Luscious blackberries are the star of this summery fruit dessert with a crunchy topping—Blackberry Crisp with Coconut!
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One of the best things to do in New England in the summertime is to go berry picking! And there are so many ways to do it: perhaps it's picking sweet berries from the random, prickly canes that come up along the fence in your backyard. When we were kids there was a big berry patch we could reach after a short walk through the woods behind our house.
Of course, there are plenty of awesome u-pick berry farms too, where a dazzling variety of berries are available, with bushes organized in neat rows. They're perfect for creating an annual berrying tradition with your family without the fuss of taming shrubs in your own yard.
However you get your hands on fresh raspberries, black raspberries (also called blackcaps), blueberries, and blackberries, it's a good idea to have your berry recipes all picked out ahead of time for when you bring those juicy lovelies home.
And I just happen to have the perfect recipe for a beautiful bowl of blackberries: Blackberry Crisp with Coconut!
This fruit crisp recipe is so easy and quick to put together and it bakes up fast, too. Once baked, the topping is toasty and crisp with soft, bubbling blackberries underneath. Delicious Blackberry Coconut Crisp is just begging for a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream!
What's the difference between a crisp, cobbler, crumble, and other fruit desserts?
Because all these dishes are made with cooked fruit, they're often confused! The biggest difference comes down to the toppings. Here's a quick guide to these baked fruit desserts:
- Crisp: Fruit topped with a streusel made of oats, butter, flour, and sugar, and often spices too like cinnamon and nutmeg. It's baked until the topping is crisped and brown.
- Crumble: This dish is very similar to a crisp, but the topping has no oats. The flour-sugar-butter mixture is crumbled or dropped over the fruit and then the dish is baked. (Like my apple blackberry crumble!)
- Cobbler: The topping on this fruit dessert is puffed and biscuit-like. The mixture is a blend of flour, butter, sugar, cream, and baking powder—that baking powder helps make the cobbler topping tender and light. (Try my mini raspberry cobblers!)
- Betty: Instead of a crisp mixture just going on top, a betty has layers of fruit and this crumbly blend made with flour, butter, and sugar. A true, old-fashioned betty has layers of buttered breadcrumbs.
- Buckle: This dessert comes out more like a coffee cake. Instead of a streusel topping, a cake batter is mixed with fruit, or poured into a pan and then topped with fruit. It's then baked until lightly browned and puffed.
- Slump: This fruit dish is topped with rolled biscuit dough—either as a solid layer over the top or as rounds arranged over the fruit. Slumps are traditionally stewed on the stovetop, cooked until the fruit softens and the biscuit topping cooks through. They can also be baked.
- Grunt: This is the New England version of a slump. It's traditionally made with blueberries, but can also have a mix of berries or other fruit.
Why you'll love this recipe
This classic Blackberry Crisp recipe is the perfect end-of-day dessert, especially after cookouts and other summertime get-togethers. It bakes up in less than 30 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature.
I keep emphasizing the summery vibe of this dish and the joy of making it with fresh berries—however, you can make this berry crisp recipe any time of year, even in the middle of winter. If there are no fresh blackberries at the store, you can simply substitute frozen blackberries.
The sweetened, baked blackberries and the crisp, lightly coconutty flavor of the streusel topping will appeal to everyone at your table.
🔪 How to make Blackberry Crisp with Coconut
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Blackberry Crisp Ingredients:
- Blackberries: Use your fresh-picked summer berries or frozen blackberries in this recipe.
- Lemon: One medium lemon provides lemon juice for the berry mixture as well as zest for the finished blackberry crisp.
- Brown Sugar: It gives sweetness and caramel notes to both layers of this fruit crisp.
- Coconut: Sweetened, shredded coconut adds subtle coconut flavor to the topping and extra crunch after it's toasted in the oven.
- Oats: Use old-fashioned oats, which give the topping a hearty flavor and crisp texture—this is why this dish is called a crisp!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is fine to use here. My preferred brand is King Arthur Flour.
- Cinnamon: This spice is beautiful with the fruit and oaty topping. Be sure your cinnamon is fresh for the best flavor.
- Butter: Use a good quality unsalted butter, such as Cabot.
- Cornstarch: A little cornstarch helps the fruit mixture to thicken slightly as it bakes.
- Salt: Just a pinch! It helps enhance the flavors of this fruit crisp.
Step 1: Prepare the berries
Toss the blackberries with sugar and lemon juice.
Step 2: Make the topping
Blend together the topping ingredients, including oats, flour, coconut, and butter.
Step 3: Assemble in the dish
Spread the fruit in a baking dish, and then cover it with the topping mixture.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the fruit crisp until the blackberries are bubbling and the top is nicely browned and crisp. Let it cool a little, and then dig in!
Tip!
Old-fashioned Blackberry Crisp is delicious warm, but you can also serve it at room temperature or even chilled.
FAQs
Blackberries tend to be much larger—they range from 1 to 2 inches in length, whereas black raspberries average between ½ to ¾ inch long. Another way to tell them apart is that blackberries are shiny and have a white plug at the top where they come off the stem. Black raspberries are fuzzy and hollow in the center.
The flavors also differ, with black raspberries having a very sweet, jammy, sun-kissed sweetness. Blackberries have more of a floral flavor as well as sweetness.
Yes. Because this dish is made with sweetened, cooked fruit, it's best to store it in the fridge to keep it tasting its best and to prevent mold growth.
Wrap leftover Blackberry Crisp in the pan tightly and store it in the fridge for up to five days.
Cover the pan of leftover crisp with foil and reheat it in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes until it's just warmed. You can also scoop portions onto plates and reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave.
Yes! Divide the sweetened blackberries between greased ramekins, and top each one with the oat-coconut topping. Place them on a baking sheet and bake them for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until their toppings are browned and crisp, with bubbling fruit underneath.
A favorite baking tool!
8-Inch Square Pan
I like the straight sides and nonstick surface of this USA Pan pan! (affiliate link)
Tips:
- Fresh or frozen blackberries—or a mix of the two—work great in this recipe. If using frozen berries, there's no need to thaw them first: just add them straight to the bowl.
Find the recipe for Blackberry Crisp with Coconut below! And here are more sweet, fruity, and easy summer desserts:
💬 How do you like this blackberry crisp with oats recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Blackberry Crisp with Coconut
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Ingredients
Fruit:
- 6 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Topping:
- 1 cup oats
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sweetened, shredded coconut
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- Optional garnishes: coconut flakes
Instructions
Prepare the fruit:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- Grate the zest from the lemon, and hold the zest aside in a small bowl. (This is to garnish the finished crisp.)
- Squeeze 1 tablespoon of lemon juice from the lemon. (Discard the rest.)
- Stir together the blackberries, ¼ cup of brown sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a large bowl.
- Pour the berries into the prepared baking dish.
Make the topping mixture:
- Wipe out the large bowl. Then, pour in the oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon, and salt. Stir these together.
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the ½ cup of brown sugar and softened butter in a separate bowl, until they're blended and fluffy.
- Stir the butter mixture into the oats and flour mixture until everything is mixed tgogether well.
- Sprinkle the topping mixture over the top, covering the fruit.
Bake:
- Slide the baking dish into the oven and bake the crisp for 25 to 30 minutes. The blackberry crisp is finished baking when the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned and crispy.
- Sprinkle the reserved lemon zest over the top, as well as the coconut flakes if you're using them. Let the blackberry crisp cool for about 20 minutes, or you can also let it cool to room temperature.
Serve:
- Serve portions of the blackberry crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
Store:
- Cover the pan tightly and store the crisp in the fridge for up to five days. You can enjoy the crisp cold or slightly warmed up.
Notes
- Fresh or frozen blackberries—or a mix of the two—work great in this recipe. If using frozen berries, there's no need to thaw them first: just add them straight to the bowl.
Nutrition
Christian
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Nancy Mock
You're welcome, I hope you enjoyed it, Christian!