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.
I used a large can of raggedy ripe peaches in this recipe. Yummy! I added a little flower and a dash of nutmeg to the peaches. Worked out great.
I have been looking for the crunch recipe that Momma always kept handy for apple crisp. You have given it to me!!
Blessings!!!
Soooo delicious. Huge hit at our Christmas Eve dinner party and so easy to make. I’m a big fan of fruit crumble / cobbler recipes instead of pies because they’re easier to make and the dough texture is much more satisfying imo. The blackberries were so yummy.
Question – will the topping work with a brown turbino sugar and not traditional brown sugar? We just moved out of the country and they don’t sell brown sugar or even molasses to make your own brown sugar. Was hoping to make this for the thanksgiving event we will celebrate here
Thank you!
Hey Michelle – I haven’t tried that…it’ll probably give a different flavor and texture to the topping but it’s definitely worth a try!
Absolutely delicious! I used 5 cups of berries for an 8×8 pan and it was perfect. I’ve made this twice now for guests and they loved it!
Thank you, Mel!
We’re I’m from we call this a crumble never herd this referred to as a crisp before! Can’t wait to try this recipe though it looks delicious. 🙂
Picked blackberries at 2pm found your recipe and made it, from picking to lips in 3 hours and hubby says it’s the best he’s EVER had! Thank you for posting this amazing crisp!
I made this Crisp last night, 4 of them actually! I split 2 batches up into 4 8×8 pans. They turned out AMAZING! Great flavor for such an easy dessert! I too love the crust so I think I would double the topping for the next ones I make. Thanks for sharing such a fabulous recipe!!!
How long did you cook the individual ramekins?
I’d suggest baking them for about 25-30 mins
I just made this with peaches and blueberries and it was pure winning golden delight! Perfect mix of favors. Thanks Mel!
Yum!
I made this recipe with fresh blackberries we picked today and it was amazing!! Definitely going to be trying with other berries.
Isn’t this awesome with freshly picked berries?! Glad you liked it.
I had 2cups of blueberries that needed to be used and they made an awesome crisp! I cut the recipe to 1/4 and cooked it in a bread pan. I was just cooking for myself so it was the perfect size for a couple of servings.
First time making, used 8 c blackberry, 2 c blueberry, baked for 65 min. Delicious!! Served 12 generous helpings.
How many servings does this make? I’m looking to just make two servings in ramekins 🙂
It makes a 9×13 inch pan, so probably 8-10 servings. You would have to experiment with cutting it down to get the serving size you are looking for. Good luck experimenting.
This recipe is divine! Not too sweet, brings out the flavor of the berries. It’s the end of our season and I don’t have many left. Any ideas how to reduce it to an 8×8 pan?
I think halving it might be your best bet.
Made this last night and it was THE BEST blackberry cobbler i have ever made – hands down. Delicious!
1/3 cup doesn’t seem like enough sugar for that many berries. Would like to know if anyone thought it was too tart or if the brown sugar in the topping takes care of that.
It actually seemed a little too sweet to me. I think I might use less.
My families fav crumble. We used peaches and freshly picked blackberries. Amazingly good. I made a crumble yesterday that asked for frozen fruit, not good. The topping falls into the bottom of the dish and turns into a cake mixture and you need to cook it a long time. Don’t go there!
I made this with frozen blueberries and it was sooooo good!! I increased the flour just a little because I was worried about it being runny but I think it would have been fine as is. Thanks for another great recipe!
This recipe: “the best blackberry crisp” is heavenly. Probably the best blackberry crisp I’ve ever had. I highly recommended it
This was fabulous!
has anyone tried canned pie filling for this?
My goodness. After making this for my family last night, I literally threw away the other recipes I had in my box of favorites. This one is the ONLY one I will bake from now on. The crumbly top was the best I have ever had. Thank you for sharing!
Also the crisp was wonderful thank you
Mel not to change to subject but do you have a good recipe for champagne cake?
I don’t – sorry!
I grew up on a berry farm in Oregon and have been making berry desserts for my husband for 17 years now. Last night, after tasting this, he said, “this might be the best one you’ve ever made!” Thanks for giving me another one to add to my collection!!
That’s awesome – talk about high praise!
Do you think if I made this the night before, it would hold up? We are going to a family reunion and this looks fabulous, but I don’t know if it’ll get too mushy.
Will you reheat it at the reunion or serve it cold/room temp? Just wondering if you could keep the topping separate and assemble at the reunion and bake there – that may help with sogginess in the crust.
I made this and gobbled most of the 9×10 down by myself. I’m not ashamed.
I also, however, added in 1/2 tsp each of Cinnamon and Nutmeg to the topping – which I believe made the crust that much better.
**meant 9×13 pan. Still not ashamed.
Delicious additions to the crust!
Absolute best crisp I’ve ever made.
I had 11 cups of fresh picked berries so used them all.
Also, was short half stick butter (town an hour away so couldn’t just pop to store for more) & it STILL turned out scrumptious!
Mel, I am so sad….I tried this twice thinking frozen berries were the culprit, but alas – fresh strawberry and rhubarb produced the exact same result. The topping never got crisp, it absorbed the juices and was gummy and wet…it tasted good, but wasn’t at all what the picture shows. I added extra flour, cooked it a little longer to no avail….neither one had runny filling, so I know I used enough flour, but still zero crunch; any thoughts?
Darn, Sharon! I hate to hear that. What type of pan are you using?
This was delicious! We picked some blackberries and the whole time I was thinking about how you had just posted a recipe for blackberry crisp! Perfect timing! The whole family loved it and begged me to make it again- I happily obliged.
AMAZING!!! This was so wonderful and my husband wants me to make it tomorrow for his family. YUM YUM!!!
We live on a farm in central Texas and i have tons of blackberries. My freezer if full. I made this recipe for our Bible study group with frozen blackberries and it was a big hit. I do like a cripsier topping so next time I will reduce the butter a little and add chopped pecans. Thanks for this yummy recipe.
Glad everyone loved it, Donna!
I think crisps are the best dessert ever, SO quick and easy to make and so ridiculously delicious! Love, love the idea of lemon ice cream topping it. Will try the yogurt from Jeni’s book. Have you tried the dark chocolate ice cream? It’s out of this world amazing!
Yes, I agree! It’s amazing.
we made this last week for dessert with friends and my kids fought over the left overs the next day, absolutely yummy! but the main reason for my comment is to just say, you are my hero. i have been making your recipes for years now and you never let me down. i feel like we are good friends and thats totally silly since you have no clue who i am 🙂 a couple weeks ago i was baking something and i had a question about a step in the recipe (not one of your recipes) and my 10 year old said, “can you text Mel and ask what she thinks?”. when i explained that i don’t actually know you he looked shocked and said he always thought that Mel was one of my cousins or an aunt or something. you are great and I’m so thankful for all you do for my family!
Hahahaha, this made me laugh out loud! Thanks for totally making my day with your comment, Lisa. I’m so, so happy you love the recipes! Tell your 10-year old we ARE friends. 🙂
Made this for our FHE treat tonight and it was AMAZING!!!
In case anyone is wondering, frozen cherries are FABULOUS in this!!! Here’s how I did it: I used 2 bags of frozen tart cherries from Trader Joe’s. I left the cherries frozen but sliced them in half (yep, while still frozen) and added an extra Tablespoon of sugar since they are tart cherries. Everything else the same. Maybe a little extra lemon, cause why not. I put the filling in the oven while I made the topping to give the cherries a head start, coming from frozen. Started the 45 minutes once I added the topping and put it in the oven. Consistency was perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing. My husband declared this his new favorite!
Uh, I will be making this ASAP. Sounds amazing, Sheriece! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This looks so good. My sister made a berry cobbler when we were recently at her place. Not sure if she used this recipe. She gets a lot from your site. I’m glad to see someone posted a g free version. We have a few family members who have it. Anyway, I was wondering if any has tried this using frozen berries. Where I live they charge a lot for the fresh ones. I live in the Midwest and you would think they tack on the gas prices. It’s just not an area that’s good for growing them due to our climate.
I half it, and used raspberries. Heavenly!
Hi Mel!! How would you store this if made the day prior??
Thanks!!
Probably covered with saran wrap and popped in the fridge.
Oh. My. Oh. My. I made this tonight and all I can say is, “Oh. My.” It is the most delicious crisp I have ever had! Easy to make, too. Yum! Yum! Yum! Going to the kitchen to get more…….Oh. My!
Thanks, Deeann! 🙂
The best fruit crisp is blackberries and nectarines 50-50! Yummy!!
Thank you for changing the format and no longer have the read more button. I come to your site at least once a day (usually more) and consider you my virtual bestie. Just thought I would tell you how amazing you are!!
Thanks, Julie!
I’m intrigued by the half oat / half flour topping. I grew up on oat topping, but in my adulthood I’m rebelling by using a flour topping. Not sure why, since I do love oats. Will definitely try this. I’m wondering – berry season is so short and I tend to freeze lots to eat later. Have you tried this w/ frozen berries?
Oops, just saw your note. That’s exactly what I was thinking of trying. Thanks!
I love cobbler season!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Yes, I am ‘that’ person who almost doubles the crumb, cobbler, topping etc. of almost every crisp, cobbler, I make. I love it!
Can not wait to make this. We love blackberries, or any other kind of fruit. We like the oats too. For those that do not like the oats could make a crumb topping. Simple and perfect. 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter. Blend till crumbly. Best to use cold butter. This would not be gluten free unless using different flour.
Crumb topping thief here too! 🙂 My husband’s favorite dessert is a crisp warm from the oven with a generous scoop of ice cream, so I’m looking forward to surprising him with this. And I’m filing away the caramel pear crisp for fall. Thanks Mel!
I needed to adapt this for my celiac husband, as I do for most recipes. For anyone else interested in baking this gluten free, here is what I did. I think it turned out great. I used strawberries and blueberries. I used 1/3 cup corn starch to off set the wateriness of strawberries (potato starch flour is my other favorite thickener). Left all other filling ingredients the same. For the topping I did 1/2 quick oats and 1/2 rolled oats (gluten free obviously), 3/4 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup slivered almonds and the rest the same. I baked according to instructions. My filling was thick and the topping was buttery goodness. Thanks so much for a fun new recipe for my family! I love having recipes I can adapt easily for my husband but taste good for the rest of us.
Thanks for the report back, Catherine!
Thank you for sharing this GF version! I am drooling over this recipe pondering how to make it eatable for my family and saw your comment! Can’t wait to try this – thinking it will be the perfect 4th of July treat!
That looks so yummy!!! I am all about the topping too! You are not alone. I have been known just to eat it out of the bowl. 🙂
That looks just delicious and I love blackberries, too. I am wondering if you’ve ever tried reducing the butter a bit. I know the topping is the best part, but that’s a lot of butter for a fruit dessert. I wonder if it can be cut down?
Hi Teresa – I have used less butter in other fruit crisps – the topping is definitely more crunchy and loses some of that buttery appeal, but I’m sure you could definitely adapt it.
This looks delicious. Unfortunately, I grew up with a no-oats crisp and can’t seem to acquire a taste for the oats version. Since most recipes include oats I often wonder if my mom just never had any on hand and so left them out!:)
My favorite no-oat crisp topping is to sprinkle a dry yellow cake mix on top of the fruit, dot with butter, then bake. Yum!
I prefer the no-oats topping also! But, I think they are often called crumbles or crunches instead of crisps. Try a google search for crumble instead of crisp. I suspect she just had a basic topping recipe she used for whatever fruit was on hand.
Personally my favorite part is the fruit, so Mel and I would be fine. She could have most of the topping in exchange for me getting lots of the fruit. LOL.
Thanks Alice E. Just finished reading all about crisp/crumble/cobbler/buckle…very interesting. We use g. sugar, b. sugar, flour, and melted butter for our “crisp”. I do believe we have been making a “crumble” all along!
In the Joy of Cooking… There is a recipe called either Fruit or Apple Paradise. It is a crisp made without the Oatmeal. My favorite 🙂