Summer Berry Crisp
A favorite summer berry crisp - ripe berries cook into a thick, jammy, wine-spiked fruit sludge beneath a crispy, oat-flecked top.
Heading into the holiday weekend, I thought I'd share this variation of my favorite summer berry crisp. I made it recently to finish a dinner celebrating my good friend Chanda's birthday. Blackberries, strawberries, and cherries cook into a thick, jammy, wine-spiked fruit sludge beneath a crispy, oat-flecked top. It's the good stuff, and silly simple. 
If you're heading out to do some camping, I bet you could do a brilliant campfire version in a cast iron Dutch oven. There's a version of it in my last book, but I doubled-down on the topping for this one. No one ever complains about too much of the crumble top ;)...
If you have an abundance of berries, this crisp is even better with a scoop of berry swirl ice cream.
More Summer Fruit Recipes
- Simple Red Fruit Salad
- Roasted Strawberries
- Pluot Summer Salad
- Watermelon Poke
- Blackberry Limeade
- Berry Swirl Ice Cream
- Summer Fruit Salad
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Summer Berry Crisp
You can use another type of red wine here, or another berry-compatible liquor - that said, the port, or another sweet dessert wine, is really nice.
- 1 1/2 cups / 6 oz spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 4 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 cup / 3 oz rolled oats, uncooked
- 1 cup / 5 oz natural cane sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 2/3 cup / 5 oz unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon all-natural cornstarch (or rice flour)
- 1/3 cup / 1.5 oz natural cane sugar or muscovado sugar
- 4 1/2 cup of berries / fruit - mix of ripe, pitted cherries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.
- 1/4 cup port wine
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Preheat the oven to 375F / 190 C degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven. Butter an 8-inch / 20-cm square baking dish, or equivalent.
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To make the crumble, mix together the flour, poppy seeds, oats, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Use a fork to stir in the melted butter. Divide the mixture into three portions and use your hands to form three patties. Place the patties in the bowl and freeze for at least 10 minutes, or until you're ready to bake.
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Make the filling by whisking together the cornstarch and sugar in a large bowl. Add the fruit and toss until evenly coated. Wait 3 minutes, add the wine, and toss again. Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish.
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Remove the topping from the freezer and crumble it over the filling, making sure you have both big and small pieces.
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Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is deeply golden and the fruit juices are vigorously bubbling. Let cool a little before serving, 20 to 30 minutes.
Serves 8 to 10.
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Classic Berry Swirl Ice Cream
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Summer Fruit Salad
A summer fruit salad featuring berries, peaches and pluots. It is drizzled with a citrusy lemongrass and honey dressing, topped with toasted walnuts, and lots of mint.
Roasted Strawberries
A delicious argument for roasting strawberries - juices from the roasting berries combine with maple syrup, port adds a surprise hint of booziness, and the balsamic delivers a dark bass note.
A Nice Berry Pie
My go-to berry pie recipe - a rye flour crust and mixed berry filling seasoned with fresh thyme leaves. It's the pie I bake most often.
Simple Red Fruit Salad
Red fruit salad, arguably better than old-school fruit salad. Made with plump strawberries, sweet cherries, lemon zest, and coriander brown sugar. Five ingredients. So good.
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Comments
I just want to swipe the sides of the pan with my finger....looks delish!
oh, and also, i just had bookmarked this from your book to make soon! but more topping=yes!
Love it, although will need to make the non-alcoholic version for my picky kiddos. Also, do you still have organic cherries at your farmers markets in SF? We no longer do down in Palo Alto.
This is the best crisp I've ever made. Love the addition of the wine. This will be a part of our summer menus. Thank you.
A delicious sounding summer dessert that I bet will be great for this weekend!
This looks delicious and perfect for the start of the summer. Will try this weekend ! Charlotte
One suggestion - I always find eldeflower liqueur to be a pleasant addition to any berry dessert. there's just something about it that teases the taste out of the fruit. Have you ever tried this?
HS: No, but it sounds brilliant!
Your berry crisp from the cookbook is my favorite, especially the crumble topping. So I definitely wouldn't complain about doubling down on it. I like the addition of port wine too.
Obviously your summer berry crisp is a hit, love the pics! This is definitely one of the go-to recipes when berries are in season. It's always a delight (and refreshing) to finish off dinner with a berry dessert.
Mmmm berry crisp! How delicious :D And it is always so nice with slightly tangy berries in the mix :) Thank you for the recipe :) x
Fantastic!! I love the messy pic style, exactly how a berry crisp should look like surrounded by people licking their lips :)
This is perfect! I have a bunch of strawberries left over from the farmer's market, and I've been looking for something delicious to do with them :)
Truly, the BEST crisp I have ever had!! xo
It was the best thing I ate... thank you dear Heidi
Love berry crisps (and the addition of wine)! Just as delicious as pie, but so much easier to make. I usually make extra topping and keep it in the fridge for when I have extra, about-to-go-bad berries from the farmer's market lying around.
Looks yummy! Can gooseberries be part of the berry mix? Failing that, or even if, do you have a recipe for Gooseberry Muffins? They are not delicious raw but yummy in muffins.. only recipes which I can find on Internet originated in the UK with different measurement system.
Hi Heidi, this looks so yummy! I was going to add rhubarb to it - would you cook it first? And I'm also doing the non-alcoholic version this time (for my kids)... Thanks for the inspiration!
I first made this on a birthday getaway at a cabin on the highest hill above Dillon Beach . With the port wine, no less. So do let me bear witness: The crust and crunch of the crisp topping is a delight. The fruited undergarments go from bright and berried to dark and sultry and dramatic. And the balance between the two--ah, it is the only crisp I can eat on its own. And somehow I haven't made it this year yet. So thanks for the reminder!
This looks delicious. Is there a non-alcoholic substitution you can suggest for the wine?
Hi Kat - you can certainly leave it out...or fresh press some berry juice in its place. Happy baking!
I love the addition of wine to this crisp. I'm also a fan of doubling the topping whenever I'm making a crisp, cobbler, or casserole. You're right; no one ever complains!