This easy fruit crisp recipe is soft and sweet in the center yet crisp and crumbly on top. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, it’s the perfect treat any time.
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One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh berries that become available! Sweet and juicy, they’re perfect for snacking and using in recipes like my strawberry cheesecake tart, mini strawberry pies, and blueberry lemon cake.
However, this fruit crisp recipe is perfect year round, because you can make with frozen fruits as well!
- Easy – This crisp requires just 15 minutes of prep time and a few simple steps. Then, the oven does all the hard work.
- Texture – This recipe is ooey gooey in the center with a crisp, crumbly topping.
- Versatile – You can mix and match any variety of fruits you have on hand.
Baked in under an hour, this fruit crisp is one treat that’s definitely worth turning the oven on for and is sure to have your guests waiting in the kitchen practically drooling!
Key Ingredient Notes:
- Mixed fruits – I like to use a combination of blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and peaches, but any fresh or frozen fruit will work.
- Granulated sugar – This helps enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit.
- Cornstarch – Used to thicken the fruit filling and help it hold its shape. Without cornstarch, the center of your fruit crisp would run all over the place!
- Oats – You’ll want to make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats, not steel-cut or quick oats. Otherwise, the texture of the topping won’t turn out golden and crisp.
- Brown sugar – Use this only in the crumble topping to sweeten the mixture and create a caramelized effect.
- Flour – All-purpose flour adds structure to the topping, making it extra crumbly and delicious.
How to make this easy fruit crisp:
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, make sure to have all your ingredients close by, because this recipe comes together quickly!
1. Prepare the fruit filling
- Whisk the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a small bowl.
- Place the fruit in a baking dish. (You don’t need to thaw frozen fruits!)
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly on top and mix to combine.
2. Make the crisp topping
- Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Pour the melted butter on top.
- Mix until the dry ingredients are moist.
- Spread the topping over the fruit filling.
3. Bake the fruit crisp:
- Transfer the dessert to your preheated oven.
- Allow it to bake until the crust is nice and golden.
- Enjoy your fruit crisp right away while it’s warm!
How to Serve Fruit Crisp
This easy fruit crisp recipe is delightful all on its own, but I love to top it off with a big dollop of cold vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or crème fraîche. Featuring the perfect combinations of hot and cold temperatures and soft and crisp textures, it’s a dessert no one can resist!
Flavor Variations:
The best part about this recipe is that you can change things up. Here’re a few suggestions.
- Lemon – Some people like to add a bit of lemon juice and zest to add a bright, citrus taste that balances out the sweetness of the sugar.
- Fruit – Feel free to mix and match different fruits. Peaches, plums, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and apples all taste great!
- Vanilla – Add extra depth to the filling with a splash of pure vanilla extract.
- Liqueur – Include a small amount of your favorite liqueur in the filling to enhance the flavor and help caramelize the fruit.
- Spices – A small dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or any warm spice you like best can be a fun way to switch up the flavor, adding warmth and depth to the dish.
- Nuts – If you prefer a bit of crunch, include chopped nuts like almonds or pecans in the oat topping.
Tips for Success:
- Mix the ingredients well. You want to make sure the filling and the topping ingredients are well combined before layering them together. This is the secret to creating a sweet flavor throughout the dish and achieving the perfect crisp, golden topping.
- Use a proper baking dish. I highly recommend using a 9-inch baking dish for this fruit crisp. If your baking dish is shallow, I recommend putting a baking tray underneath in case fruits bubble out.
- Avoid overbaking. You’ll want to remove the baking dish from the oven as soon as the top becomes golden brown. Remember, it will continue to bake a bit as it cools. So, it’s okay if it looks slightly underdone.
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Prepare the filling, and store it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- The crisp topping can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When you’re ready to eat, combine the filling and topping, and bake as normal, adding a few extra minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp.
Storing Tips:
If possible, I recommend serving this fruit crisp recipe right away while it’s still warm to prevent it from becoming soggy. However, if you do have leftovers, they can be stored for later.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Store your crisp in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy leftovers cold, or warm them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. If the top is beginning to burn, cover it loosely with foil, and continue to bake until warm.
FAQs:
A fruit crumble is a fruit crisp that does not have any oats in the topping. The topping sometimes contains nuts but is most often made with a simple combination of butter, flour, and sugar. As a result, it’s clumpier and a little softer than a classic crisp topping.
The primary difference between a fruit cobbler and a fruit crisp is that cobblers are made with a biscuit dough topping while crisps feature a crumble streusel-like topping.
Traditional pie recipes like cherry pie are made with a buttery crust that encases the entire filling wrapping around the top and bottom. Meanwhile, crisps are made with a crumbly crust that only covers the top of the dish.
More Easy Dessert Recipes:
Easy Fruit Crisp
Ingredients
For filling:
- 4 cups (560 g) mixed fruits fresh or frozen, Note 1
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
For topping:
- 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt Note 2
Equipment
- 1 (9-inch) baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- To prepare the filling, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt in small bowl.¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- Place the fruits in 9-inch baking dish.4 cups mixed fruits
- Add sugar mixture over fruits and mix everything.
- To prepare the topping, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- Add the melted butter and mix until all the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.1/3 cup unsalted butter
- Spread the topping evenly over the fruits.
- Bake the crisp for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is nice and golden.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Tips & Notes
– To prepare in advance, form the fruit filling and oat topping separately. Store the filling covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, and keep the topping in a sealable bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, combine the ingredients, and bake as normal, adding a few extra minutes as needed.
– Once cooled, cooked fruit crisp can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
– Enjoy cold, or warm leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. If the top is beginning to burn, cover it loosely with foil, and continue to bake until warm.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on July 21, 2014.
I added cinnamon to the fruit mixture plus half an apple. Then nutmeg to the topping. Delicious
Sound amazing!! I love your tweaks, Gai. Thank you for sharing your feedback!
The recipe lists the flour as part of the topping ingredients but the instructions say to put the flour in the fruit filling. Which is correct?
Hi, Josette. Thanks for reaching out! I apologize for confusion. There is no flour in the fruit filling. I just updated the recipe. (I used to add flour in the fruit filling, which I don’t find it necessary anymore. I simply forgot to remove from the directions.) Thanks again for catching that! Let me know if you give it a try.
I made it last night and I did put the flour in the topping (1/2 cup in the filling didn’t sound right!). It was delicious! Everyone loved it. Served it warm with vanilla ice cream. Thanks !
So, so happy you all loved it! Thanks for giving it a try despite my mistake, Josette!! And thank you for your feedback!!
This recipe is a winner! I used mixed frozen fruit that I microwaved for 3 minutes until almost defrosted. I did not have brown sugar so I added a tablespoon of molasses to the melted butter. I also added 1/3 cup of fresh blueberries to the fruit mixture. I poured the mixture into a decorative 9” pie pan; topped the fruit with your oatmeal topping and baked this for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Served in small bowls topped with vanilla ice cream. Easy, quick and delicious!! 2 guests requested the recipe to make again at home.
Hi, Carolyn!! I’m so happy you and your guests loved this fruit crisp!!! Thank you for choosing my recipe and for your feedback!
Do you have a recipe for apple crisp? Thanks!
Hi, June. Unfortunately, no, I don’t have an apple crisp recipe.
Just came out of the oven, but mine didn’t turn out like yours. The crisp just kinda disappeared into the fruit. I wonder why?
Oh, Bobbi, so sorry yours didn’t turn out well. That’s weird! Did you use 9-inch pan? I think smaller pan will make the fruit filling a deeper, causing the topping to drown? That’s the only speculation. Also did you use frozen fruits? I know I’ve frozen fruits without an issue, but just curious.
it looks delicious!
Thanks, Dina!