Blackberry Peach Crisp with Brown Sugar-Oat Topping

This blackberry peach crisp recipe is one of my favorite desserts to make during the summer. It highlights delicious in-season fruit and it's not too heavy--the perfect summer dessert for especially warm days. I love to serve it warm topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

this recipe

Growing up, there were several summers when my family and I would stay in a cabin on Lake Glenville, North Carolina. My cousins and I would always try and see who could find the most wild blackberries. By the end of the week, we would have gathered enough berries to make a small blackberry crisp, and it was the perfect dessert to end our summer meal. Here, I've added a natural partner to blackberries: sweet summer peaches.

Here, I've added a natural partner to blackberries: sweet summer peaches. At the first sign of peach season, I'm always so excited to visit one of our local farmer's markets and grab first-of-the-season South Carolina sweet peaches. The really do make this classic summertime dessert that much better. You may also want to check out these Peach Crisp Popsicles. All of the flavors of the delicious fruit dessert are in a frosty popsicle form.

This recipe is from my cookbook, The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook. If you'd like to check out some other recipes from my book, be sure to check out my Ultimate Cheeseburger recipe and Savory Green Tomato Pie.

Ingredients

Before we get started, let’s gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

• Fresh blackberries
• Fresh peaches
• Lemon juice
• Light brown sugar
• Cornstarch
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Old-fashioned oats
• Duke's mayonnaise
• Ground cinnamon
• Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Now that we've gathered all the ingredients, it's time to get baking!

First, make the brown sugar-oatmeal topping.

Then, squeeze the mixture to create large clumps.

Next, toss together the blackberries, peaches, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a separate bowl.

Finally, transfer to a skillet or baking dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar-oatmeal topping. Bake until bubbly and serve with ice cream.

Substitutions

Spoiler alert! There are so many ways to change up this recipe. Here are some more options:

• Frozen fruit - Craving this dessert in the middle of winter? Not to worry--pick up frozen blackberries and peaches from your grocery store instead. Just be sure to thaw them for the best results.
• Other fruit - The great thing about this recipe is you can use whatever fruit your heart desires, and it doesn't have to be just summer fruit. Peeled sliced apples, blueberries, cranberries, pears, nectarines...the possibilities are endless.
• Nuts - Add your favorite chopped nuts to the topping. I love pecans and almonds.

Variations

Here are some more variations for this blackberry peach crisp recipe:

• Crumble - Not a fan of oats? That's okay--omit them and now you have a crumble.
• Mini - Divide the filling and topping between individual serving dishes and reduce the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
• Ice Cream - Top this blackberry peach crisp with another ice cream flavor besides vanilla. Butter pecan and lemon custard are some of my favorites.

Equipment

The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn't require special equipment. You'll need a set of measuring spoons, dry measuring cups, a mixing bowl set, and a 2-quart baking dish or cast iron skillet.

Storage

If you plan on eating this dessert right away, cover the crisp (after it's cooled) and let it stand at room temperature overnight. You can also cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.

To freeze leftovers, store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Keep these few food safety things in mind when making this recipe

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or eggs
• Wash hands after touching raw meat or eggs
• Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.