Blackberry Peach Crisp

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4.92 from 12 votes

This Blackberry Peach Crisp is the perfect summer dessert! Minimal prep time and feeds a crowd!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

6 cups sliced peaches
2 cups blackberries
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Pinch of kosher salt

For the Crisp

1 ¼ cups unsalted butter frozen and cut into cubes
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup old fashioned oats divided
1 cup flour
Vanilla ice cream to serve

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Peel the peaches and add the blackberries to a bowl. Toss with the sugar, cornstarch, zest and juice. Place mixture into a large skillet or baking dish and sprinkle with salt.
In a food processor, combine the butter, sugar, ¾ cups of the oats and the flour. Pulse until evenly combined. Remove from the food processor and add the remaining oats. Toss to combine.
Dump the topping onto the fruit mixture and bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Serve with heaping scoops of vanilla ice cream on top.

Notes

Freeze your butter before you even think about making the topping. Frozen butter stays in distinct pieces when pulsed in the food processor, which creates the chunky, craggy texture that makes a crisp topping actually crisp. Soft or room temperature butter blends in too smoothly and results in a dense, greasy layer.
Split your oats between the food processor and the bowl. Processing three quarters of the oats with the butter and flour creates a cohesive base that binds the topping together. Stirring in the remaining quarter cup by hand after processing keeps some whole oats intact for chew and visual texture.
Use cornstarch, not flour, to thicken the fruit filling. Cornstarch creates a clearer, more glossy sauce as the fruit juices cook down, whereas flour can turn the filling cloudy and slightly pasty. Two tablespoons is the right amount for six cups of juicy summer peaches.
Do not skip the orange zest and juice in the filling. Orange zest contains aromatic oils that amplify the floral notes in ripe peaches, and the acidity from the juice balances the brown sugar so the filling does not taste flat or one-dimensionally sweet.
Let the fruit sit for five minutes after tossing before transferring to the baking dish. Resting gives the cornstarch and sugar a moment to begin drawing out the fruit juices, which helps the thickener distribute evenly rather than sitting in dry pockets before it hits the oven.
Use ripe but still firm peaches, not soft ones. Overripe peaches release too much liquid during baking and can make the bottom of the crisp soggy. Peaches that are fragrant and yield slightly to pressure but still hold their shape will give you the best texture after 50 to 60 minutes in the oven.
Skip peeling the peaches. Peach skin softens completely during baking and adds a slight bite that contrasts nicely with the jammy interior. Peeling is tedious and unnecessary unless you have a strong textural aversion to it.
Bake until the filling is visibly bubbling at the edges, not just until the topping looks golden. Bubbling tells you the filling has reached a temperature high enough to fully activate the cornstarch and thicken the juices. Pulling it out based on color alone can mean an undercooked, watery filling even if the top looks done.
Use a wide, shallow baking dish or cast iron skillet rather than a deep casserole dish. A wider surface area maximizes the ratio of crispy topping to fruit filling in every scoop. A deep dish concentrates the fruit and can leave the topping steaming rather than crisping.
Let the crisp rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. The filling continues to thicken as it cools slightly. Scooping it straight from the oven means the juices will run all over the plate. A short rest gives you cleaner, more cohesive portions.
Serve the ice cream on top of the hot crisp, not on the side. The melting ice cream works as a sauce that gets into every crevice of the crispy topping. Serving it on the side is a missed opportunity and honestly a little sad.

Nutrition (estimated)