Summer Fruit Crisp
Here's a versatile and homey dessert that everyone loves. Chunks of fresh fruit are topped with a glorious brown-sugary oatmeal topping. Wonderful with vanilla ice cream.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
A warm fruit crisp is the perfect way to taste the flavors of summer. With a sweet, crumbly oat topping, this dessert is flexible, easy to make and very, very good.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Fresh Fruit: A combo of stone fruits and berries, about six cups.
Vanilla: Just a touch for extra flavor.
Flour: All-purpose flour.
Sugar: Light or dark brown will work fine.
Lemon: Zest and juice to punch up the flavors.
Crumb Topping: Staple ingredients - flour, regular and brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, oatmeal, butter.
This is about using the fruit you have on hand:
Use a combination of stone fruits like nectarines, peaches, apricots and cherries for the majority of fruit you'll need, and cut them into rough-sized two-inch chunks.
Strawberries will release water with baking, so don't use more than a cup of them in this recipe. Stone fruits and berries are best, but avoid melons, kiwi or other soft, high water content fruits.
Tips for success:
The oat topping will make more than you need, but store the other half in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 90 days.
If you don' t have a food processor for the oat topping, no problem. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to combine the ingredients, pressing and smearing the butter pieces with your fingers into the dry ingredients until crumbly and completely combined.
This recipe is easy to double for a crowd (use two 9" glass pie plates, or a 9 x 13" oven-safe baking dish), great for potlucks.
FAQ’s
Can I make this recipe in advance?
You can make the oat crumb topping up to 90 days in advance, just keep it in a freezer safe bag or container. I like using fresh fruit that's ripe and ready the day I'm going to make this, but frozen fruit will work too.
What if I can't find all these varieties of fruit?
Just use six cups of whatever stone fruits and berries you can find. Frozen peaches and nectarines, berries and cherries work well too, just defrost and drain before using.
How do I store this dessert?
Cover the fruit crisp in cling wrap and refrigerate. This dessert is best eaten the day it's made.
Summer Fruit Crisp
An easy, flexible summer dessert made with whatever fruit looks best at the market. The buttery oat topping can be made ahead and kept in the freezer, so you’re always halfway to dessert.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
6 cups sliced peaches, nectarines, apricots, pitted cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries, using a combination of two or more fruits
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Crumb Topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
Make the Crumb Topping
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, salt, oats, and butter. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly and begins to clump together.
If you don’t have a food processor, use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is evenly combined and holds together when squeezed.
This recipe makes about 5 cups of crumb topping. You’ll use 2½ cups for this recipe and can freeze the remaining topping for up to 3 months.
Prepare the Fruit
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly butter or spray a 9½-inch pie plate or similar oven-safe baking dish. Place it on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that may bubble over during baking.
In a large bowl, gently toss together the fruit, vanilla, flour, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Transfer the fruit to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle 2½ cups of the crumb topping evenly over the top.
Bake
Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Recipe Notes:
The extra crumb topping is one of my favorite kitchen shortcuts. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months and you'll always be halfway to your next fruit crisp.
For the best texture, use a combination of two or more fruits rather than all strawberries. Strawberries release a lot of juice as they bake, while a mix of fruits creates a better-balanced filling.
This recipe doubles easily in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, making it perfect for barbecues, potlucks, and summer gatherings.
This post and recipe were updated for clarity and readability in July 2026.