Blackberry Apple Crisp

Oregon blackberries and Honeycrisp apples are combined and topped with a hazelnut oat topping creating the perfect combination of flavors for this easy fruit crisp. It's the perfect gluten-free dessert for any time of the year and any type of gathering!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY THE 
OREGON RASPBERRY AND BLACKBERRY COMMISSION

WHO IS READY FOR SUMMER?!?! Me, ME, meeee.....!

I don't know about you and your locale, but this spring has not felt spring-ish enough for me. Up until recently it has been way too cold to believe that spring has sprung. But it finally sprang friends.

I broke out my flip-flops and was able to wear them without my toes turning into blue ice cube nubbins. This is a good thing.
1.) Good for my toes, obviously.
2.) It means summer is on its way which means so are backyard BBQs, glasses of rosé and sangria, and all things berry. Like warm blackberry apple crisp with a cinnamon vanilla hazelnut oat topping. It's SO dreamy. So tasty.

Even though berries aren't quite yet in season, it doesn't matter because I live in Oregon where frozen berries abound. And it doesn't matter for you either, even if you don't live in Oregon, because our frozen berry abundance is most likely waiting for you in your local grocery store.

Fun fact #1: Did you know Oregon ranks #1 in all the land in frozen blackberry, Marionberry, and black raspberry production, and is a top 5 producer of frozen red raspberries and boysenberries?!

Fun fact #2: I lied. I don't actually live in Oregon. But I sometimes tell people that I do. I am a born and raised Oregonian who lives 5 miles from the Oregon-Washington border. You can find me in Portland, Oregon 5-6 days a week (which a lot of Washingtonians think is weird, but I'm not really sure why because Portland is awesome). And it's my husband's fault that we live in Washington. Which he knows. This is also why when we head out for a date night, he looks at me and says, "Portland?" He knows me so well. And he knows that he married an Oregonian.

Ingredients for the crisp topping

• Gluten-Free Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: While oats are naturally gluten-free, to ensure no cross-contamination, make sure to use certified gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats.
• Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup is the way to go.
• Coconut oil: I use cold pressed, unrefined coconut oil. Unsalted butter is a great substitute if you prefer something different.
• Almond flour: Super-fine blanched almond flour adds subtle sweet warmth to the crisp topping and helps to create those tasty crisp topping clumps once the coconut oil and maple syrup are stirred in.
• Hazelnuts: Also known as filberts. Pecans can be substituted as a tasty variation for the crisp topping if you prefer. Fun fact #3 -> Did you know that Oregon produces 99% of the U.S. hazelnut crop?! Yes, we do! I mean they do. The Oregon hazelnut farmers. I don't farm (except for the small garden boxes in my backyard).

Amazing Oregon berries

Let's talk Oregon berries because they are DEFINITELY worth talking about.

Oregon is one of the few places in the world that has the ideal growing environment for caneberries. Caneberries include berries such as blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries...any berry that grows on a cane. The place I call home has been blessed with the perfect air, soil, and water conditions for caneberries to grow and thrive.

Now take Oregon's amazing, hard-working family berry farmers who pour their love into these tasty berries and partner that with the perfect environmental berry-growing conditions, and you wind up with some consistently exceptional high-quality berries (like the frozen blackberries that you should definitely use in this blackberry apple hazelnut crisp)! 

It is well worth your while to search out frozen Oregon berries the next time you are in the grocery store. Just look for frozen blackberries that say Grown in the USA or Product of the USA and they'll be coming from yours truly. Not directly from me. From Oregon. Specifically those awesome Oregon caneberry farmers. I'm just an Oregonian who eats the berries. Go buy some Oregon berries.

I seriously get sooo excited for berry season. Do you guys go berry picking where you live? If not, come to Oregon and pick some berries. But as the slogan goes in these parts (coined by former Governor Tom McCall), “Come visit, don’t stay.” We Oregonians really like keeping our state to ourselves, but we like it when you visit, and we do like sharing our berries with you.

But here's the best part, if you're not able to make the visit to Oregon or you find yourself sitting around twiddling your fingers waiting for berry season to get here (raises hand), the kind and thoughtful Oregon berry farmers pick their berries at the peak of ripeness and freeze them within 24 hrs of being picked, locking in maximum taste, juiciness and nutrition. Gotta love those farmers. And gotta love the fact that this means we can enjoy Oregon berries year-round.

No more crying and sitting in a corner when you've put in a hard day's work picking berries only to realize that you practically ate them all before you even made it home. Oregon berries have your back. You can instead sit in the corner eating blackberry apple crisp year-round.

Why you'll love this recipe

This Blackberry Apple Crisp is basically a Pacific Northwest party in your mouth. Sweet and delicious frozen Oregon blackberries are combined with crisp, sweet-tart Honeycrisp apples (which you can find these apples in many parts of the U.S. but we like to grow them in Oregon's Willamette Valley too), and then topped with a tasty hazelnut oat topping (which I may just turn into a granola recipe because it's SO good).

I love this crisp for several reasons. Are you ready for some more fun facts?! Just kidding. We'll do bullet points this time.

• It's healthier. Many berry crisp recipes like to dump in a boatload of refined white sugar. It's pretty common to see a brick of butter included in the topping as well. But not with this crisp! The flavors of the berries and apples are able to shine on their own without any extra sugar added to them while a ¼ cup of pure maple syrup is added to the topping to give it just enough sweetness without putting you into a sugar coma. If you're checking out the nutrition label below, 8.7 grams of the sugar is from the natural sugars in the apples and berries themselves, while the rest is from the maple syrup in the crisp topping. Obviously, if you're staring at the ice cream nestled in with the crisp in the pictures, well...I like to think I'm just giving you the space and freedom to choose how healthy you want your crisp to be. But in my opinion, ice cream and crisp go together like Oregon and berries.
• It's easy. Just 10 minutes to prep, then let it bake and make your house smell amazing.
• It feeds a crowd. This is my go-to dessert for large crowds or if I'm in a pinch to make a tasty dessert for house guests. The hazelnut crisp topping can be made beforehand and stored in your refrigerator until it's time to make the dessert. If you're having guests over for dinner, just throw the chopped apples and frozen blackberries quickly in a dish before you sit down to eat, top it with the prepared crisp, and place it in the oven to cook while you're eating dinner. By the time it's finished baking everyone will have finished dinner and be ready for dessert!

Sooo...WHO'S ready for some healthier blackberry apple hazelnut crisp?!

Definitely me (that's a fact).

More tasty dessert recipes using berries!

• Berry Yogurt Popsicles with Granola for dessert or breakfast!
• Gluten-Free Blackberry Pie absolutely heavenly
• Gluten-Free Raspberry Hand Pies with white chocolate drizzle
• No-Churn Red Wine, Strawberry, & Salted Dark Chocolate Ice Cream adults only
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries a simple, sweet treat

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a star rating below! I greatly appreciate your feedback and it is also so helpful for other PMST readers who are thinking about making the recipe. Remember to snap a photo and tag @passmesometasty on Instagram so I can see!

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Thank you to the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission for sponsoring this post and for supporting the hardworking Oregon caneberry farmers who bring us delicious berries that we can enjoy year-round! And thank you to those of you who support the brands that allow Pass Me Some Tasty to keep cooking up the tastiness! Be sure to follow along with all of the tasty berry happenings in Oregon by following @oregonberries on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion and are brands/products that I personally use and enjoy. This post may also contain affiliate links which I may receive a small commission from (without any additional costs to you).