This Strawberry Blueberry Crisp is perfect for a quick toss together dessert during the week or for Sunday dinner! This Berry Crisp can be made with fresh, wilted or frozen blueberries and strawberries! The perfect dessert all year!
I don’t know about you, but I am a total fruit junkie. Unlike other people I know, I tend to buy strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, bananas, apples, and grapes all in one grocery trip—and not just the small cartons, either. No, I get the GIANT bags and cartons of fruit, especially those at warehouse stores like Costco or Sam’s Club EVERY time.
Overzealous much? Nah.
Well… maybe.
This is fine when you have several people in your family – with hefty appetites at the ready. However, it’s generally up to my three young children and I to devour that stockpile. When they’re not long-term fruits and tend to ripen quickly, this little problem becomes a big Problem.
Imagine my dismay when I opened the fridge one fateful day and observed the sad state of my beloved strawberries and blueberries. I never let them get moldy or anything, but they always manage to get too soft for me.
Of course, these blueberries and strawberries are still perfectly edible. Normally I use wilted berries to make a delicious sauce or tasty muffins. However this time I decided to make a creative new treat: a berry crisp.
When it comes to fruit desserts, I love fruit crisps. I enjoy them so much, I’d rather eat them over a cobbler any day. The simplicity of tossing literally anything into a pan, then throwing a scrumptious crispy oatmeal topping over it, and creating the most amazing dessert within an hour is perfection to me!
What better way to enjoy a warm day than with this Strawberry Blueberry Crisp with oatmeal topping?
What Spices Are Best for Mixed Berries?
When it comes to this fruit crisp recipe, I use:
- white sugar
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- salt
However, there are countless other great spices that could be used!
If you like nutmeg, you could also add a pinch for a splash of holiday cheer. Of course, exploring your spice cupboard at random will make your strawberry blueberry dessert taste slightly different than my recipe. So, choose your substitutions wisely!
No Cinnamon
In the event that you find yourself completely out of cinnamon or perhaps you just don’t like the taste of cinnamon, you could do one of two things. Leave the cinnamon out completely or similarly you could swap the cinnamon for nutmeg, mace, or anise.
Give It Bite
The ideas above are great, however if you want a mixed berry crisp with a strong, distinct taste, try using spices like ginger, cardamom, or cloves.
Berry Blast
However, if you want something to really enhance that natural berry taste in your crisp, use coriander or vanilla. Cardamom and cloves will accomplish this, too, but these spices might overpower your taste buds if you use it overzealously.
Can You Make a Crisp With Frozen Berries?
Of course you can! Just be sure not to thaw out your berries prior to using them in any blueberry strawberry recipes.
Blueberries, in particular, tend to bleed out into your mix after they’re thawed. As such, the moisture retained inside the frozen berries will instead end up in your mix and result in a soggy treat. Some enjoy that, but for me? Yuck.
To prevent this, make sure your berries are frozen when added to the mix.
Don’t worry about frozen berries affecting the taste of your fruit crisp! Frozen strawberries and blueberries are just as delicious as fresh ones and perfect to use during the off seasons.
How Long Do Mixed Berries Last in the Fridge?
Frozen
If you buy a frozen pack of berries, pay attention to the expiration date.
The one listed on your bag won’t necessarily indicate that your frozen berries will be inedible by then. So, don’t throw them out if you notice the date has been reached!
This date is just the manufacturer’s estimate of how long the particular bag will remain at peak quality. You can still eat or use them in recipes for as long as you keep the bag constantly frozen at 0°F, as well as properly tucked away.
Fresh
If you buy fresh berries from the grocery store they’ll last 4 – 7 days in your fridge. However if you pick your own berries or buy them from a local farmers’ market they’ll last only 2 – 3 days. For grocery store berries, you can take a few extra steps to keep them in good condition.
Once you bring your fresh berries home, kill any spores left on the fruit. To do this, you should wash them in a vinegar-water bath made up of 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 drop of dish soap, and 8 cups of water. Never fear; it won’t affect their taste.
Let your mixed berries sit in this vinegar-water bath for a few minutes, all while gently moving them around. This will remove any dirt or grime on the berries. The vinegar will also kill the spores and bacteria in the meantime.
Once you have washed your berries, drain them in a colander and thoroughly rinse them off. This will quickly remove any vinegar flavor on your berries. It’s a powerful concoction, but warm water fixes all!
Thick-skinned fruit like strawberries and blueberries can be dried in a salad spinner, or you can also pat these fruits down with a paper or cloth towel. Store your dried fruit in a sealed container lined with paper towels. If you put them in an air-tight container, leave the lid open for an hour to prevent moisture from building up inside. You can also wash the original container you bought them in; line that with paper towels, and use that to store them in your fridge instead.
Can I Use Other Kinds of Berries Instead?
While this is a strawberry blueberry crisp recipe, you can easily adapt this guide to create any type of fruit crisp you like! Pears, Peaches, Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Rhubarb, Cherries, apples and more! Really most fruits will make for a delicious crisp!
Can You Make This Ahead of Time and Refrigerate and Bake Later?
Yes you can! Make as directed but do not bake. Cover with a lid, foil or saran wrap and refrigerate. When ready to bake, preheat oven and bake the same length of time as directed.
Can You Use Instant Oatmeal Instead of Old Fashioned Oatmeal?
I myself have been in this situation before and can wholeheartedly say YES! You’ll get a crispier topping with old fashioned oats, but in a pinch you can use instant oatmeal!
Strawberry Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of strawberries - fresh, wilted or frozen
- 4.4 ounces of Blueberries - fresh or wilted
- 1/4 cup + 1/3 cup white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old fashioned roll oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F
- Spray an 9x9 inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Hull Strawberries & cut in half or quarter.
- In a small bowl toss strawberries, blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar & cornstarch together..
- Place berries into prepared pan.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, oats, 1/3 cup white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Add melted butter and mix well.
- Pour oatmeal mixture on top of berries.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until topping is golden and berries are bubbly.
Notes
* If using frozen berries, add 1 additional Tablespoon of corn starch to mixture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 630mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 2gSugar: 34gProtein: 4g
Originally Posted; April 16, 2015
Photos and Text Updated: August 9, 2019
Jennifer
Wednesday 7th of August 2024
Absolutely delicious! Followed recipe but added I added some vanilla extract. Smashing!
Janice
Saturday 9th of September 2023
Delicious!!!! Store in the fridge?
Janelle
Friday 22nd of September 2023
Yes! This is definitely a fridge item for leftovers!
Jen Zampino
Tuesday 4th of July 2023
Despite making 2 mistakes on my end, this recipe came out great! First mistake I made was adding salt to the fruit mixture. 2nd mistake was adding the melted butter to the fruit mixture instead of the crumb topping.😬 I realized my mistake & put some pats of butter on top to compensate. I cooked for 35 min. plus 5 min under air fry mode. The end result was still delicious! Served it hot with vanilla ice cream. It has the perfect amount of crisp topping! Can’t wait to make it again correctly!😃
Janelle
Thursday 28th of September 2023
Wow Jen! Thanks for sharing that despite the mistakes it turned out. I'm so glad you loved it!
Leah
Sunday 2nd of July 2023
This is by far the best crisp I've ever made. I don't know if it was the fresh berries or the cornstarch but wow. Thank you
Janelle
Thursday 28th of September 2023
Thank you Leah! So glad you liked it.
Joan
Friday 16th of June 2023
So good, a new favorite!
Janelle
Saturday 30th of September 2023
So glad to hear it Joan! Thanks for the comment.