Cast Iron Mixed Berry Crisp

This cast iron mixed berry crisp is the perfect quick dessert! You can easily sub out the fruit for whatever you have on hand for a delicious after-dinner treat!

Easy Mixed Berry Crisp Recipe

I am a HUGE fan of dessert. Occasionally I have to force myself to not default to having dessert every night, but most nights, I have to finish my evening with a little dessert.

I love this mixed berry skillet because it's just sweet enough to satisfy my dessert craving, but doesn't weigh me down or fill me with too much sugar!

Fresh berries are the epitome of summer and they bake up so well in this easy dessert recipe.

This recipe is similar to my Mixed Berry Cobbler because it uses a similar filling, but with a crunchy oat topping that's more like my Apple Crisp.

August 2022 update: I originally shared this recipe on A Savory Feast as a cast-iron skillet dessert, but I updated the recipe and photos this summer to show it can be made in a casserole dish. You can do either!

Why you'll love this recipe

This mixed berry crisp is the perfect dessert for summertime. I think you'll love it because...

• You can use your favorite berries — cherries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries.
• It's light, crisp and not too sugary. The berries do all the work!
• It bakes up in under an hour. Perfect for summer get-togethers!

What’s The Difference Between A Fruit Cobbler And Fruit Crisp?

A fruit cobbler is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of biscuits or dough on top. You can make all kinds of cobblers all year long. This peach cobbler is one of my summertime faves.

A fruit crisp has a similar fruit filling, but has a crunchy topping. This peach raspberry crisp has a brown sugar and oat topping and is a great example of a classic crisp.

There’s also the fruit crumble, which has another type of crumb topping, usually a streusel topping made without oats.

Ingredients

To make this mixed berry crisp, here's what you'll need to grab at the supermarket.

For the fruit mixture:

• strawberries
• blueberries
• raspberries
• all-purpose flour
• vanilla extract
• sugar — Sugar is totally optional. If you’d rather, you can use alternative sweeteners as well like coconut sugar or maple syrup.

For the crumble topping:

• unsalted butter
• all-purpose flour
• brown sugar
• rolled oats

Berries for a mixed berry crisp

Fresh or frozen berries can be used. If you can get your berries from the farmers market, it will be even better!

You can use just about any type of berry in this recipe. You can also add other fruit like peaches or apples. I recommend choosing 3-4 types of fruit to give it a true "mixed" berry feel.

A few types of berries to consider:

• cherries (pitted)
• strawberries
• blueberries
• raspberries
• blackberries
• boysenberries
• gooseberries

The best type of oats for a crisp

It’s important to use the right kind of oats with this fall apple crisp recipe with an oat topping.

Old-fashioned oats, AKA rolled oats, are flat and flakey oats that have been rolled. They absorb more water and are the absolute best in most baking recipes like this apple crisp or these blueberry oatmeal muffins.

Steel-cut oats will also work. With steel-cut oats, the crisp’s texture will be quite a bit chewier than regular oats.

You will want to stay away from instant oats and quick-cooking oats. These do not lend the same structure to baked goods as regular oats do.

In general, oats add a wholesome element to your apple crisp. They are whole grain and a good source of fiber.

How to make a mixed berry crisp

Here's how to make this mixed berry crumble, step by step!

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

In a square baking dish, add berries, sugar, flour and vanilla. Toss to coat. Bake for 12 minutes, until mixture is hot and bubbly. Meanwhile, make the crisp topping.

Add flour, brown sugar and oats to a medium bowl. Melt ½ cup butter.

Pour butter over flour, brown sugar and oats and stir to combine using a fork. Break up larger chunks into small, course crumbs of oat mixture.

Pour mixture over berries. Bake for 35 minutes until berries are soft and bubbly and the topping is brown and crisp.

Let the crisp cool, then serve with ice cream or whipped cream!

Tips For Success

I love making this fall apple crisp recipe in my 8×8-inch ceramic baking dish because you get thicker layers of apples and crisp topping.

You can use a 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish too, but it will be a little thinner. This can be great though if you need to squeeze out a couple more servings.

Feel free to use a metal or glass baking dish if you prefer. A cast-iron skillet will also work well — I do this sometimes!

My favorite thing to serve any dessert with is vanilla ice cream. It has such a nostalgic feeling to me! But my second favorite is a big scoop of homemade whipped cream.

More Summer Desserts

• Healthy Peach Lemonade Popsicles
• Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
• Berry Sugar Cookie Bars