Cast Iron Skillet Blackberry Crisp

When my Aunt dropped off a giant bowl of fresh blackberries from her garden, I immediately knew I had to make a twist on my fall apple crisp. You can think of this as the summer version!

In culinary school, I learned the importance of using in-season ingredients for the best-tasting food. If you truly want the best blackberry crisp, I highly recommend making this in the summer with fresh fruit. That said, frozen blackberries will also work.

This dessert may look impressive, but trust me when I say it's actually so easy to make. Just 20 minutes of prep, and the oven does the rest of the work!

If you want to keep growing your baking skills, my free guide includes some of the best secrets for instantly improving your baking.

Ingredients You Need

• All purpose flour: Don't overpack the flour if you're measuring volumetrically. I always prefer using a scale to ensure accuracy (just hit the metric button on the recipe card for weight measurements).
• Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar will also work.
• Old fashioned oats: I prefer the texture of old fashioned oats over quick cooking oats. They're thicker and give you more of that classic crisp topping texture.
• Ground cinnamon: This fall spice pairs nicely with blackberries.
• Vanilla extract: Adds an additional hint of flavor, but you can omit it if you don't have any on hand.
• Fine sea salt: Table salt will also work.
• Unsalted butter: I always opt for unsalted butter, since there isn't a standardized amount of salt that every brand uses.
• Blackberries: Fresh, in-season blackberries will always be best! Don't be afraid to use blackberries that are a little past their prime, as they will be baked and you won't be able to tell. You can also substitute with frozen blackberries. Just allow them to thaw before assembling the crisp.

Take a look at the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

How To Make Cast Iron Skillet Blackberry Crisp

Step 1: First, add flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine.

Step 2: Make sure your butter is at room temperature, then using clean hands, work it into the dry ingredients until the butter is the size of peas. You can also use a pastry cutter for this step.

Step 3: Grab your cast iron skillet and grease the bottom and sides with the leftover butter wrappers. Pour in all of the blackberries.

Step 4: Evenly sprinkle the crisp topping over the blackberries. Then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 - 35 minutes until the top has slightly browned and the blackberries are softened. 

Expert Tips

• Make Ahead: Assemble the blackberry crisp the night before you plan to serve it, then cover the skillet with aluminum foil and pop it into the fridge. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C), remove the foil, and bake for 35 - 40 minutes until the blackberries are bubbly and warmed through and the topping is golden brown.
• If you're looking to make this blackberry crisp a little fancier, try baking it in individual portions. I love using ramekins or mini cast iron skillets for a fun presentation.
• After the crisp comes out of the oven, I like to break up the topping so some of the blackberries poke out from the bottom. This makes it super enticing to eat! And always top with vanilla ice cream and some fresh mint for a beautiful garnish.

FAQs for Blackberry Crisp

More Dessert Recipes

If you enjoy a good crisp or pie, check out my baked cranberry hand pies, glazed apple hand pies, or mini baked sweet potato pies.

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below. Have questions as you're cooking? Leave a comment below, and I'll help!