Blackberry Crisp with Cabernet

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An old fashioned blackberry crisp with a twist. Cabernet (or red wine of preference) perfectly compliments the blackberries for a simple but fabulous fruit dessert. Topped with vanilla ice cream for an anytime dessert you can put together before your oven pre-heats.

A serving of blackberry crisp in a white serving dish with ice cream

My favorite thing about summer, other than the much awaited warmth, is fresh fruit. Since my parents were raised in California, I grew up with mostly fruit desserts. The better the fruit, the less you have to do with it. That’s why crisps are one of the best ways to show off whatever is currently in season.

A blackberry crisp with cabernet added to the berries is naturally sweet from fresh or frozen berries infused with your favorite red wine. Top it off with a crispy oat topping and vanilla ice cream and you have an easy but elegant fruit dessert.

A spoon in a baking dish of blackberry cabernet crissp

Blackberries are naturally sweet when they’re ripe right off the vine, but they don’t ripen after they’ve been picked so make sure you choose berries that are dark in color, plump and shiny. They will become dull as they age.

When blackberries are ripe in your area, (in NC it isn’t until June, but in other areas you can find them from June through August), give this recipe a try or add cabernet to your favorite recipe. It adds a very subtle flavor but compliments the blackberries. You can also add it to your favorite blackberry cobbler or blackberry crumble. It’s pretty tasty when combined with blueberries.

The age old question is what’s the difference between a cobbler, crisp and crumble. The short answer is that a cobbler has a biscuit like topping, a crumble is not quite as cakey, more like a streusel and a crisp generally has oatmeal to make it crisp when it bakes.

I think you’ll find that crisps and crumbles are used interchangeably. This blackberry dessert has oatmeal in the topping which gives it some texture when you take a spoonful.

A baking dish of a fruit crisp with a serving spoon

Why a blackberry dessert?

Super sweet but with just 60 calories for a cup
High in Vitamin C, and K and high in fiber
Great antioxidant (for more info on the health benefits of blackberries check out this research, they are a SUPERFOOD!)
You can use frozen berries for baking and they’re just as sweet and delicious as fresh and if they’re not in season, frozen will have more flavor than what you find in the grocery.

What you’ll need

Ingredients for the filling for a blackberry crisp — Ingredients for the filling

Blackberries – fresh or you can use frozen. If using frozen, let them that so that you can drain off the juice.
Cabernet – you can use any red wine, but choose one that you’ld like to drink, a cup goes into the blackberry crisp so you can enjoy the rest of the bottle. If you’re not a cab fan, then my next favorite with the berries is a zinfandel.
Oatmeal – old fashioned rolled oats, this is what makes the top crispy.
Pantry items – flour, sugar, butter, and brown sugar. You could throw in some nuts too.
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Ingredients for the topping of a blackberry crissp — Ingredients for the topping

Easy steps

Step 1: Combine blackberries with sugar and flour and pour red wine over them. Gently combine and place in a baking dish.

Step 2: For the topping, combine flour, sugar and salt and use your fingers to pinch in the butter. Add oats and pinch to combine.

A bowl of the topping for a blackberry dessert

Step 3: Distribute the topping over the berries and place in the oven with a baking sheet underneath to catch any juices that might spill out. Bake.

A baking dish with a recipe of blackberry crisp before it is baked

Step 4: Let cool briefly and serve in bowls as it will be juicy. Top with ice cream or heavy cream if warm, if room temperature serve with whipped cream.

A baked blackberry crisp in a white baking dish with a spoon

This is such a simple dessert recipe, you can put it together before your oven pre-heats. When done, just turn off the oven and let it stay warm until you’re ready to serve. This blackberry crisp recipe is a great dessert to make when you’re having friends or family for dinner, you can put it together in five minutes and it can cook while you’re eating dinner.

If served warm, vanilla ice cream puts it over the top, or you could drizzle some heavy cream over it. If it’s at room temperature then I like to serve it with whipped cream sweetened with a little powdered sugar and honey.

How do you make homemade whipped cream

This doesn’t require a recipe. Just beat heavy cream with a hand mixer and once it starts to stiffen, add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until it becomes sweet enough for you. Add about ½ teaspoon of vanilla per cup of whipped cream. You can add a tablespoon of honey along with the powdered sugar/

FAQs and tips

Are blackberries good for you?

There has been lots of research showing that blackberries have so many health benefits, they are considered a superfood.

How to choose the best blackberries.

Choose berries that are shiny, they dull as they age. The sweetest berries will be dark in color and plump.

Do blackberries ripen after they’ve been picked?

No, blackberries will not ripen after they’ve been picked so look for berries that are plump and shiny.

Can you make this in advance?

If you want to make this in advance, go ahead and bake it and then just warm up before serving or serve it a room temperature.

What can you do with a bunch of blackberries

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