Winter Berry Oat Crumble (Print version)
A warm, comforting blend of winter berries beneath a golden oat topping, ideal for chilly days.
# What you'll need:
→ Berry Filling
01 - 21.2 oz mixed frozen winter berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, currants)
02 - 0.35 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
04 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Oat Crumble Topping
06 - 1.25 cups rolled oats
07 - 0.72 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 0.5 cup light brown sugar
09 - 0.44 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
10 - 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
11 - Pinch of salt
# How to make it:
01 - Set the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
02 - In a large bowl, gently toss frozen berries with granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and vanilla extract until evenly coated.
03 - Transfer the berry mixture to a 9-inch (23 cm) baking dish, spreading it evenly.
04 - Mix rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Add cold cubed butter and rub with fingertips until coarse crumbs form.
05 - Evenly distribute the oat crumble topping over the berry layer.
06 - Bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden and berries are bubbling around edges.
07 - Allow to cool for 10 minutes; serve warm optionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream or custard.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- The contrast between the jammy, tart filling and that buttery, crunchy topping is pure magic—no fancy techniques required.
- It comes together in 15 minutes of prep and tastes like you spent the whole day fussing over it.
- Frozen berries work brilliantly, so there's no scrambling to find perfect fruit in the middle of winter.
02 -
- Cold butter is non-negotiable for a proper crumble—I learned this the hard way when I used softened butter and ended up with a dense, oaty cake instead of a crunchy topping.
- Don't skip the lemon juice even if you think the berries are sweet enough; it's what makes the filling taste bright and alive rather than flat and one-dimensional.
- The filling will look thin and soupy before baking, but the cornstarch thickens it into something glossy and spoopable as it cooks.
03 -
- Keep your butter in the freezer until the moment you use it—if your kitchen is warm, grate cold butter into the dry ingredients instead of cubing it, which melts less quickly under warm fingers.
- Don't wait for the crumble to cool completely before eating it; the filling is best when still warm enough to release a little steam, and the contrast between hot berry and cool ice cream is part of the whole point.