Easy Blackberry Crumble Recipe (2024)

Published on June 14, 2020 | Updated on June 17, 2022 by Melissa

This skillet Blackberry Crumble is loaded with juicy berries and topped with a sweet crunchy buttery topping. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy any night of the week!

I like baking with fruit – like my raspberry cream cheese coffee cake, apple cinnamon swirl bread, and raspberry cream cheese crumb cake…but I hadn’t made a crumble.

When fresh blackberries are in season it’s a great time to take advantage of this crumble recipe. If you’ve taken a trip to your local farmer’s market or the grocery store and are wondering what to do with those berries, this classic blackberry crumble is your answer.

Make some blackberry lemonade while you’re at it.

If blackberries aren’t your thing, you can sub out different fruits to suit your tastes – like strawberries, raspberries, or even apples.

What’s the difference between a crisp, crumble, and cobbler?

Before we get down to business you might be wondering what the difference between a crumble, a crisp, and a cobbler is. If you get these confused you are not alone (I still can’t keep them straight)!

The one thing all of these dishes have in common is they are all fruit-based desserts that get baked with some sort of pastry topping. The difference is in the type of pastry.

Although they are very similar (hence the confusion) in the fruit base and the signature juice that bubbles to the top, it’s in the ingredients used for the topping that separates them.

Cobblers usually have a biscuit, cake, or cookie topping. Dollops of dough are dropped on top prior to baking.

Crumbles and crisps are even more similar to one another in that they both use a streusel topping and really the only difference is crisps use oats in theirs and crumbles do not!

Whether it is the sweet baked fruit you love or that buttery crunchy topping, it really is the perfect addition to any backyard BBQ, weeknight dinner menu or even a weekend brunch!

Equipment you’ll need

• Cast Iron Skillet – If you don’t have a skillet, you can also use a glass baking dish.
• Mixing Bowls – You know I love the mixing bowls with the grippy bottoms.
• Whisk – Makes it easy to mix flour, sugar, and egg.

Ingredients

Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe.Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.

• July Blackberries – Wild blackberries will work as well if you are lucky enough to have some growing in your yard.
• All-purpose flour
• White sugar
• Egg
• Butter
• Lemon juice
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon

How to make a Blackberry Crumble

1. STEP ONE: Preheat your oven. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, white sugar and egg combining well until it is fine, coarse crumbs..
2. STEP TWO: Butter the skillet. Melt the remaining butter and set aside. Add blackberries to the skillet and cover with lemon juice.
3. STEP THREE: Sprinkle the flour mixture over top of the berries and drizzle with melted butter.
4. STEP FOUR: Finally, sprinkle the top with cinnamon and brown sugar and bake in the oven until done.

How do you prepare blackberries?

Placing them in a bowl of cold salt water for an hour or two will help kill any bugs or dirt. Then rinse them well, picking off any bits of stem or leaves as you go.

How do you sweeten blackberries?

If you happen to have picked up a batch of blackberries that are not as sweet as you would like, or perhaps you’ve bought them when they are not quite in season, either way a tried and true method to sweeten those tart berries are to put them in a bowl, sprinkle a bit of sugar on them and let them sit while the berries absorb the sugar and the sweet juices are released.

You can also use a bit of honey or maple syrup and even a bit of fruit juice for the same result.

What if I don’t have a skillet?

If you don’t have a skillet, not to worry. You can definitely make this crumble using an 8×8 glass baking dish!

Does it need to be refrigerated?

Crumbles can remain at room temperature for up to 3 days, however best to eat within a day or two.

It can be kept in the fridge for up to a week in a container covered in loosely wrapped plastic.

If you are wanting to freeze any leftover crumble, seal it in an airtight container and will be good for up to 5 months.

What should I serve with crumble?

Aside from the ever popular vanilla ice cream, you can try things like a custard or whipped topping. And of course, you might not need any topping at all, it is fantastic all on its own.

Need more fruit based desserts? Try these:

• Blueberry Muffins
• Peach Dump Cake
• Sheet Pan Apple Pie
• Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Slow Cooker Berry Crumble