And just like that, we’ve entered into the summer fruit season. And I, for one, am so excited about it. I know it’s a little early in the peach season, especially if you’re in the south, but around here the peaches and berries have officially arrived at the grocery store and I couldn’t resist picking up a few bushels full. Early in the peach season is really when I love to bake with peaches the most. Right now, they’re not at their sweetest, so I find that baking with them is the perfect thing to do. Especially since we’re already adding sugar…not to mention that baking them draws out their sweetness even more. When I saw I had a fridge full of peaches, I knew I wanted to bake with them this week. I have a couple of peach cobbler recipes, but not many crisp recipes, so that pretty much answered that. A peach crisp it was! The blackberries were added simply because Asher and I were just saying how much we LOVE blackberries. To me, the combination of peaches and roasted blackberries is such a delicious one.
The details are pretty easy
This is a quick three-step process. Start with the fruit. Fresh peach and blackberries tossed together with brown sugar and vanilla. Many people will add in some kind of citrus for a little acidity, but I wanted to keep this crisp extra sweet and rich, so I went the vanilla route. Add a touch of cornstarch to create a nice thick and juicy sauce. The secret here is the brown sugar, butter, sweet peaches, and berries. The peaches bake down and create the most incredible caramel-like sauce. Even without the crisp topping, the peaches and baked blackberries alone are simply delish. But of course, that crisp topping just adds that extra special touch.
That crisp topping?
It’s very important, and it took me a while to get just right. I really really wanted it to be more cookie-like with a very nice crunch and not soggy in any way. I find that a lot of crisp toppings can be a little cakey and soggy, so my goal was to avoid sogginess. The topping consists of flour, oats, cinnamon, brown sugar…and yup, butter. Peaches can use a little extra buttery love every now and then, you know? Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit, bake, and about an hour later you’ll have the perfect summer fruit crisp. The topping is so much like a crisp brown sugar cookie…so delicious. The cinnamon maple butter that’s drizzled over top halfway through cooking is the real secret. It caramelizes the top and makes a crisp that is truly sweet, buttery, and CRISP. What I love so much about a recipe like this is that you can really use whatever fruit you have on hand. I love using the mix of sweet peaches and blackberries. But you can certainly use other stone fruits. You can even go super simple and just use your favorite berry. It’s going to be juicy and delicious no matter what combo…or lack of combo…you choose. The one thing you must do is serve this warm right out of the oven, while the juices are bubbling up, and everything is smelling incredible. Lastly, make sure you add ice cream! A must with almost any fruit-based dessert, but especially a crisp, and especially during the summer. This is a classic summertime dessert that really should be happening on a weekly basis all summer long! Looking for other summer fruit desserts? Here are some favorites: Lemon Key Lime Pie Bars Skillet Blueberry Bourbon Pandowdy Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts Lastly, if you make this Cinnamon Maple Brown Butter Blackberry Peach Crisp. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
