Brown Butter Berry Crisp

Sweet and juicy summer berries topped with a crunchy, buttery, brown sugar crumble make this skillet dessert a favorite all season long. You’ll never guess this easy and delicious brown butter berry crisp is gluten free. Just add ice cream!

Happy Sunday bakers and welcome to the first installment of Skillet Dessert Sunday! If you haven’t heard, I’ll be baking up my favorite simple and delicious skillet desserts all month long here on the blog. There will be a little something for everyone’s sweet tooth and every recipe is low on effort, but big on flavor. Perfect for the lazy summer baker in all of us. We are kicking it all off with this must have summertime classic – the berry crisp. Nothing says summer like a fresh fruit crisp and I’m sure you aren’t surprised to find out that my twist on the classic is made with brown butter. Yep. Had to do it and I’m not one bit sorry. This brown butter berry crisp could not be easier to make and the flavor can’t be beat. So let’s get right to it!

THINGS YOU NEED TO MAKE A BROWN BUTTER BERRY CRISP

Skillet. It’s no secret that I love a good skillet dessert. They are so easy to make and who doesn’t love a dessert that can be eaten right out of the pan? I bake this summer berry crisp in a 9-inch cast iron skillet but it can easily be made in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan or pie dish if you don’t have a skillet on hand. If you are thinking of investing in a heavy duty skillet {they come in handy for all sorts of recipes!}, I adore this one from Le Creuset. It’s one of my favorite pieces in the kitchen and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Which means I see lots of skillet desserts in my future!

Fresh berries. One could argue that summer is the best season of all simply for the berries alone. This time of year fresh berries are plump and juicy and oh-so perfectly sweet. Berries are the real star of the show in summertime desserts and they are perfect for adding to your favorite pies, cakes, crisps, and crumbles. The flavor of fresh berries can’t be beat but if you aren’t able to get your hands on fresh picked fruit, grab a bag of frozen mixed berries and let them thaw to room temperature before mixing the filling.

Gluten free oats. This recipe is gluten free but I promise you’ll never know it. Skillet desserts are easy to make gluten free with your favorite gluten free oats and flour. Not opposed to gluten? No problem. Just use equal amounts of regular oats and all purpose flour instead.

Gluten free flour. Nothing fancy needed for this easy recipe. Any simple gluten free flour will do. Since this crispy streusel topping doesn’t need to “rise” there is no need for any extra ingredients like xanthum gum which is sometimes added to gluten free baked goods.

Brown butter. Sure, you could use regular melted butter for this recipe but trust me when I say the brown butter takes this summer berry crisp up a notch {or five!}. It tastes incredible and it really adds an extra delicious layer of flavor that sets this berry crisp apart from all the rest. I promise you’ll be glad you spent the extra five minutes to brown the butter.

Corn starch. This recipe calls for just a bit of cornstarch to help thicken up the juice of the berries as they cook down. The filling will bake up into a warm, buttery, bubbly skillet full of berry goodness. Have your spoons ready!

Brown sugar. Summer berries are generally on the sweet side so we don’t need to add much sugar to bring out their delicious flavor. I like to add brown sugar to amp up the flavor in both the berry filling and the streusel topping. Pro-tip: add about half of the brown sugar to the berry filling and then taste a berry or two before you add the topping to be sure they are not too tart. Listen to your sweet tooth and add more sugar if needed.

WHAT MAKES SKILLET DESSERTS SO GOOD?

Skillet desserts have long been a staple in our kitchen because they are easy to make and the flavor combinations are endless. One of my all-time favorites is this Peanut Butter Swirl Skillet Brownie made with a rich, fudgy brownie and homemade peanut butter. Gah! It’s ridiculously delicious. If you love over-the-top desserts as much as I do, check out this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Blondie that comes together in less than thirty minutes. Because what’s better than a giant oversized blondie fresh from the oven and topped with a double scoop of vanilla ice cream? Nothing, that’s what. Clearly I love a giant cookie in a skillet but come summertime, I’m all about the berries. Nothing compares to a fruit crisp when berries are in season and I love that I can assemble this crisp ahead of time and bake it off just in time for dessert. This fruit crisp could not be easier to make with very little prep time and it’s perfect for sharing. Ditch the ice cream topping and this brown butter berry crisp totally counts as breakfast!

LET’S TALK SWAPS

The beauty of this brown butter berry crisp is that it is so versatile. Just grab a few handfuls of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I love that no two bites are the same with a mix of flavors and textures. If you don’t have berries readily available you can swap in any stone fruit like peaches or nectarines. Load it up with some ruby red cherries or test it out with apples once fall rolls around. The sky is the limit! Also, if you aren’t sensitive to gluten you can easily swap regular oats and all purpose flour for the gluten free versions. Think about adding a handful of toasted walnuts or pecans to the crumble topping for extra flavor and texture. This recipe is so simple and delicious you’ll be sure to have this easy skillet dessert on repeat all summer long.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BROWN BUTTER BERRY CRISP

Brown the butter. It goes without saying that everything is better with brown butter and this berry crisp is no exception. Brown butter takes this crisp to “oh my gosh, who made this??” status. One wiff of this brown butter berry deliciousness baking in the oven and you’ll be dying to grab a spoon and dig in.

Use fresh berries. Fresh is best so if you can get your hands on some newly picked berries at the local farmer’s market, that’s definitely the way to go. Fruit crisps and crumbles are also a great way to use up fruit that is a little past it’s prime. And in a pinch, defrosted frozen berries will work just fine. There is really no wrong way to make this summertime favorite. It’s less of a recipe and more about ratios which makes it pretty much fool proof.

Watch your oven. Before sliding your skillet into the oven, place it on top of a baking sheet just in case the juices from the berries bubble up and over the pan. Bake the fruit crisp until the berry juices are bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown. The crumble topping can go from brown to burnt quickly so be sure to peak in the oven every so often at the end of the baking cycle.

HOW TO SERVE BERRY CRISP

I dare you to wait for this brown butter berry crisp to cool down to room temperature before digging in with a spoon in each hand. It’s simply irresistible right from the oven and once you top it with a giant scoop or two of melty vanilla ice cream, all hope is lost. This skillet dessert is best served warm on the back patio with your bare feet up on a lawn chair and the summer sun setting off in the distance. Speaking from experience there is rarely a spoonful left over but it does keep well in the refrigerator. Perfect for breakfast the next day.

I hope you’ll bookmark this recipe to enjoy all summer long. It’s become one of those tried and true favorites that is easy to memorize and simple enough to throw together at a moment’s notice. If you make this recipe, or any other recipe from the blog, be sure to tag #brownedbutterblondie on Instagram. I love seeing what you are baking up in your kitchens! And don’t go far – skillet dessert Sunday is happening every Sunday in the month of June and you won’t want to miss the special skillet dessert I’m cooking up next week for Father’s Day.

Until then…happy baking!

If you love this Brown Butter Berry Crisp, you’ll also love…

Dark Cherry Ice Cream Sandwiches

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Blondie

Peanut Butter Swirl Skillet Brownie

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