This easy berry crisp recipe works with fresh or frozen mixed berries and bakes in ramekins or a small dish. Make it for one, two, or scale it up—your call.
Just toss the berries with pantry ingredients, top with a buttery oat crumble, and bake until golden and bubbly. Ready in about 40 minutes. No mixer, no fuss.
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Featured Comment by Andrea S.:
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"This recipe is the best! I did add strawberries and blueberries together and it turned out fabulous! This recipe is definitely a keeper!"
💖 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh or frozen berries—whatever you have
- Small batch by default—make it for one, two, or a crowd
- Ramekins or a small baking dish—you choose
- Classic crispy oat topping or gluten-free variation
- Pantry ingredients, one bowl, and ready in about 40 minutes
🫐 Ingredients
- Mixed or single berries – Fresh or frozen. Use blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or a store-bought triple berry blend—whatever you have.
- Sugar – A mix of white and brown sugar balances the fruit’s sweetness and adds depth.
- Cornstarch – Helps thicken the berry filling, especially important with frozen fruit.
- Rolled oats – Not quick oats. These give the crisp topping its signature texture.
- Pantry staples – Cinnamon, kosher salt, butter, and all-purpose flour.
👉For a gluten-free version, use almond or oat flour and certified gluten-free oats.
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Make Berry Crisp
1. Prepare the Berries
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Wash your fresh or frozen mixed berries (no need to thaw frozen).
- In a small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt.
- Toss the berries gently to coat.
✅ Pro Tip: Adjust sugar to taste based on the berries sweetness. Use more cornstarch if using frozen to prevent excess liquid.
- Pour the coated berries into ramekins or a small baking dish.
2. Mix the Topping
- In another bowl, combine flour, rolled oats (not quick), brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Cut in cold butter with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.
- Spread the topping evenly over the berries.
- Place the ramekins or dish on a baking tray to catch boilover.
3. Bake
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until the topping is golden and the edges are bubbly.
- Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before serving.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for pro tips, variations, and serving ideas.
🍓 What Berries Work Best
You can use any combination of berries—fresh or frozen. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or a triple berry mix all work great.
- Larger berries, like strawberries, should be cut into smaller pieces.
- Frozen berries can be used straight from the freezer—no need to thaw.
- If using frozen, increase the cornstarch by 50% to help thicken the extra juice.
- Taste your fruit first—adjust the sugar depending on how sweet or tart they are.
↕️ How to Scale the Recipe: For One or a Crowd
This recipe scales easily—make just one serving or prep a full dessert for a group.
- For one:
Use a half batch in a 10–12 oz ramekin or a Corningware Grab-it dish. - For two (default size):
Bake in two 8–12 oz ramekins or one 6-inch round baking dish. - For four or more:
Double or triple the recipe to fit your crowd.- Four or more ramekins
- A 6x9, 8-inch round, 8x8, or 9-inch round baking dish
- For 6–8 servings, use a 9x13 casserole or similar
⏱ Baking Note:
Larger pans may need 5–10 extra minutes. Bake until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
📏 Scaling Note:
You can adjust the number of servings in the recipe card. Only the ingredient list will update—not the instructions, so be sure to scale your steps accordingly.
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🍯 Topping Options: Gluten Free and the Oats
This recipe uses a classic oat crumble topping—but you’ve got options.
- Gluten free?
Swap the all-purpose flour with almond flour or oat flour. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if needed. - No oats?
Skip them and use a simple streusel-style topping:
Mix 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and cut in 2 tablespoons of cold butter.
🧊 Make Ahead & Storage Tips
You can prep the crisp ahead and refrigerate it for up to a day—but store the topping separately and add it just before baking. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time if starting cold.
Leftovers? Cover and refrigerate for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Cool completely before freezing and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
🔥 How to Serve & Reheat
Serve warm, straight from the oven or reheated. Top with vanilla ice cream if you have it—it’s a classic combo.
To reheat, use the oven for best texture, or microwave briefly if you're in a hurry.
😊 Easy Dessert Recipes
Need another easy dessert? Try one of these reader favorites:
❓FAQs
Cobblers have a biscuit or cake topping.
Crisps usually include oats; crumbles don’t. This one’s technically a crisp, but the names are often used interchangeably.
Two common reasons:
1. It needs time to cool. Let the crisp rest for 10 minutes after baking to thicken and set up properly.
2. Frozen berries release more liquid. Always increase the cornstarch by 50%. If it's still watery, try adding a bit more next time.
A triple berry mix typically includes blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. It’s commonly sold frozen and works great in this recipe.
📖The Recipe Card
Small Batch Berry Crisp (Fresh or Frozen Berries)
Ingredients
- 2 cups berries - fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup white sugar - (adjust for sweetness of berries)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch - (Increase by 50% if frozen berries)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup rolled oats - not quick
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Berries
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash your fresh or frozen mixed berries (no need to thaw frozen). Blueberries, blackberries, cut-up strawberries, raspberries, or any mixture should be fine.
- Taste your fruit first. You will need to adjust the sugar if it is very sweet or tart. Combine ¼ cup white sugar (depending on sweetness), 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt.If using frozen berries, increase the cornstarch by 50%.
- Toss berries gently with the sugar mixture.
- Divide the berries into two bowls 10 to 12 oz size. Or use a single 6-inch round baking dish.
Mix the Topping
- Combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup rolled oats (not quick), ¼ cup brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Chop 4 tablespoons of firm butter into small pieces and "cut" into the topping mix until the crumble is formed.
- Divide the topping over the bowl(s). Place on a baking tray to catch any boilover.
Bake
- Bake until the top is golden brown and bubbling around the edges. It takes about 25 to 30 minutes. Frozen berries may take a few minutes more. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and serve.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You can use almost any berries. If large, they should be cut up a bit. If frozen, simply increase the cornstarch.
- Use two 10-12 oz ramekins to bake. A double recipe will fit a 6X9 baking dish. For more options and tips on scaling this recipe, please refer to the post.
- The topping has oats and gluten. Gluten-free and non-oat toppings are in the post.
- Try to serve it with ice cream.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
This is a modification of a 2014 America’s Test Kitchen recipe published in “The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook.”
Originally Published July 24, 2012. Updated with expanded options and discussion. Photos were refreshed, and a table of contents was added.
Constance says
Very delicious! Blueberries in season & sweet so I only needed 1 tsp sugar.
Will def be making again 😋
Clare says
Delicious! Simply and fast, I used freshly picked frozen blueberries. I used a small cast iron skillet instead of the two small dishes, and it turned out amazing..will be saving recipe and definitely making again! Thank you!
Diane Toth says
I make this all the time using your recipe.
I love it.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Andrea S says
This recipe is the best! I did add strawberries and blueberries together and it turned out fabulous! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Adrienne Viramontes says
Unlike most of the other comments, I needed to use an apple. And, I thought that maybe an apple, black, and blueberry crisp, for a type 1 diabetic, might be a nice change for breakfast. I substituted splenda/fake sugar for the white sugar, but used real brown sugar. I substituted white flour with Red Fife stone ground whole wheat flour from Wisconsin (in support of local business) but any whole wheat flour will do. All I can say is that I was aware of how some of the fresh baked berries squirted delectable juices while surrounded by the crisp texture. It was divine, especially for a Sunday morning during a pandemic. I might have it with low sugar vanilla ice cream tonight for dinner. Cheers and thanks Cooking for Two!
Norie says
In case you aren't aware... Swerve makes and excellent brown sugar substitute. I use it when making this recipe.
Cindy says
Nice recipe for two. I've made this twice exactly as is. We really enjoy since it's just the two of use these days. Making it again this evening!
Patty says
I’m so glad I found this recipe for two, it’s the perfect size for me and my husband. I had just about 2 cups of blueberries that needed to be used and my husband wanted a crisp. It
turned out great and it’s delicious. Thank you.
Anita Mayer says
This a wonderful recipe especially since its created for two people! I did add just a pinch of salt to the topping and I also split it up between three people. My mom and I eat lighter so we shared half of the recipe in 4 ounce dishes. Thank you! keep them coming with the recipes for two!!!
Patrice says
This was soooo good!!! I only had 2 cups of blueberries so this was perfect. I need gluten free so just subbed 1/4 cup almond flour mixed with 1/4 cup gluten free flour. Added pecans to the topping. I can’t stop eating it right now!!!
FoodPorn says
This looks gorgeous and delicious. I like how it's geared toward two people. Sometimes we don't need so much food for less people.