Healthy Mixed Berry Crisp (Vegan & Dairy-free Option)

This Healthy Berry Crisp Recipe is a delicious lightened up summer dessert that has no refined sugar at all. So delicious, no one would ever guess that it’s healthy! Serve with homemade ice cream. Dairy-free & Vegan option included! 

This healthy berry crisp just came out of my oven and makes me so happy that I am willing to make a bunch of berry corny puns today. I hope you are berry ok with this situation.

Seriously, if I had to pick just one dessert to eat for the rest of the summer, this berry crisp would be it.  Warm, sweet, bubbling berries topped with a crunchy oat crumble that is browned to perfection. A heaping scoop of your favorite ice cream or some coconut whipped cream and get ready for the ultimate summer dessert bliss.

I love this Healthy Berry Crisp Recipe because it tastes UHU-MAZING while being refined sugar-free and it can easily be made dairy-free and vegan! A total dinner party success but also awesome for a leisurely weekend brunch. So basically what I’m saying is…Healthy Berry Crisp for breakfast is totally justifiable.

The berry crisp is perfect as is but topped with a little vanilla ice cream or homemade banana cinnamon ice cream - BLISS! Or, umm, how about some Frozen Greek Yogurt?

How to make Healthy Mixed Berry Crumble:

Prep: Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

Step 1 - Place the berries in a large baking dish (like a 10"x15" or a 9"x13").

Step 2 & 3 - Sprinkle them with cornstarch and coconut sugar. Drizzle with lemon juice and honey. Using a spoon, mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined and spread the berry mix into an even layer.

Step 4 - For the oat crumble topping, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Step 5 -Melt butter and pour over oat mixture.

Step 6 - Mix well.

Step 7 -  Sprinkle the oat mix over the berries.

Step 8 & 9 -  Bake the crisp for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the fruits are bubbling up all around the sides and in the middle. Remove the dish from the oven, set aside for about 10-15 minutes to allow the crisp to set a bit, and serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, coconut whipped cream, or Greek yogurt.

Recipe Variations:

MAKE IT DAIRY FREE:

• Use coconut oil instead of butter (same quantities). I like to use refined coconut oil to avoid a coconut taste.
• Serve with dairy-free ice-cream.

MAKE IT VEGAN:

• Use maple syrup instead of honey (same quantities).
• Use coconut oil instead of butter (same quantities). I like to use refined coconut oil to avoid a coconut taste.
• Serve with vegan ice-cream.

Which oats are best for making crisp?

I would always go for old fashioned rolled oats. Yes, you can use quick oats to make berry crisp. However, I prefer using old fashioned rolled, because I think the texture of the topping is better.  Steel-cut oats can't be used on crumbles or crisps -the results will be too gritty if the oats are used raw or mushy if the oats are cooked.

Tips:

• As for the sweetener, you’ll use raw honey or pure maple syrup instead of granulated or brown sugar. Be sure to use the good stuff! Avoid pancake syrup or sugar-free syrup; those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients!
• As for the fruit, both fresh and frozen blueberries will work for making berry crisp making it possible to enjoy this crumble all year round! WIN!
• If your berry mix has quite a few tart fruits (like gooseberries for instance, as pictured) you may want to add a bit more sugar to the filling (one to two tablespoons more, depending on your taste) so it's not too tart.
• The cornstarch will thicken all those berry juices and will continue its job while the crumble cools, so it’s pretty important to let the crumble cool down a bit before serving so the cornstarch can do its thing. Now as we all love our crumble warm, I would actually recommend letting it cool completely, then go ahead and reheat individual portions!
•  Serve it topped with ice cream or Frozen Greek Yogurt!

5 from 5 votes

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Healthy Berry Crisp

This Healthy Berry Crisp Recipe is a delicious lightened up summer dessert that has no refined sugar at all. So delicious, no one would ever guess that it’s healthy! Serve with homemade ice cream. Dairy-free & Vegan option included!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword berry crisp, berry crumble, healthy berry crisp

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Cooling 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Filling

• 8 cups frozen mixed berries  - fresh works too
• 2  tablespoons  cornstarch  - or arrowroot
• 1.5  tablespoons lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar - or brown sugar

Topping

• 2  cups  old fashioned oats aka rolled oats
• ½  cup  flour – white whole wheat or gluten free
• ¼  cup  coconut sugar + 2 tbsp - or brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon  cinnamon
• ½  teaspoon  nutmeg
• ¼  cup unsalted butter 3.5 oz /100 grams + 3 tablespoons

To serve (optional)

• Vanilla ice-cream
• Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
2. Place berries in a large baking dish (like a 10"x15" or a 9"x13"). Sprinkle with cornstarch and coconut sugar. Drizzle with lemon juice and honey. Using a spoon, mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined and spread into an even layer.
3. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Melt butter and pour over oat mixture. Mix well and sprinkle over berries.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fruits are bubbly. Remove from the oven, set aside for about 10-15 minutes to allow the crisp to set a bit and serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or greek yogurt.

Recipe Notes

• As for the sweetener, you’ll use raw honey or pure maple syrup instead of granulated or brown sugar. Be sure to use the good stuff! Avoid pancake syrup or sugar-free syrup; those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients!
• As for the fruit, both fresh and frozen blueberries will work for making berry crisp making it possible to enjoy this crumble all year round! WIN!
• If your berry mix has quite a few tart fruits (like gooseberries for instance, as pictured) you may want to add a bit more sugar to the filling (one to two tablespoons more, depending on your taste) so it's not too tart.
• The cornstarch will thicken all those berry juices and will continue its job while the crumble cools, so it’s pretty important to let the crumble cool down a bit before serving so the cornstarch can do its thing. Now as we all love our crumble warm, I would actually recommend letting it cool completely, then go ahead and reheat individual portions!
•  Serve it topped with ice cream or frozen Greek yogurt!

If you tried this Mixed Berry Crisp recipe don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More recipes from the blog you will love:

• Very Berry Ice Cream 
• Paleo Lemon Curd Tart
• Healthy Banana Split
• Fudgy Paleo Brownies
• Almond Butter Blondies