Berry Filling
- 6 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Oat Topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Then, grease an 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.If you want a thinner crisp with more surface area, use a slightly larger dish. However, if you want a deeper, juicier crisp, stick with an 8x8 pan. Add the berries to the baking dish. Next, sprinkle the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt over the top.Gently toss until the berries are coated. Be careful with raspberries because they break easily. Still, a few smashed berries are fine. In fact, they help make the filling jammy.Finally, spread the berries into an even layer. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt.Then, pour in the melted butter and mix until the topping looks crumbly and slightly clumpy. It should hold together if you squeeze a bit in your hand.If it looks too dry, add 1 more tablespoon of melted butter. If it looks too wet, add a spoonful of oats. Sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the berries.Don’t press it down too much. A loose topping bakes up crispier, with those lovely golden edges everyone secretly wants. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the berry filling is bubbling around the edges.This bubbling matters because it means the cornstarch has activated. As a result, the filling will thicken as it cools.If the topping browns too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil during the last 10 minutes. Let the crisp cool for 10–15 minutes before serving.I know. Waiting is annoying.However, this short rest helps the filling set, so you get a warm, spoonable crisp instead of berry soup. Still delicious, but messier.
