Stovetop Berry Crisp
Updated Feb. 19, 2025

- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup/30 grams all-purpose flour
- 3tablespoons old-fashioned oats or finely chopped toasted nuts
- 2tablespoons brown sugar, preferably dark
- Salt
- 3tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2cups fresh or frozen mixed blueberries, raspberries and blackberries (or just blueberries; no need to thaw)
- 1tablespoon brown sugar, preferably dark, plus more as needed
- 1teaspoon lemon or lime juice, or white distilled vinegar
- Salt
- Heavy cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
For the Topping
For the Fruit
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the topping: In a microwave-safe shallow bowl or plate, use your hands to stir together the flour, oats, sugar and a pinch of salt until combined. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture until all the flour is absorbed and the mixture holds together in clumps when squeezed. Break the mixture up into small clumps. Microwave, stirring gently every 30 seconds, until dry and a shade darker, 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t worry if the mixture seems loose; it will form small clumps after stirring. Set aside to cool and crisp.
- Step 2
Cook the fruit: While the topping cools, in a small or medium skillet over medium heat, stir together 1½ cups berries, the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons water, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring and mashing often, until thick and jammy, 4 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining berries and stir until the berries are warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add more sugar if necessary.
- Step 3
Sprinkle the fruit with the topping. Eat portions with a pour of cream or scoop of ice cream, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
I've been making a crisp this way (except baking ahead a batch of topping in a toaster oven for multiple uses) for years and it's great. The fruit retains a bright snappy character and the topping, as noted by the author, remains crisp.
We were invited to a snowy evening dinner party, I had agreed to bring a gluten-free dessert... and then the neighborhood lost electricity. I knew that the hosts had a wood-burning fireplace, so I dusted off my Girl Scout skills and my cast iron skillet and brought one of these. The guests from down the hill brought vanilla ice cream. So good!
Hi, for the topping, microwaving should be at what power, and for how long? Look forward to trying this out later as an early Valentine's dessert.
What about doubling this recipe? I have a lot of fresh raspberries to use! Also, can you mix frozen berries with the fresh berries? How would they be cooked differently.
Has anyone tried this with peaches? Sounds delicious, gotta try.
Simple and fantastic. Doubled the recipe for our bigger cast iron skillet.
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