Any Fruit Crisp

A master recipe for any type of fruit crisp, year round! Juicy in-season fruit topped with a crumbly oat brown sugar topping

Hi everyone! I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for a long time because Fruit Crisp is truly one of my favorite desserts ever. The end.

Just kidding, that’s not the end. Never in a million years would I want to choose between fruit and chocolate, but if I did, fruit all the way! There’s just something about the sweet, juicy, tangy fruit combined with buttery crumble toppings, or flakey pie crust that just speaks to me. I wanted to show you all that no matter what time of year, you can have a “master recipe” to create irresistible fruit crisps from whatever seasonal fruit is available.

Want more recipes like this? Check out:

Old Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts

Sweet Polenta Muffins with Jam

Creamy Yogurt Cheesecake

How to make ANY Fruit Crisp

First, you’re going to start by making the crumble topping – a mixture of brown sugar, white sugar, flour, old fashioned oats, and a few other pantry staples. The sweet, slightly salty oat topping is arguably the best part, but it’s the perfect contrast to juicy, tangy fruit. Wanna really win? Make a double batch of the topping and store half of it in the freezer. That way, whenever the urge to have delicious fruit crisp hits you, you’re halfway there!

Preparing the fruit is super simple. I like to let the natural flavor of the fruit really shine, so I don’t add too many spices or much sugar to the actual fruit. Just a little lemon juice, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt will do. The whole point of any fruit crisp is that saucy, juicy element. After all, you are scooping it into cozy bowls! To thicken the juices just slightly, I add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch.

One last thing: don’t undercook the fruit crisp! The beauty of any fruit crisp is the caramelization and slight crunch that happens when you let the topping getting deeply golden brown. A few of the extra craggy pieces of topping may even get VERY dark brown. That’s fine. Color=caramelization=rich flavor!

What Fruit to use?

That’s easy! Use whatever is in season.

Some of my favorites are nectarines, plums, peaches, blueberries, cherries, strawberries and rhubarb in the spring and summer.

In the fall and winter, I love making this with apples, pears and I throw in a few fresh cranberries. You can even use frozen fruit, which brings up a good point. If you have an abundance of great seasonal fruit in the summer, don’t hesitate to freeze some of it for the lean winter months. Just slice up the peaches or cherries, etc and store them in gallon freezer bags.

I don’t think fruit crisp is a hard sell. But if there’s any remaining doubt, make ANY fruit crisp for your next dinner party or bbq, and just watch people swarm. It’s so comforting and home-y and my favorite kind of dessert. Don’t forget the vanilla bean ice cream!

Make ahead

The crumble topping can be made in advance, stored in an airtight zip top bag or container, and stored in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, simply prepare the fresh fruit, and add the frozen crumb topping on top, and you’re ready to go!

You can also make this recipe using frozen fruit. Just prepare it the exact same way with the lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla.

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lots of love, L

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Any Fruit Crisp

A master recipe for any type of fruit crisp year round! Juicy in-season fruit topped with a crumbly oat brown sugar topping

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword fresh fruit, fruit crisp, seasonal

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Fruit filling:

• 5-6 cups any fruit of your choice - some of my favorites are peaches nectarines, plums, apples, pears, blueberries, strawberries and rhubarb, or a mixture of any of the above
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• pinch of kosher salt

Topping:

• 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons salted butter
• 3/4 cup unbleached AP flour
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oats, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
2. Add the cold cubed butter, and vanilla extract. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the the mixture gets crumbly, and the flour is fully incorporated. This may take 3-4 minutes.
3. Store the mixture in the freezer for about 15 minutes while you prepare the fruit.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Cut the fruit into large chunks or thick slices, and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and kosher salt, mix to combine. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (I like coconut oil), and pour the prepared fruit into the dish. Generously top the fruit with all of the topping, packing it down lightly if necessary.
5. Bake the fruit crisp for 55-60 minutes until the topping is deeply golden brown, and the fruit juices are bubbling. Allow to cool for about 45 minutes, and serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

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