Triple Berry Crisp
This triple berry crisp is the perfect summertime dessert. It’s quick, easy to make, and pairs well with homemade vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream. Unlike traditional fruit crisps, this berry crisp is also grain-free, low-carb, paleo, and keto friendly.
Going to the farmers market each week and being inspired by what is in season at that moment, is something I will never tire of. Walking the aisles, smelling the sweet aroma of what is most available – there really is no experience like it.
However, there is something even more magical about harvesting food with your own hands. As soon as the berry season starts here in BC, Tanner, and I go berry picking. We are lucky to live in an area that is home to a number of beautiful berry farms and wild berry bushes.
We’re definitely not the typical “get up at the crack of dawn and pick berries for hours in a scorching heat” berry pickers, but we do enjoy fresh produce. My kids can’t resist berries of any kind, so they are always excited to come along as well. My daughter’s (4-year old) favorite are raspberries. She loves to eat them in groups of ten. One for each finger. She pops them on the tips of her fingers and then into her mouth one by one.
Having an abundance of fruit, I have been making various fruit crisps over the summer, but berry crisp is probably my favorite.
Which reminds me that I have a really important question to ask you – are you a crisp, crumble, or cobbler person? In our family almost everyone one is a crisp person. I’m not sure why that is, but it just is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a grain-free crisp or old-fashioned crisp with oats. It’s all about the filling releasing its juices and bubbling up into the light, crunchy topping of the crisp.
Cranberry Crisp
Tips for Making Berry Crisp
Ingredients
Filling
Crisps are quintessential dessert fare. You know why? Because they are entirely utilitarian. Their ingredients are few, they’re best at using up fruit that’s going soft, and you can make one without a recipe, completely by heart.
I like berry crisp, with a combo of blackberries and raspberries the most, but use what’s in season near you. If you’re making this berry crisp in the fall or winter (and can’t find fresh berries), you can also use frozen berries in a pinch. The crisp will just probably need to bake for an extra 10 minutes or so to cook out the extra juices from the frozen berries.
It’s possible to make fruit crisp without any thickening agent . Just keep in mind that the juicier the fruit, the more liquid-y the fruit juices. I prefer using a little bit of kuzu because the starch will magically transform the bubbling fruit juices into a thick and velvety sauce. Kuzu is unsurpassed as a thickening agent. It produces sparkling translucent sauce, adds a shiny gloss, and provides a smooth texture with no interfering taste. Since kuzu helps balance the acidity of sweets, it is ideal in desserts.
If you’re fruit isn’t sweet enough, feel free to use a sweetener of your choice.
Topping
The topping is the same as in this grain-free apple crisp (zucchini crisp) recipe.
Cranberry Crisp
Technique
The great thing about this fruit crisp is that you don’t have to peel or chop the fruit. Just rinse off the berries and add them into a baking dish.
If you’re using kuzu as the thickening agent, dissolve the kuzu in a little cold water first, and then pour the mixture over the berries.
Sprinkle the crisp topping over the berries, and bake the crisp until the fruit juices are bubbling on the sides and the crisp topping is golden brown. If the crisp topping starts to turn too dark of a color, you can cover the top with foil for the last few minutes of baking, as needed.
Tools You’ll Need
1. Baking Dish (Set of 6, Ceramic) | 2. Knife Set (Set of 5, Utility, Stainless Steel) | 3. Cutting Board (24”x 18”, Michigan Maple Block, Maple) | 4. Mixing Bowls (Set of 3, Pyrex, Glass) | 5. Measuring Cups (Set of 6, Stainless Steel) | 6. Measuring Spoons (Set of 6, 1EasyLife, Stainless Steel)
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Triple Berry Crisp
Ingredients
Filling
- 3.5 cups mixed berries*
- 1/2 Tbsp. kuzu
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup (or sweetener of choice), optional**
Topping
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp. monk fruit sweetener
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Filling: Add the berries into a 8"x 8"(or similar size) baking dish. Dissolve the kuzu in a 1 Tbsp./15 ml water and mix in the sweetener (if using). Pour the mixture over the berries and gently toss to coat evenly.
- Topping: Add the pecans, almond flour, shredded coconut, monk fruit sweetener, and salt into a large bowl. Stir to combine. Then add coconut oil and mix again until evenly distributed.
- Spread the crisp topping evenly over the berries.
- Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any liquid that may bubble over) and bake the crisp, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Let the crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Store leftover berry crisp covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.For longer term storage, cool the crisp completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The best way to reheat the berry crisp is to let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F/175°C oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe Notes
**If the fruit is in season, it doesn't really need sweetening.
Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients
Filling
- 3.5 cups cranberries
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp. kuzu
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract, optional
Topping
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp. monk fruit sweetener
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Filling: Add the cranberries into a 8"x 8" (or similar size) baking dish. Dissolve the kuzu in a 1 Tbsp./15 ml water and mix in the sweetener and vanilla extract (if using). Pour the mixture over the cranberries and toss to coat evenly.
- Topping: Add the pecans, almond flour, shredded coconut, monk fruit sweetener, and salt into a large bowl. Stir to combine. Then add coconut oil and mix again until evenly distributed.
- Spread the crisp topping evenly over the cranberries.
- Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any liquid that may bubble over) and bake the crisp, uncovered, for ~ 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Let the crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Store leftover cranberry crisp covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.For longer term storage, cool the crisp completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The best way to reheat the cranberry crisp is to let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F/175°C oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Hi Petra, can i subs kuzu with any other ingredients? 🙂
Yes, for sure! You can use arrowroot starch or corn starch instead. If you use either of the two, you might need to add slightly more (~ 1/4 Tbsp. more, so 3/4 Tbsp. in total).