Vanilla Maple Berry Crisp (Printable Version)
Juicy berries in vanilla-maple sauce topped with a golden oat crumble. Warm, comforting, and easy to make.
# Ingredient List:
→ Berry Filling
01 - 4 cups mixed fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)
02 - 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
03 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
04 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
06 - Pinch of kosher salt
→ Crisp Topping
07 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
08 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
09 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
13 - 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square or similar-sized baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the mixed berries, maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Gently toss until all the berries are evenly coated. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingertips or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in the chopped nuts if using.
04 - Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the berry filling, covering the surface as uniformly as possible.
05 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is deep golden brown and the berry juices are bubbling around the edges of the dish.
06 - Allow the crisp to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally topped with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The maple and vanilla do something magical to the berries that plain sugar never could.
- It takes almost zero effort but looks and tastes like you spent all afternoon on it.
- You probably have every single ingredient in your kitchen right now.
02 -
- Frozen berries release more liquid than fresh so if you go that route consider adding an extra half tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Do not skip the resting time because piping hot crisp will turn into a soupy mess on your plate.
- If your topping looks more like wet sand than crumbly clumps your butter was probably too warm.
03 -
- Keep your butter in the fridge until the exact moment you need it because warm butter is the enemy of a crispy crumbly topping.
- Taste your berries before you mix them into the filling and if they are very tart add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup.