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Blackberry Apple Crisp Recipe

This Blackberry Apple Crisp is a delicious and nutritious dessert that combines blackberries, apples, and spices in a luscious medley finished with a brown sugar oat topping that is perfect any time of the year.

We love that this dessert is vegan, dairy free and can even be made gluten free. You can make it as healthy or as indulgent as you want simply by your choice of ingredients. Enjoy it alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of homemade whipped cream or all on its own. It is an amazing dessert that will have everyone asking for second servings.

Blackberry Apple Crisp
Blackberry Apple Crisp

Wild blackberries and apples from our orchard are always plentiful in late Summer. We enjoy harvesting as much as we can and creating all sorts of meals and treats from these fruits. Blackberries are chock full of antioxidants and other nutrients making them an excellent berry choice. Apple are rich in vitamins and high in fiber, so they are also very beneficial to our daily diet.

What apples are best to use for Crisps and Crumbles?

When you are baking with apples it’s always best to choose from the crisp, tart varieties such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious. Sweeter apples have a higher sugar content which can be overpowering in baked goods. They will also likely turn mushy during the baking process which can lead to your dessert being runny and loose.

Tart, crisp apples allow for your baked goods to be sweetened without the sugar content becoming too much. They will also hold their texture and shape when baked, rather than falling apart and becoming more like applesauce.

Try our Blackberry Barbeque Sauce, No bake Blackberry Cheesecake bars , blackberry Cheesecake ice cream and other blackberry recipes.

Blackberry Apple Crisp
Blackberry Apple Crisp

What’s the difference between a Crisp and a Crumble?

The difference between these two dessert styles is in the topping. Crisps are made with an oat or nut topping while crumbles have a streusel like topping consisting of flour, butter and sugar. Other than that, they are very similar in taste, appearance and filling options.

Both can be made with a variety of fruits and combinations of fruits for wholesome, healthy desserts.

It’s a very inexpensive dessert if you’re using ‘Put By’ ingredients. Bring the summer harvest back to the family table for a delicious winter dessert. All your hard work harvesting, freezing, jamming and canning will reward you now. This recipe is incredibly fast to make if you use frozen berries and pre-cut frozen apples.

Blackberry Apple Crisp
Chewy steel cut oats sweetened with brown sugar make a nice crumble topping.

Do you cover Crisps when baking?  

It is not necessary to cover a crisp when baking. You want the topping to be crisp, crunchy and golden brown for a pleasant balance to your fruit filling. Once your crisp is bubbling along the edges and the topping has browned, you know its done baking.

Do I peel my apples for my Apple Crisp?

Peeling your apples when baking really comes down to preference. There is no need to peel them beforehand, and leaving the skins will allow more fiber, texture and color into your dessert. However, if you want a smooth, creamy dessert with very little texture you may want to peel them.

How can I make my Blackberry Apple Crisp healthier?

This Blackberry Apple Crisp is naturally vegan and dairy free making it an excellent choice for many. You can make it gluten free by selecting gluten free oats for your topping, and a gluten free thickener such as arrowroot, cornstarch or tapioca flour.

Using a sugar substitute helps make this into an even healthier dessert recipe. We have a few sugar substitutes linked in the recipe card for you if you need some ideas. If you are wanting to use natural sugars all throughout, you could opt for Pure Maple Syrup or Raw Organic Unfiltered Honey.

Blackberry Apple Crisp

Can I freeze my Blackberry Apple Crisp?

Crisps are wonderful make ahead and freeze desserts. Once the crisp is done baking allow it to cool completely then cover it tightly with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and store in an airtight freezer safe container. Your crisp can be stored in the freezer for three months without compromising the flavor or texture.

When you are ready to enjoy, remove it from the freezer and transfer it to your fridge allowing it to thaw. Once it is thawed warm it in your oven at 350 degrees F until it is warmed through and slightly bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Blackberry Apple Crisp Recipe

  1. The oats we used are just what we had on hand. In this case we used steel cut oats. You can use any oats your prefer including quick oats for a more delicate topping texture.
  2. We are using coconut oil for a healthy fat. You can also use a good quality avocado oil.
  3. You may use fresh blackberries or frozen for this easy recipe. If you use frozen measure them before they completely defrost. Also thawed frozen berries have a lot of juice and will require you to drain the excess liquid, and possibly add more thickener.
  4. It’s done when the juices bubble and run a bit over the edges. Put a baking pan under the crisp to keep your oven clean.
Blackberry Apple Crisp
This crisp is a wonderful healthy dessert.

Your Nutrition Card if using a sugar free sweetener: The calorie count in the Printable recipe card is correct if using brown sugar in this recipe.

Nutrition Label Embed 1459899148 Bfa63E0121E64D8D984Baf6Ac65B0036

Your Printable Recipe:

Blackberry Apple Crisp
Yield: 8

Blackberry Apple Crisp Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Blackberry Apple Crisp is an Easy, quick dessert your family will love! Healthy blackberries and apples combine with Steel cut oats and coconut oil. This recipe is Vegan, dairy free and includes gluten free instructions.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Blackberries
  • 2 Cups Tart apples (I used fuji), cored and chopped, peels on.
  • 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon or apple pie spice
  • 3/4 Cup brown sugar (Or sugar free option)
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

For the topping

  • 3/4 Cup steel cut oats (or Regular rolled oats)
  • 1/2 Cup brown sugar (or brown sugar free option)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 Cup melted coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Dump the prepared fruit all together and add spices, sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 Cup flour.
  2. Stir thoroughly and if still very runny (frozen fruit needs more thickener) add 2 Tablespoons more thickener and stir thoroughly.
  3. Pour into a 8 x 8 oiled pan or 9 inch deep dish pie plate

For the topping:

  1. Put all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
  2. Add the melted coconut oil and mix until crumbly.
  3. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.
  4. Press the topping into the fruit with a large spoon or spatula
  5. If topping seems dry and crumbly, pour 1/2 cup water over the topping
  6. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until bubbly

Notes

Adjust this recipe easily for a gluten free and sugar free version of this healthy treat. Simply use your favorite gluten free thickener such as arrowroot or tapioca flour or to thicken the crisp.

I am using coconut oil or avocado oil for a healthy fat.

Linked in this recipe card are several great sugar free products that will work well in this recipe if you want lower carbs.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1 cup

Amount Per Serving Calories 245

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Blackberry Apple Crisp-Pin Image
Blackberry Apple Crisp is an Easy, quick dessert your family will love! Healthy blackberries and apples combine with Steel cut oats and coconut oil. This recipe is Vegan, dairy free and includes gluten free instructions.

RLJ

Wednesday 21st of November 2018

Great easy recipe that tastes amazing. But I agree needs to call for less oil--1/4 cup or less. I used refined coconut oil. When I used 1/2 cup it was way too much. Luckily I had enough ingredients leftover and this recipe was quick and easy to make twice.

Diane

Wednesday 21st of November 2018

Hi RLJ, Thanks so much for your feedback on this recipe. I'll adjust the coconut oil called for and be more specific about the type used in this blackberry apple crisp. Happy Thanksgiving!

KL

Monday 21st of August 2017

The flavor of this was alright, but it was absolutely swimming in oil. Half the amount or less could be used.

Diane

Monday 21st of August 2017

Hi KL, Thanks for your input on this recipe. I'm just not sure how the oil from the crumbly top could separate. Mine has always absorbed as pictured. If you used only 1/2 Cup of coconut oil did your oats clump correctly into the crumbly texture? Too much oil would have caused it to form a mash that you would have had to spread on. It should not be that wet. The topping is meant to be drier and crumbly in texture. I recommend cutting the oil in half next time or even try replacing it with plain water. Good luck and thanks again for sharing your experience with us.

Crock Pot Cranberry Dijon Pork Roast - Homemade Food Junkie

Sunday 11th of October 2015

[…] in new ways and share the results with you and my happy family! I do develop my own recipes like Blackberry Apple Crisp , Homemade Refried Beans , Twisted Tuna Casserole and a slew of others. I also love to share old […]

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