Easy Wild Blackberry Crisp with Pecan Streusel
Similar to a Southern blackberry cobbler, these Easy Wild Blackberry Crisps with Pecan Streusel recipe is made with juicy berries and topped with a sprinkling of crunchy pecans, flour, brown sugar, and oatmeal. Makes 4 personal size mini desserts.
Servings: 4
Calories: 405kcal
Cost: 4
Equipment
- Creme brulee ramekins or shallow 1 cup baking dishes.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 3 cups fresh wild blackberries* (Blackberries don't have to be wild)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water (This helps create the yummy syrup.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Pecan Streusel
- 4 tablespoons cold salted or unsalted butter (Not margarine)
- 1/4 cup granulated or brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 4 shallow (1 cup) creme brulee dishes or ramekins with cooking spray or butter them lightly.
- Combine berries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and water in a bowl. Add vanilla, if using. Gently stir to coat the berries. Set aside. The sugar water will macerate (pull out the natural juices) the blackberries.
Pecan Streusel
- Remove paper wrapping on the half stick of butter. Cut the butter in thin slices on a rimmed plate or shallow bowl. Add sugar and mash the butter into the sugar with a fork. Add the flour and cinnamon and blend it in quickly with the fork. This mixture should be crumbly, not paste-like. Make sure your butter is cold.You can also use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the sugar and flour but this helpful method is perfect if you don't own a pastry cutter.
- Add the pecans and oats to the streusel mixture, stirring with the fork to combine.
- Give the blackberry mixture a quick stir to coat the berries. Divide the mixture evenly into the four shallow dishes. Sprinkle the Pecan Streusel evenly over the blackberry mixture. It will look like a lot of streusel topping but trust me, it melts into berries and the flour will thicken liquid as it bakes.
- Place the dishes on a foil or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Don't worry if they bubble over a bit, that is part of the beauty of this dish! That purple syrup is gorgeous and we eat with our eyes first!
- Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly golden on top and liquid is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
To make this blackberry crisp in one dish: Simply spoon the berry mixture in a greased 8x8 baking pan or dish or 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Then, sprinkle the streusel topping over the berry mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned on top and liquid is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Make a Mixed Berry Crisp by combining any combination of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.
- Try peanuts, almonds, pistachios or walnuts instead of toasted pecans.
- Rolled oats (old-fashioned) can be used in place of quick-cooking oats. I don't recommend steel-cut oats for this recipe because they take much longer to cook.
- Gluten-Free version: For the filling, trade out the 1 tablespoon flour with 2 teaspoons cornstarch. For the streusel topping, trade out the all-purpose flour with almond flour.
- Be sure to let the crisps cool at least 5 minutes right out of the oven. The hot blackberry syrupy liquid will thicken slightly.
- Cinnamon sugar can be used instead of sugar and cinnamon in the streusel mixture to save one ingredient.
Nutrition
Serving: 1dish | Calories: 405kcal