Nothing announces summer like ripe berries. This gluten-free berry crisp is an ideal way to enjoy fresh fruit—simple, customizable, and perfectly crisp on top.
Scroll to the “Variations” section to discover delicious fruit combinations for this recipe.
About This Gluten-Free Berry Crisp Recipe
Although crisps often feel like a fall dessert, fresh summer berries make them irresistible any time. This gluten-free berry crisp is very adaptable—use any combination of berries you like. The topping, made from gluten-free rolled oats, brown sugar, and butter, creates a crunchy, buttery finish that pairs perfectly with juicy fruit.
This is a variation of my gluten-free apple crisp and follows the same straightforward method, updated for seasonal fruit.
What is a Crisp?
A crisp is a fruit-based dessert topped with a crunchy pastry that usually includes oats. It differs from a crumble, which typically uses a streusel-style topping without oats; cobblers are another relative, featuring a biscuit-like topping instead. Crisps are excellent for using blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, or rhubarb.
Ingredients You Will Need
– Berries of choice (about 1 pint / 2 cups)
– ½ lemon, juiced
– 1 teaspoon cornstarch
– ¼ cup granulated sugar
– ½ cup certified gluten-free rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
– ½ cup gluten-free flour blend (Cup4Cup, Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, etc.)
– ½ cup packed brown sugar
– ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
– ½ cup cold unsalted butter (8 TBSP), cut into small cubes (use vegan butter for dairy-free)
– Optional: ¼ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Can I Make This Dairy-Free?
Yes. Substitute a vegan butter for the cold butter cubes. Vegan butter sticks tend to give a similar texture to traditional butter. I have found better results with butter-style vegan spreads than with coconut oil for this topping.
Can I Make This Without Oats?
Yes—omit the oats and increase chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for crunch, or simply rely on the gluten-free flour and butter for a streusel-style topping.
How To Make Gluten-Free Berry Crisp
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking dish (glass or ceramic works well) with butter or oil.
2. In a small bowl, toss the berries with lemon juice, cornstarch, and granulated sugar until evenly coated, then set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine the oats, gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts if using. Add the cold diced butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with the texture of wet sand.
4. Spread the berry mixture in an even layer in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the berries. If you prefer more crunch, double the topping amount.
5. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden, about 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt.
Crisp Variations
Rhubarb & Strawberry Crisp: Use 1 pound rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces, and 1 cup strawberries. Avoid increasing the strawberries to prevent a soupy filling—follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Mixed Berry Crisp: Combine 2 cups raspberries, 2 cups blueberries, and 1 cup blackberries. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
Peach, Blueberry & Blackberry Crisp: Use 3–4 sliced peaches with 1 cup blueberries and 1 cup blackberries. Add ¼ cup chopped pecans to the topping and follow the recipe as written.
How to Serve Gluten-Free Berry Crisp
This crisp works as a dessert, a brunch treat, or a breakfast topping. Try it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for dessert, or pair it with Greek yogurt for a morning bowl. It also makes a comforting snack any time of day.
More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
If you enjoy this crisp, you might also like gluten-free banana bread with walnuts, savory bacon-cheddar-chive scones, a gluten-free peach pie with a lattice crust, or gluten-free croissants for a special baking project.
Here is the recipe card for this gluten-free berry crisp.
If you try it, please leave a comment—thank you!
Gluten-Free Berry Crisp Recipe
Gluten-Free Berry Crisp
4 servings
15 minutes
30 minutes
15 minutes
1 hour
A delightful summer dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 pint (2 cups) berries of choice, washed and dried
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup certified gluten-free rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
- ½ cup gluten-free flour blend (e.g., Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup cold butter (8 TBSP), cut into small cubes (vegan if needed)
- Optional: ¼ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a glass or ceramic baking dish with butter or oil.
In a small bowl, combine the berries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and granulated sugar. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix the oats, gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts if using. Add the cold diced butter and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with the texture of wet sand.
Spread the berry mixture in the prepared dish, then evenly distribute the topping over the fruit. Bake about 45 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt if desired.
Notes
Dairy-Free: Use your preferred vegan butter and ensure your flour blend is dairy-free.
Variations: See the recipe variations above for rhubarb & strawberry, mixed berry, and peach blends.
Oats: Oats are optional—substitute chopped nuts for texture if you prefer to omit them.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4
Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 480
Total Fat 24g
Saturated Fat 15g
Trans Fat 1g
Unsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 61mg
Sodium 191mg
Carbohydrates 66g
Fiber 3g
Sugar 42g
Protein 4g
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and may vary based on ingredients and portions.
What’s your favorite type of crisp?
Do you have a favorite berry?
Let me know in the comments!