Easy Blackberry Crumble
Desserts like this blackberry crumble make summer more fun. It only takes a few minutes to bake, and you get deliciously soft, sweet yet tart berries with crisp crumble. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream for that ultimate luxury.
We have lost count of how many fruit crumbles and clafoutis I have made this summer. My kids have really been enjoying it so much. Not just eating, but helping in making them too!
Why make this blackberry crumble?
- One of the reasons I love berry crumbles is this. Look at that thick, tart, yet sweet, chewy fruit syrup. Next, look at the crisp, buttery bits of crumble on the top. Now imagine a spoonful of that syrupy fruit with the crispy crumble that just bursts in the mouth. There’s a mouthful you cannot resist. Explosion!
- A fruit crumble is really the easiest dessert you can make in summer with any fruit. Berries and stone fruits such as peaches, apricots, and apples are always a big hit.
- Today, I am making these with blackberries. But you can also make them with other berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, or even a combination of mixed berries. Of course, stone fruits, such as apricots, plums, peaches, and nectarines, are also perfect for crumbles.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Blackberries – Today, I am using fresh, but you can also use frozen. And if you use frozen, you can keep the sugar amount the same. I’d love to say you can also use canned, and yet, with canned, I find the fruit is too soft and becomes syrupy by the time it’s cooked. It still tastes good, but the fruit is almost down to a syrup consistency.
- Sugar – I like using a mix of white and brown sugar. The white adds sweetness and keeps a beautiful white color, while the light or brown sugar brings with it the flavor of molasses, which, when combined with cinnamon or nutmeg, is an absolute luxury.
- Unsalted Butter – I always use unsalted because I like to control the amount of salt I use. And if you use salted butter, that’s fine. Just omit salt in the recipe. Margarine or veg shortening works as well, and yet they both will affect the texture of the crumble. Since margarine has a bit more liquid, you may need to use a tad less. Meanwhile, vegetable shortening will make the crumble topping crisper.
- Cornstarch – Blackberries are juicy, and the cornstarch helps thicken the juices, giving you that thick, syrup-like consistency instead of a pool of liquid.
- Vanilla – Always use good-quality vanilla extract, bean paste, or vanilla sugar.
- Spice mix – You can add many flavors, like pumpkin spice or gingerbread spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I admit that I often prefer the fruit to shine when it comes to crumble. So, I usually add just a pinch of cinnamon and a grating of nutmeg.
Step-by-step: Blackberry crumble
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5.
- Crumble – In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, nuts/oats, sugars, salt, vanilla extract, spice, and chilled cubed butter. Pulse a few times until you get a small and large breadcrumb consistency. Keep chilled.
Pro tip – The crumble mixture can be made up to 4 days in advance. Keep it in the fridge to ensure the butter stays chilled.
- Fruit – Combine the blackberries, sugars, lemon juice, salt, and cornstarch in a greased 8 x 8 square pan or 6-inch pie pan. Alternatively, you can use 4 x 4-oz ramekins for individual servings. Set aside.
Pro tip – Greasing the pan with butter is optional, but it also adds a nice flavor. - Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the blackberries. Make sure to cover all areas.
Pro tip – I like to do this with my hands and make sure to cover all areas. Try to put the large crumble pieces on the top, as they do look prettier.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before you serve.
Pro tip – If you choose to make small individual ramekins, you will need only 12 to 15 minutes of baking time. - Fruit crumble can be served hot or cold. We love to serve it warm with chilled ice cream or cold with whipped cream.
Pro tip – The fruit syrup is very hot, so wait 10 minutes to prevent anyone from getting hurt.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I make this blackberry crumble in advance?
I love baking the crumble fresh so the topping stays wonderfully crisp. And yet, you can make this crumble in advance. Cool it completely before you wrap it well and place it in the fridge.
What is the difference between a cobbler and a crumble?
Both are baked fruit desserts. A cobbler uses dollops of biscuit dough or pie dough topping, which, when baked, often look very similar to a cobblestone. A crumble uses a streusel-like topping made of flour, sugar, and butter with the addition of nuts.
What is the difference between a crumble and a crisp?
Again, a crumble and a crisp are both baked fruit desserts, and both use a streusel topping made with butter, sugar, and flour. And yet, a crumble uses nuts, while crisps use rolled oats. These oats become crisp and flaky when cooked, while the crumble topping is cakey and dense.
Why did my blackberry crumble topping melt when baked?
Adding more butter to the crumble topping is very tempting, but too much butter will blend the flour and sugar mixture. Creating the perfect crumb with flour and sugar requires that you not add too much butter. Ideally, a ratio of 1:1:2 works best – One part butter, one part sugar, two parts flour.
Ingredients
Fruit Base
- 12 oz (340 g) Blackberries
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup (55 g) Brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) White sugar
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 tbsp Unsalted butter For greasing the pan
Crumble mix
- 1 cup (125 g) All-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp (60 g) Light brown sugar
- 4 tbsp (50 g) White Sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted butter chilled, cubed
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Spice mix cinnamon, gingerbread
- ¼ tsp Fresh grated nutmeg
- ½ cup (40 g) Almond meal or rolled oats
- ½ tsp Salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5.
- Crumble – In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, nuts/oats, sugars, salt, vanilla extract, spice, and chilled cubed butter. Pulse a few times until you get a small and large breadcrumb consistency. Keep chilled.1 cup All-purpose flour , 4 tbsp Light brown sugar, 4 tbsp White Sugar, ½ cup Unsalted butter , 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 1 tsp Spice mix, 1/4 tsp Fresh grated nutmeg, ½ cup Almond meal or rolled oats, ½ tsp Salt
- Fruit – Combine the blackberries, sugars, lemon juice, salt, and cornstarch in a greased 8 x 8 square pan or 6-inch pie pan. Alternatively, you can use 4 x 4-oz ramekins for individual servings. Set aside.12 oz Blackberries, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup Brown sugar, 1/4 cup White sugar, 1 tbsp Cornstarch, 1/4 tsp Salt
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the blackberries. Making sure to cover all areas.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Fruit crumble can be served hot or cold. We love to serve it warm with chilled ice cream or cold with whipped cream.
Notes
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- Fruit – you can use fresh or frozen blackberries. If using frozen ones, make sure to thaw well, then drain excess moisture so the crumble does not become soupy.
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- The perfect crumble topping is in the flour, sugar, and butter ratio – Two parts flour, one part butter, and one part sugar works every single time. You can replace some of the flour with oats and nuts.
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- Freezing crumble mixture – you can store any extra crumble mix well wrapped in a freezer bag (to prevent ice crystals) for up to 3 months.
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- Gluten-free fruit crumbles – simply replace the flour in the recipe with your favorite gluten-free flour and oats.
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- Reducing sugar – you can reduce sugar by simply tasting the blueberries. If you have sweet blueberries, reduce the sugar accordingly. If the blueberries are tart, you can use maple syrup or honey to substitute some of the sugar.
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- Reheating crumble -A few minutes in the microwave will bring it back to its syrupy goodness. Then, a few minutes in the oven will also help crisp the streusel topping.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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First and foremost…. Delicious recipe! Followed it precisely and it was just perfect. Secondly, if you just read through the whole recipe, before you get started making, it is very clear to understand. Thank you. This one’s a keeper for me!
Thank you Carrie
I’m so confused how this has a good rating. I tried to trust the process, but was left with a pile of hot powder in a baking dish. There is far too much dry to liquid. I followed this recipe to a T and there was so much dry on top of the berries. I was confused on the instruction to make sure to cover the berries, because there is so much dry that there is a good half inch or more on top. This ruined a batch of fresh marionberries picked from my friend’s garden.
Make the cumble in the food processor until it becomes thick breadcrumb consistency. I’m not sure what the problem is Jess. You place the berry mixture in the pan. Top it with the crumble and bake. The only possibility of powder would be if you did not make the crumble properly, leaving lots of uncoated flour with big lumps of butter. The butter would melt into the berries and the flour would remain a powder.