Mini Skillet Mixed Berry Crisp

Name: Mini Skillet Mixed Berry Crisp
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen (thawed), see Recipe Notes); 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; ¼ cup orange juice; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon brown sugar (packed); pinch kosher salt; 2 tablespoons dairy-free butter substitute (or unsalted butter, slightly softened); 2 tablespoons rolled oats; 2 tablespoons almonds (sliced, optional, see Recipe Notes); vanilla ice cream (homemade or store-bought, regular or dairy-free, optional)

This small batch Berry Crisp features your choice of juicy berries bubbling under a crunchy, buttery topping. Use a butter substitute for a dairy-free dessert that's made for two!

Mini Skillet Berry Crisp on a red & white striped towel with fork lifted & scoop of vanilla ice cream surrounded by blueberries on a wooden tray.

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Why this recipe works
Recipe Ingredients
Fruit crisp variations
How to make a berry crisp
Storage instructions
Questions asked and answered
More pie, tart, & cobbler recipes to try
Recipe
Comments

Why this recipe works

You can use any combination of fresh or frozen berries, like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and/or raspberries, or use a different type of fruit altogether
Rolled oats and sliced almonds add texture and crunch to the topping
Use butter or a butter substitute for a dairy-free and vegan berry crisp

It's a warm evening in August, and I want dessert.

Not just any dessert, mind you. I want the dessert that speaks to me of summer and all the summer berries that are ripe just now. A blueberry pie sounds good, but I don't feel like making pie crust. I could always spread some homemade berry jam on a graham cracker, but I want something more.

Maybe I'll go for a mixed berry cobbler.

Except, I don't want to get out the mixer to make a batter topping (like with my sugar cookie peach cobbler, although, it is delicious!). Nor do I want to grate frozen butter for a sweet biscuit topping (like shortcake).

No, I want the laziest berry cobbler there is: a Mixed Berry Crisp (aka Mixed Berry Crumble).

And since it's just for me, I'm making a small batch berry crisp (ok, maybe I'll share with my husband).

The berry crisp pictured here has juicy blueberries and blackberries bubbling under a crunchy, buttery topping. It's utterly delicious, and it's easier than making a berry pie (and that's saying a lot, coming from me!).

Whether you're making a cobbler, crisp, or crumble, this warmed fruit dessert practically begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Use homemade vanilla ice cream or store bought, regular or dairy-free.

With a dairy-free butter substitute and an appropriate ice cream, you can also have a vegan berry crumble.

Either way, enjoy this taste of summer berries without all the work with this Berry Crisp!

Recipe Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make this mixed berry crisp recipe:

Skillet Berry Crisp portioned into glass bowls on a wooden tray.

Ingredient Notes

Berries: Use a mixture of any fresh or frozen berries you prefer, like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and/or raspberries (triple berry crisps are quite popular!).

Orange juice: Adds sweetness and moisture to the filling.

Cornstarch: Thickens the filling so it isn't too runny.

Streusel topping: The topping contains flour, brown sugar, and salt.

Butter: you can use butter in the streusel topping, or use a dairy-free butter substitute if you prefer.

Rolled oats and almonds: Added for texture and crunch, and give the crisp its...uhm...crispness. I like the crunch of nuts in the topping, but they're optional. Use any sliced or chopped nut you'll like, or leave them out altogether.

See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Fruit crisp variations

A fruit crisp should really be called any-fruit-you-want crisp, because the fruit you use is entirely customizable to what you have on hand. Here are some ideas for more fruit crisp recipes:

Peach Crisp: Use 1 cup fresh or frozen peaches, chopped into ½-inch cubes. If the peaches are hard, cook them first. Whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter or your favorite butter substitute in the cast iron skillet. Sauté the peaches until slightly softened. Add the sugar and orange juice mixture and cook until the liquid has thickened and reduced. For the topping, add ½ teaspoon cinnamon with the flour if desired. Top the fruit with the topping and bake as directed.
Peach-Bourbon Crisp: Make the Peach Crisp as above, replacing 2 tablespoons of the orange juice with bourbon.
Apple Crisp or Apple-Bourbon Crisp: Replace the peaches above with chopped, peeled apples.
Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp: Use fresh strawberries and fresh rhubarb to make a classic sweet and sour dessert.

Mini Skillet Berry Crisp on a red & white striped towel with fork & scoop of vanilla ice cream surrounded by blueberries on a wooden tray.

How to make a berry crisp

A berry crisp recipe is so fast, the longest part will be waiting for the oven to heat.

Oh wait, I'm actually making a Mini Skillet Mixed Berry Crisp using a 6½-inch cast iron skillet. This pan is perfect for small batch baking, like a Mini Skillet Hot Fudge Pudding Cake, Small Batch Skillet Cornbread, and this mini skillet cookie. Since the pan is small enough to bake in the toaster oven, the kitchen stays cool. Score!

Step 1: Make the fruit filling

If you're using frozen, thawed berries, strain them with a fine mesh strainer before adding in the sugar. Toss the berries with the granulated sugar (photo 1).

Blueberries & blackberries with sugar in a glass bowl from overhead. — Tossing the berries with sugar

Whisk the orange juice and cornstarch until smooth, then add to the berries and stir gently (photo 2).

Collage of making the orange juice slurry & adding to berry mixture. — Adding the orange juice slurry to the berry mixture

Pour the berry mixture into the 6½-inch skillet (photo 3). Set aside.

Berry mixture in the small cast iron skillet — The filling is ready

Step 2: Make the topping

Combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Rub in the butter substitute with a fork until the mixture is clumpy (photo 4).

Collage of combining flour, brown sugar, & salt, then adding a butter substitute. — Mixing the topping base

Toss in the rolled oats and almonds, gently mixing them in with your hands (photo 5).

Collage of adding rolled oats and sliced almonds to topping. — Adding in the rolled oats and sliced almonds

Step 3: Bake the crisp

Crumble the topping onto the berry mixture. Bake at 325˚F for 10 to 12 minutes or until the topping in browned and fruit is bubbling (photo 6). You can reduce the heat to 300°F if the topping is browning too fast.

Let the crisp cool 2 to 3 minutes, and serve warm.

Collage of berry crisp before & after baking. — Berry Crisp before and after baking

Storage instructions

Fruit crisps are best the same day. You can make the berry crisp beforehand, however the topping won't be quite as crisp though. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Berry crisps will keep in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat at 350 °F for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

Yield Notes

In a mini skillet, this berry crisp recipe will easily serve 2 to 4 people. If you are baking for a larger crowd, just double the recipe and use a 10¼ inch cast iron skillet or a 9- x 9-inch baking pan.

Questions asked and answered

Here are some questions you might have...

What's the difference between a cobbler and a crisp?

Cobblers have been around since the mid-19th century. They started out as a single crust fruit pie, then a double crust fruit pie. Cobblers evolved into the dessert we know today as having either a shortcake biscuit topping or a cake batter topping.

A fruit crisp has the same cooked fruit at the bottom with a streusel crumb topping made of flour, sugar, and butter rubbed together. Fruit crisps started appearing in the U.S. around the early 20th century.

What is the difference between crisp and crumble?

I'm using the terms "berry crisp" and "berry crumble" interchangeably, but strictly speaking there is a minor difference between the two: a crisp has rolled oats in the topping and a crumble has a streusel crumb topping (that is, no rolled oats). However, I'm not going to quibble about it - I won't tell if you won't!

Why is my berry crisp watery?

Berries release a lot of liquid when they're heated, so if you don't use a thickening agent, such as cornstarch or Instant ClearJel (like with this apple pie), you can end up with a soupy filling. This is especially true if you're starting with frozen berries. It's best to thaw and strain the berries before starting to make the filling.