Mixed Berry Crisp Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free)

Last Updated on March 25, 2025 by becky

A mixed berry crisp recipe with fresh or frozen berries, oats, pecans, coconut oil, and brown sugar. This easy berry crisp is dairy-free and vegan, and can be made gluten free with one simple substitution.

Why Make This Mixed Berry Crisp Recipe?

This mixed berry crisp is one of my go-to desserts when I’m craving something fruit-based and sweet, but still somewhat wholesome. The crackly, crunchy top and warm, juicy fruit underneath make a truly perfect pairing, with contrasting textures in every bite.

Crisps like this one are highly adaptable. You can use fresh fruit, frozen fruit, or a mix of the two. Crisps also offer a fantastic opportunity for cleaning out the freezer and using up all of those “odds and ends” of frozen fruit left over from other recipes.

This berry crisp only takes an hour or from start to finish, and requires minimal ingredients or special equipment aside from a large baking dish. I also love this mixed berry crisp because it provides a showcase for seasonal ingredients—make it in the summer, when fresh, ripe berries abound.

Crisp vs. Crumble: What’s the Difference?

Crisps, crumbles, and cobblers are all similar, baked fruit desserts, but with slightly different toppings. A crisp features a streusel-like topping made from flour, butter, sugar, and rolled oats. A crumble is similar but does not include oats, resulting in a denser topping. Finally, a cobbler features a biscuit batter, dropped or spread over the fruit before baking, creating a doughy topping rather than a crunchy or crumbly one.

Mixed Berry Crisp Ingredients

To make this mixed berry crisp recipe, start by gathering the following ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour – For the crisp topping. To make this recipe gluten free, replace the all purpose flour with gluten free flour, oat flour, or almond flour.
  
• Rolled Oats – For a crunchy, crumbly topping, use rolled oats (old fashioned oats), not “quick” or “instant.”
• Sugars – Light brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the crisp topping, while granulated sugar combines with the berries to create the sweet, juicy fruit filling.
  
• Chopped Pecans – If you don’t have pecans on hand, try walnuts or slivered almonds instead. For nut allergies, eliminate the nuts and replace with an equal quantity of rolled oats.

• Spices – I’ve used ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and fine sea salt. Some other spices or spice blends that work nicely in this recipe include ground cardamom, ground cloves, mixed spice, or pumpkin spice.
• Coconut Oil – To make this crisp recipe vegan and dairy-free, I developed it with melted coconut oil. If you consume dairy, you can substitute an equal quantity of melted, unsalted butter.
• Berries – You can use fresh berries, frozen berries, or a mix of both. Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, cherries, redcurrants, or blackcurrants all work nicely in this recipe.
• Cornflour/Cornstarch – This berry crisp recipe calls for cornflour. In some countries, this product is referred to as cornstarch instead. When shopping, you’re looking for a fine white powder, not the coarse, golden meal used for making cornbread.
• Ginger – I used about 2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh ginger. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of fresh ginger. If substituting ground ginger, stir it into the topping mixture, not the fruit filling.
• Lemon – A tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and the zest of 1 lemon add a bright, citrusy note.

The Best Berries to Use for Making Mixed Berry Crisp

I developed this berry crisp recipe with a mix of fresh and frozen cherries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. You can use all fresh fruit, all frozen fruit, or a mix of the two, in any combination you’d like.

If using frozen berries: Bake directly from frozen, no need to thaw.

If using fresh berries: Hull the strawberries, pit the cherries, and slice any very large berries into 1-inch pieces.

Can I Make This Berry Crisp Gluten Free?

As written, this mixed berry crisp recipe is both vegan and dairy-free. It can easily be made gluten-free and/or nut-free as well, with a few simple substitutions.

To make a gluten-free berry crisp: Substitute a gluten free flour blend (I like King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Flour). You can also substitute almond flour or oat flour.

To make nut-free berry crisp: Replace the pecans with an equal amount of rolled oats.

How to Serve Vegan Berry Crisp

As a dessert, serve berry crisp with a scoop of dairy free ice cream or a dollop of coconut whipped cream.

Fruit crisps work just as nicely for breakfast or brunch as they do for dessert. (After all, it’s mostly just fruit and oatmeal, right?) Save the leftovers for the next morning, and rewarm in the oven or microwave prior to serving.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Store leftover mixed berry crisp in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Rewarm in the oven or microwave.

Other fruit-based dessert recipes you might enjoy:

Strawberry Galette
Mixed Berry Hand Pies
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Blueberry Galette
Chaussons aux Pommes (Apple Turnovers)
Raspberry Whoopie Pies

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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