The perfect mash-up dessert for transitioning from summer to fall, it has a layer of juicy apples and berries that's topped with an oat and almond streusel. It's a fabulous recipe that can be frozen or made ahead. The ultimate crowd-pleasing fruit dessert.
In-between seasons dessert
This warm apple crisp with berries is one of those easy, no-fuss desserts where the fruit goes straight into the dish, the crumble topping is mixed in one bowl, and the oven does the rest.
It combines tartness from the apples with juiciness and a bit of color from the berries, all topped with a buttery oat and almond crumble. The oats give it a chewy texture, the almonds add crunch, and the brown sugar brings a caramel note that works beautifully with the fruit.
They're a great alternative to crumb pies, but way simpler and just as satisfying.
The best part? You can make it with fresh or frozen berries, and it's forgiving with ingredient swaps. Use tart apples like Granny Smith or sweet-tart ones like Honeycrisp, or mix varieties for a more layered flavor. The berries bring acidity and juiciness, which keeps the crisp from feeling heavy.
This recipe today, and the apple blackberry crumble, are a twist on the first recipe I ever made, this apple crumble, guided by my grandmother. I wrote it down in my binder and make it to this day.
It was more intuitive than exact, and I've always made fruit crisps and crumbles that way, depending on the fruit and who's eating it.
But don't worry, I'm giving you a step-by-step recipe for the perfect apple berry crisp. And some variations. Because it's a great idea to adjust recipes and make them our own.
Step-by-step VIDEO
FAQ
What's the difference between a crisp and a crumble?
Both are baked fruit desserts with a streusel-style topping, but crisps typically include oats (and sometimes nuts) for texture, while crumbles use a flour-butter-sugar mixture without oats.
Can I make apple berry crisp ahead of time?
Yes. The crumble mixture can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for a week or frozen for a month. The dessert itself can be baked several hours before you plan to serve it. Reheat it in a 350°F (180°C) oven until warm, about 15 minutes.
Testing Notes
- Choose the right apples: Firm, slightly tart apples hold their shape and balance the sweetness of the crumble and berries. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn work well.
- Berries can be fresh or frozen: If using frozen, don't thaw them first; it helps prevent the fruit layer from getting watery.
- Balance the sweetness: Taste your fruit before adding sugar. If your berries are very sweet, you can reduce the sugar in the filling. And vice versa if they're tart. Or use orange juice that's sweeter than lemon.
- Use rolled oats, not instant: Old-fashioned oats hold their texture better during baking, creating a topping that's crisp instead of soggy.
- Mix topping gently: Overmixing can make the oats dusty and the topping heavy. And, if using sliced almonds, will crush them too much. A fork or your fingertips work best.
- Don't skip the almonds: They add texture and a nutty flavor that pairs well with the oats. Sliced almonds give a lighter crunch (my favorites); chopped almonds make it heartier.
- Bake until bubbly: The filling should be bubbling around the edges, and the topping golden brown. This ensures the fruit is fully cooked and the topping is crisp.
- Serving tip: Let the crisp rest 10-15 minutes after baking so the juices thicken slightly before serving.
The apples
- Granny Smith, the green ones: These are my favorites by far because they are acidic enough to balance out the butter and sugar used in the recipe. But of course, you can use your favorite baking apples. I know many seasonal ones are delicious.
- Cutting them: you can slice them thicker or thinner. Take into account that very thin slices, such as the ones I use in this recipe (I used a mandoline), will bake softer than thicker ones, which will remain crunchier. It comes down to personal taste; some people like very soft apples in their desserts, while others, like my father, will only eat this dessert if the apples are still firm.
Steps to make a fruit crisp
Fruit layer
Add the sliced apples to the buttered baking dish. Scatter the berries. Drizzle lemon juice and sprinkle brown sugar over the fruit.
Topping
Sprinkle the crumble on top of the fruit, leaving some spots uncovered on the edges. Bake as instructed in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Fruit: Use peaches or nectarines instead of apples. They pair wonderfully with berries. Or use just one type of berry.
- Topping: Substitute the almonds for walnuts or pecans.
- Serving it: warm, with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream, is everybody's favorite. Innovate the ice cream flavor, maybe ginger or butter pecan ice cream. You can bake it in one large pan as we did today, or use individual ramekins like we use for these mini peach cobblers.
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Apple Berry Crisp (with oats and almonds)
Ingredients
Crumble or streusel topping:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces (plus some extra to butter the dish)
- ½ cup regular oats
- ¾ cup almonds, sliced or chopped
For the fruit layer:
- 1 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples, about 5
- 2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Have ready a 9-13 inch ovenproof ceramic or glass dish. Butter it and reserve.
Make the topping:
- In a large bowl, stir to combine ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter pieces and work it with your hands or pastry cutter until you have pieces the size of peas. Some of the mixture will be sand-like with very small butter pieces.
- Stir in ½ cup regular oats and ¾ cup almonds until you have a lumpy mixture, trying not to completely break the almonds. Refrigerate it while preparing the fruit layer. At this point, you can cover it and refrigerate it for a few days or freeze it.
Assembling the dessert:
- Peel and core 1 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples. You can dice the apples or cut them into quarters and slice them. Place the apple chunks in the buttered dish.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and drizzle with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir lightly to distribute.
- Top with the 2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen (without thawing).
- Cover the fruit with the crumble. It will be uneven and not completely covered. Leave a little space around the edges so the juices can bubble.
- Bake the berry apple crisp for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Barb says
Threw this together for a last minute treat. So glad I did! Absolutely delicious
Suzanne says
It looks delicious yummmm I will surely bake this one up for
Martina says
Love this receipe! It has never failed me, and Im not a very good cook hahaha!
Diane says
Thank you for sharing, I’ve made it several times, and I will again and again. This weekend is our Soup Sunday and it will be the best on the table once again.
Sonly says
I would like your opinion on topping with Frangipane instead because most of my guests eat gluten free pastries. The Frangipane is made put of almond flour so I'm wondering how the combination would taste.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Sonly! There's a gluten-free cherry crumble topping in the blog.
Frangipane alone might work but my opinion is not to use a lot of it as it's quite dense and heavy. You can also substitute the flour in this crumble recipe for almond flour. That should work too.
Jeri Wilcox says
Our son-in-law, who is also a talented baker, brought this over, still warm, to share after a meal we could finally share as a family, vaccinations done for Grandma and Grandpa! It was absolutely delicious, with a definite old-style taste and texture. I added whipped cream, but no to excess, as a little bit was all it needed to balance the sweet-sour flavor of the apple, blackberry and blueberry fruit mixture. I highly recommend, as this will be a crowd-pleaser. I also like the option of freezing the crumble topping. It would make for a great cobbler, I think.
Paula Montenegro says
Happy to hear you all enjoyed it as a family Jeri! And thanks for leaving such a thoughtful comment. Have a great week!
Phil C says
Although you mention the option of making individual crumbles (using glass ramekin dishes), you do not mention whether this would effect the oven temperature (180'C) and / or the cooking time (40 minutes)?
Given that ramekin dishes are considerably smaller, is it reasonable to reduce the cooking time to 20-25 minutes? Should the oven temperature also be reduced?
Thank you.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Phil, the temperature remains the same but yes, the baking time will be less. Between 20-30 minutes depending on the size and the depth of the ramekin. Start checking at 20 minutes. Hope this helps.
Stevenson Inge says
with all that butter my crumble turned into a greasy dough,how can I turn that into crumble?
Paula Montenegro says
If you don't like those proportions, add more flour/oats/sugar.
Meira says
The apple berry crumble was fantastic!!!
Paula Montenegro says
So happy you liked it!
Earl Williams says
Excellent narrative and recipe that I MUST make this weekend. Thanks for sending it all the way to New Mexico, USA. (Not all Americans are stupid and crazy - but too many are)
Thank you very much
Paula Montenegro says
Glad you like it Earl!