Best Blackberry Crumble
Incredible Blackberry Crumble with plump, juicy blueberries covered in a buttery crumbly crust. This easy dessert recipe has the perfect balance of sweet and tart, tender and crisp, fruit and crumble. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer treat!
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This over-the-top delicious Blackberry Crumble is one of my favorite summer desserts! It’s so flavorful, I think I love it even more than chocolate cake. Yes, it’s that good!
There’s just something so scrumptious about the sweet, slightly tart fruity filling topped with a tender, buttery crumble that I just can’t resist. Enjoy it warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream for an epic summer dessert! Easier than pie, but just as delicious! Actually, even more delicious!
This was delicious! And pretty easy. We decided we like this better than blackberry pie!
— Virginia
Why you should make this recipe
- It tastes amazing! The crumbly crust and topping has the best texture and delicious buttery flavor. In addition, the berry filling is a good mix of tart and sweet. This is one dessert that you’ll go back to again and again!
- Fuss-free: If you’re like me and can’t be bothered to make a full-on pie, whip this up in minutes. Once baked and cooled, dig in, and you’ll see that it’s just as impressive and flavorful as a homemade pie!
- Versatile: Change it up – you can use almost any fruit to make this! Plus, you can add in other ingredients like nuts or shredded coconut.
- Perfect summer treat: Bake this for all of your summer celebrations! It’s great for Mother’s Day, barbecues and potlucks. Everyone will be asking for the recipe!
Looking for other fruity desserts? Be sure to also check out this tried and true Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Peach Blueberry Crisp and Blueberry Cobbler!
Ingredients needed
This blackberry crumble recipe is comprised of two main parts, the blackberry filling and the crumble, which is used as a crust and topping. Here’s what you’ll need:
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is my top choice for a light and crisp crust and crumble topping.
- Sugar: A mix of brown and white (granulated sugar) sugar makes for a tender, sweet crust and crumble topping.
- Baking powder: Necessary to keep the crust/crumble on the lighter side. Without it, the texture would be a little too hard and dense.
- Salt, cinnamon, & vanilla: For a delicious boost of flavor!
- Butter: Just like pie crust, cold butter works best in this recipe. We recommend frozen butter to make cutting (grating) the butter into the dry ingredients easier. Do NOT use softened butter because it will completely change the texture of the crumble.
- Egg yolks: Two egg yolks bind the crust/crumble ingredients together.
- Apple cider vinegar: Gives the crumble a bit of moisture so it is crumbly.
- Blackberry filling: The filling is a mix of blackberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Of course, the blackberries are the star of the show! The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the blackberries and the cornstarch helps to thicken the filling.
How to make this recipe
Ready to bake? Here’s what you need to do:
For full instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Make the crumble topping/crust: Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and sugars together in a large mixing bowl. Use a cheese grater to grate in the frozen butter. Toss the butter into the flour mixture until coated. Stir in the vanilla and egg yolks with a fork until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Add vinegar and stir once more. Use your hands to fully incorporate all ingredients.
- Make the filling: Combine blackberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a separate medium mixing bowl.
- Transfer ingredients to a baking dish: Press 1/2 of the crumble mixture into the bottom of your baking dish. Spoon the berry mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake and enjoy! Bake for 40 to 45 minutes and until top is golden brown and blackberry juice is bubbling. Allow the crumble to cool for about 20-30 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and dig in!
Helpful tips
- Fresh or frozen blackberries: Fresh blackberries will yield the best results, however frozen blackberries will work. Do not thaw the fruit before baking, as this will add too much water to the mix. Keep in mind, frozen blackberries may produce a more liquid-y filling. It may be necessary to add about 15 minutes more to the cook time. If the topping starts to brown too soon, gently cover with foil (don’t seal the foil, just lay it over top).
- Skip the canned blackberry fillings: This crumble will turn out much more delicious if you make the filling from scratch rather than using canned filling sold in grocery stores.
- Self-rising flour: Feel free to use self-rising flour and skip the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder combination.
- Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream: You could easily enjoy a bowl (or two) of this easy blackberry crumble on its own, but it’s even better with vanilla ice cream on top! I love the way the rich, cold ice cream contrasts with the sweet, buttery crumble and warm juicy fruit. If ice cream’s not your thing, you can still pair this with a creamy topping like whipped cream.
Frequently asked questions
The cold butter grated into the crumble mixture ensures a golden brown, crunchy crumble that won’t turn out soggy.
Add cornstarch to the filling to thicken the fruit. While it bakes the filling becomes bubbly and this high heat will cause the cornstarch to make the filling perfectly thickened and not too runny.
The difference between cobblers, crumbles and crisps can be a bit confusing. They’re all very similar – kind of like fruit pie, but with different crusts. Cobblers usually have a sweet biscuit or cake-like topping, crumbles have an oat-less crumb topping and a crisp has a loose mixture of sugar, flour and oats. Often, the names for the desserts are used interchangeably with one another, but crumbles always have a crumbly topping without oats.
Serving suggestions
A juicy, warm blackberry crumble is amazing on its own, but topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even crème fraîche, this dessert recipe becomes a dinner party-worthy treat. We even love it cold, for a slightly indulgent breakfast as an addition to yogurt. Yum!
I’ve also used it as a topping for buttermilk waffles. It was just as amazing as what you might imagine!
Fruit variations
Even though the blackberries in this crumble are incredible, feel free to use equal parts of your favorite fruits to add in or use instead. Try cherries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, and the list goes on.
You can also add some chopped nuts and/or shredded coconut to the topping, if you’d like.
Storage recommendations
- Storing leftovers: Cooked fruit desserts usually last just 2-3 days. If you are going to eat the crumble within a day of making it, you do not need to refrigerate it. Simply cover it with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature. After 24 hours, cover it and place it in the refrigerator for up to about 3 days.
- To freeze: Wrap the crumble in plastic wrap and then wrap it in foil to keep any moisture out and place it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Don’t forget to label it with the date. When you’re ready to enjoy the dessert, thaw and reheat using one of the methods below.
- To reheat in the microwave: Scoop out an individual portion and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and reheat for 30-45 seconds or until crumble is warmed through.
- To reheat in the oven: Remove the crumble from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Blackberry crumble is a wonderful dessert for summer dinner parties, BBQs, and celebrations or an easy weeknight treat. It’s SO good on its own, but it’s next level delicious paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
More favorite summer desserts
If you love this easy blackberry crumble recipe, try one of these delicious summer desserts next:
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Best Blackberry Crumble
Ingredients
Crumble:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup frozen unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1-2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Fruit filling:
- 3 cups blackberries*
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.
- To make the crumble, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and sugars together in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a cheese grater, grate in the frozen butter (you could cut the butter in with a pastry cutter, if you prefer). Gently toss the butter into the flour mixture until coated.
- Using a fork, stir in vanilla and egg yolks until egg is mostly absorbed. Add vinegar and give the mixture another stir. Use your hands to finish incorporating all of the ingredients. Mixture should clump, but remain mostly dry. If your mixture is not clumping, add another teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Set crumble aside.
- To make the fruit filling, combine blackberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a separate medium mixing bowl.
- Transfer about 1/2 of the crumble mixture into the bottom of baking dish. Press mixture down using a flat measuring cup or damp hands. Pour the berry mixture over the crust. Add the remaining crumble mixture on top. Some small clumps are best!
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes and until top is golden brown and blackberry juice is bubbling. Allow the crumble to cool for about 20-30 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
To reheat in the microwave, scoop out an individual portion and place in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and reheat for 30-45 seconds or until crumble is heated through.
To reheat in the oven, remove the crumble from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was so delicious! I will be making it all summer long!
Yum! This was so delicious and easy too!
This was delicious! And pretty easy. We decided we like this better than blackberry pie!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed!