This Apple Blackberry Crisp dessert has the razzle-dazzle your taste buds have been longing for, but didn’t know how to ask for! Get back to the basics with a fresh take on an All-American favorite with baked apples, twisting it up a little with a dash of blackberries baked into butter and brown-sugar oats…melding all those rich flavors into one beautiful, delicious dessert! Add a scoop or two of ice cream and you’ve got a little slice of, or should I say bowl of, heaven…right here on earth! Yum, YUM!!!
Apples to Apples
How About These Apples?
Maybe you already have some apples and are wondering if they will work in this recipe. It’s no fun to come across an awesome recipe like Apple Blackberry Crisp, and want to bake it up immediately, only to realize the apples you have don’t bake up very well.
The way I see it, there are basically 3 situations you might find yourself in concerning apples. You may like a good, fresh apple to snack on, a good apple or two for a fresh fruit salad, or if the mood strikes, you may want to bake up a new, really good Apple Blackberry Crisp Recipe!!
Read on to learn which apples to buy, so you can be ready for any one of these three scenarios, at any given time!
Goldilocks’ Just Right Apples
These days, buying apples for the family does not mean you have to compromise on texture or flavor whether snacking, salad making, or baking. Sound too good to be true? Well, as incredible as it sounds, apple developers have done just that!
Each year, developers produce apples that are judged in many more attributes than we the consumer are aware of. And, some of those apples, like in Goldilocks’ story, are just right for the consumer of today. To measure up to these Goldilocks’ Just Right Apples, I judge by 3 main categories:
- Snacking – a balance between sweet and tart, crunchy and juicy, an all-around family favorite!
- Salads – slices need to hold their shape and resist browning to continue looking good when ready to serve!
- Baking – slices need to retain their flavor and their texture, while not turning to mush when baked!
And the Winners Are…
- FUJI – Pale, reddish orange in color, Fuji is actually rated sweeter than Honeycrisp and Envy. Fuji also holds its shape, making the cut for snacking, salads, and baking.
- GALA – Don’t be fooled by it’s naturally creamy yellow skin, with pink to reddish stripes; it is fully ripe and ready to eat with its own distinct, sweet flavor. Gala Apples also hold their shape, making it excellent for snacking, salads, or baking.
- HONEYCRISP – These beauties are large in size, super sweet and are above average retaining its texture in salads and also when baked! If that were not enough to persuade you to try them, would knowing that the crisp texture of this apple lasts significantly longer than the average apple when kept in refrigeration?! You just can’t lose with a Honeycrisp Apple!
Honorable Mention!
While these apple varieties may be a little lacking in one of the 3 Goldilock’s categories, I cannot fail to mention them, because they are also exceptionally good tasting apples, and each has its own unique qualities worth mentioning.
- ENVY – Super sweet, plus the inside flesh stays bright long after you cut them open, making it a great apple for snacking and for salads.
- GRANNY SMITH – Incredibly crisp, firm and juicy, with a strong tart flavor, known best for retaining its texture when baked.
- JAZZ – Tangy, yet sweet and juicy, described as having an epic crunch, also making them excellent for snacks and salads. Jazz’s claim to fame is that they stay crisp for weeks, whether out on the counter or in the refrigerator.
- PINK LADY – Pink in color (surprise!) are tangy-sweet, and are best for snacking or baking.
How Many Apples?
How many apples make a cup, anyway? Good Question! Are you looking at large or medium apples? Medium apples are considered to be about the size of a tennis ball. Refer to this quick guide to help you decide…
- 4 medium (or 2 large) apples = 1 lb = 3 cups sliced approximately.
Gathering Everything for Apple Blackberry Crisp
Baking any recipe goes much faster if one gathers all the baking utensils and ingredients together before starting to assemble, and baking this Apple Blackberry Crisp is no exception:
Baking Utensils Needed for Making Apple Blackberry Crisp
- 3 Mixing Bowls – one large for tossing main ingredients, one medium for assembling the topping, and one small bowl for the dry fruit mixture
- Baking Dish – one 9″ to 10″ greased casserole dish, between 3″ to 4″ deep
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting Board
- Veggie Peeler
- Paring Knife
- And…all the Ingredients for Apple Blackberry Crisp!
Ingredients Needed for Making Apple Blackberry Crisp
- 1 cup oats whole or quick
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¾ cup flour – either wheat or gluten free
- ⅓ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt or just a pinch
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup flour
- 5 cups apples
- 1 ½ cups blackberries
Crisp Topping
- In the medium bowl, measure out the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.
- Stir until well mixed
- Dice butter, cold or room temperature and drop onto the mixture.
- Work the butter into the mixture, pinching it by hand until well blended.
- Set aside for now.
Working butter into a mixture is always fun. The first time I made this topping, I started with a pastry knife, and even though the butter was diced up and at room temperature, it did not allow the mixture to penetrate the blades very well.
I then tried the cross-cutting action of two butter knives, and while better, it was much slower than I had hoped for.
The next time I worked butter into this mixture, I used a cold stick out of the refrigerator, diced it up a little, then used my fingers to work it into the course-like sand consistency I was looking for. By the time I was through working the mixture, the butter was room temperature, so I am convinced it does not matter whether it was cold to start with, or not.
Apple Prep
- In your small mixing bowl, measure out the white sugar and flour, and set aside.
- Peel and slice your apples, placing them in the large mixing bowl as you go.
- Pour the sugar/flour mix over the apples and stir.
Peeling apples does not have to be near the chore it would be, if using a veggie peeler and an apple divider. I experimented peeling before using the divider and after using the divider, and my vote is to peel it first. Likewise, the veggie peeler won over a paring knife, but as the old saying goes… to each their own.
Apple Blackberry Crisp Assembly
With all the prep work done, you are now ready for my favorite part of this recipe… assembling the Apple Blackberry Crisp dessert! It’s my favorite part because of the contrasting colors of the blackberries nestled between apple slices and all glistening with sugar it is so pretty. It’s almost a shame to cover the fruit with the topping!
- Dump all but about a cup of the sugared apples into the greased casserole dish.
- Add your Blackberries to the apples left in the large mixing bowl and gently stir, so they can get a little of the sugar coating, too.
- Add the sugar coated apples and berries to the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the Crisp Topping over the fruit mixture.
- Press the topping down, just a wee bit and,
- Pop into your preheated, 400 degree oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes
*CONFESSION TIME: If you were very observant, you would notice that my casserole dish changed in the later pictures. It changed because I discovered that my dish was not large enough to accommodate all the extra berries I added! I thought I would confess, before someone called me out, lol!! Not sorry…extra berries…extra special!!!
Bring on the Dessert!!!
If you made this dessert, pat yourself on the back, for a job well done! Not only do you have a beautiful looking dessert, it will taste even better! You and your guests will LOVE the little burst of razzle-dazzle, from the deep purple blackberries that pop with flavor and flair, amidst the sweet apples and the crisp oatmeal topping. Serve warm with a scoop or two of ice cream and you will have everyone wanting to come back for seconds! Yum, YUM!!!
If you liked our Apple Blackberry Crisp, then you’ll love some of our other favorite recipes!
Raspberry Cranberry Jello Salad
Apple Blackberry Crisp
Equipment
- 9" to 10" Casserole Dish 3" to 4" deep
- 3 Mixing Bowls small, medium, and large
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Veggie Peeler
- Paring Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
Crisp Topping Mix
- 1 cup oats whole or quick
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¾ cup flour either wheat or gluten free
- ⅓ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt or just a pinch
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
Fruit Seasoning Mix
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup flour either wheat or gluten free
Fruit Prep
- 5 cups apples
- 1 ½ cups blackberries
Instructions
To Start
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and grease casserole dish
- Gather baking utensils and ingredients
Crisp Topping Mix
- In the medium mixing bowl, measure out the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt
- Dice butter, cold or room temp, and drop onto the Crisp Topping Mix
- Work the butter into the mix, until it has a course, sand-like consistency
- Set aside.
Apple Prep
- In your small mixing bowl, measure out the white sugar and flour
- Set aside
- Peel, core and dice apples, filling the large mixing bowl.
- Pour sugar/flour mixture over apples, and stir
Crisp Assembly
- Dump the sugared apples into your greased casserole dish, retaining about a cup in the large mixing bowl.
- Add your blackberries to the remaining apples in the large bowl and gently stir to give them a kiss of sugar, too.
- Pour remaining sugared apples and blackberries into the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the Crisp Topping over the fruit mixture, and gently press it down.
- Pop into your preheated, 400 degree oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
in the USA
