can't seem to do anything with them but shove them into my pie-hole. It feels sacrilege to to put them in anything else. I also like frozen berries because they are accessible all the time for the same price. During the winter, a half pint of blueberries can cost up to 5 bucks. I'm no math whizz but that's ten bucks a pint. Mega Ouch.

Cornstarch - Berries release water in the oven and frozen berries even more so! Cornstarch thickens the berry crisp as it cooks so the berries aren't too runny.

Lime juice - Citrus makes the berries pop! Lemon juice can also be used. Always use fresh juice! It's far superior and brighter than the bottled kind. I always have citrus in the fridge, since it can instantly upgrade almost any dish.

Sugar - To sweeten the topping and the berries! I prefer this frozen berry crisp to be sweet, but not overly so. If you like extra-sweet desserts, feel free to add an extra tablespoon or two to the berry mixture.

Brown sugar - I love the caramel-like sweetness it imparts! I used light brown but dark brown works too.

Unsalted butter - For the crumb topping! Butter is crucial for that buttery, crisp texture. If you can't have dairy, try coconut oil instead. If you only have salted butter, use it and omit the salt from the recipe.

Oats - I use a combination of quick-cooking and old-fashioned oats. It won't come out right with just one or the other. Quick cooking oats are rolled thinner when processed and therefore absorb liquid faster. They act more like flour, whereas old fashioned oats are more prominent and add a nice chew. You can read about the different oat types here. 

Kosher salt - A small amount of salt enhances sweetness!

How to make a berry crisp

There's only a few simple steps to a delicious berry crisp.

Preheat oven - Preheat your oven and spray your baking dish with nonstick spray. Set it aside until ready to use.

Make berry mixture - In a large bowl, combine the frozen berries, sugar, lime juice, and cornstarch. Stir well with a large spoon until the cornstarch evenly coats all the berries.

Pour berries into baking dish - Pour the berries into the greased baking dish, letting all the excess cornstarch/sugar mixture rest on top.

Make the crumb topping - Wipe out the same bowl with a paper towel. Combine the rolled oats, quick-cooking oats, sugar, kosher salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl, then stir well.

Cut in the butter - Add the cold butter pieces to the oat mixture. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the oats until well incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.

Top the crisp - Use your hands to generously and evenly sprinkle the crisp topping on top of the berries.

Bake & serve - Bake the crisp for 55 to 60 minutes. The edges will be bubbling and the top golden brown! Let it cool for a few minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Tips

• Use both kinds of oats! Quick-cooking act more like flour and rolled oats add chewy texture. They're both necessary for the delicious topping!
• Use cold chunks of butter - The crisp will come out crispier this way!

Substitutions & Variations

• Swap the berries - You can swap the berries with other frozen berries if you like. Try frozen blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries!
• Add nuts - Add chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the topping for some nutty crunch.

Storing Tips

How to store:

Store: Once the crisp is cool, wrap it in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week! You can also freeze it (see below for details).

Reheat: If you are reheating individual size portions, simply microwave in 20-second increments until hot or bake at 350 for 25 minutes until heated through.

I do both and I will say I prefer the microwave method. The topping stays crisp and the filling gets piping hot and delicious in a snap. There's no downside here, unless you count how dangerous it is to have amazing desserts so accessible.

How to freeze a berry crisp:

Can you freeze a berry crisp? Yes you can!

I love this question because I freeze a LOT of things. Who has time to make everything from scratch all the time? And guess what you don't have to! My freezer is my best friend. I'm considering walking down the stairs and giving her a hug right now.

Theres three ways you can freeze this crisp with great results.

Before you bake it: Make the berry crisp as the recipe calls for but before baking it wrap it well with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to bake. When you are ready to bake it simply pull it out of the freezer and pop it in a 350 degree oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes on the middle rack until the berries are bubbly and hot.

Freeze the topping: Make the topping and dump it into a plastic freezer bag. Next time you want to make a berry crisp, pull the bag out and let it sit on the counter until it can be crumbled onto your berry crisp. You just cut the process in half by making your berry crisp topping ahead of time. That's what I call killin' it in the kitchen.

Freeze after you bake it: Make and bake it as directed. Enjoy yourself a hefty portion of it. Once it has completely cooled on the counter use a spoon to scoop single portions onto a silpat lined sheet pan (parchment paper also works). Once all the berry crisp is scooped into single portions place the sheet pan in the freezer until frozen. You can always use a half sheet pan if a whole one won't fit into your freezer. Peel the frozen berry crisps off the sheet pan and put into a gallon sized freezer bag.

Now anytime you want a berry crisp, just pop one of those bad boys into an oven safe bowl. Bake at 350 until reheated or microwave. No work and no mess my friend!

FAQs:

Must-Try Oat Recipes

• Flourless Oatmeal Cookies - Fan favorite! One of my popular cookie recipes.
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies - Peanut butter and oatmeal are a match made in heaven!
• Gluten Free Blueberry Crisp - A super delicious blueberry crisp! If you're not gluten-free, just swap the flour with regular flour.

If you love this berry crisp recipe be sure to follow me on Pinterest for other gluten free recipes!