I have berry FOMO. Despite being fully aware of the multiple containers of ripe blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries waiting faithfully at home, every time I enter the grocery store, I feel a compulsive obligation to purchase more. At one point, I ended up with so many berries nearing their demise that I had no choice but to turn them into Slow Cooker Triple Berry Crisp.
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It was a difficult task, but someone needed to take command. Let perfect raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries go to waste? Or make Triple Berry Crisp?
I think you know where this is going.
Perfect Reasons to Make Triple Berry Crisp in a Slow Cooker
There are so many reasons to make crock pot fruit crisp. Slow Cooker Triple Berry Crisp (and Crock Pot Apple Crisp too!) is for a time when a standard 8×8-inch pan of fruit crisp simply will not do.
- You need to serve a larger crowd.
- You want to keep your kitchen cool by avoiding the oven, so the slow cooker is the way to go.
- Maybe you’ve discovered that when it comes to triple berry crisp, a few extra servings is never ever a bad idea.
Or maybe like me, you have berry FOMO. You’ve been impulsively hoarding berries because it’s summer and berries are so good and what if the perfect ripe berries go away and I didn’t eat as many as I wanted???.
You need a way to use those tasty berries before they go to waste (*cough, Triple Berry Crisp, cough*).
Although I have yet to meet a fruit crisp I didn’t like, I am especially partial to berry crisps. While all fruit crisps are relatively easy to make (one of their many endearing qualities), berry crisps are especially so, because you don’t need to prep the fruit first.
No peeling, no coring, no dicing. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are ready to go into the baking dish (or in the case of today’s recipe, the slow cooker) just as they are.
Now, let’s talk topping.
Buttery, oat-y, crunchy, cinnamon-y, crispy, I-can’t-stop-eating-this-straight-from-the-bowl topping.
How to Make a Healthier Fruit Crisp
To make this a healthy fruit crisp recipe (at least compared to most), I employed a few simple tweaks to make the topping a bit better for us, while ensuring it remained as delightfully golden, sweet, and dangerously addictive as any good fruit crisp topping should be.
- Use maple syrup instead of sugar – which tastes lovely paired with the berries
- Reduce the amount of butter (you can swap coconut oil if you like)
- Use all whole grains
To make it extra crunchy, I tossed in a handful of slivered almonds, but you can easily swap them out for a different nut or omit the nuts entirely.
This recipe works with any mix of berries, including frozen berries, so you can enjoy the recipe year round.
While the original recipe isn’t gluten free (I use white whole wheat flour, along with the oats) I’ve also included directions to make it gluten free and/or vegan, so you can easily adapt it to your preferences and dietary needs.
Once the Triple Berry Crisp is ready, you’ll have one last choice to make.
To top with ice cream or not to top with ice cream? That feels like an easy one too.
Other Healthy Fruit Crisp Recipes
- Vegan Apple Crisp
- Cherry Blackberry Crisp
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- And one more slow cooker dessert:Crock Pot Peach Cobbler
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Programmable slow cooker
- Sturdy measuring cups and spoons
Slow Cooker Triple Berry Crisp
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats certified gluten free if needed; do not use quick, instant, or steel-cut oats as they will not cook properly
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour to make gluten free, swap a 1:1 baking blend or 1/2 cup almond flour/meal mixed with 1/4 cup additional oats
- ½ cup sliced almonds or swap chopped walnuts, pecans, or simply omit
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature (to make vegan or dairy free, swap vegan butter or melted coconut oil)
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup or honey, I use maple syrup
- 5 cups mixed berries fresh or frozen (I used a blend of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ to 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Optional for serving: vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, whipped cream, or Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Coat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or line with a nonstick liner. In a large bowl, combine the oats, whole wheat flour, almonds (if using), cinnamon, and salt. Pour the melted butter and maple syrup over the top, then stir to evenly moisten.
- If using frozen berries, rinse them so that any large ice crystals are removed (the berries do not need to be completely thawed). Place in a large bowl, then stir together with the lemon juice, vanilla, and 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (if using fresh berries) or 1 tablespoon cornstarch (if using frozen). Transfer to the prepared slow cooker, then sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the top. Lightly coat the top of the crisp with nonstick spray.
- Lay a sheet of paper towel or kitchen towel over the top of the slow cooker so that it overhangs the sides and will stay in place once the slow cooker is covered**. (This absorbs moisture and helps the top to crisp). Cover and cook for 1 to 2 hours on high or 2 to 3 hours on low, until the fruit is bubbly and the top is browned. If your berries are still frozen, the cooking time may be longer. Serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt, or whipped cream as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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YUM! This is cobbler perfection! Love that this is made in the slow cooker!
Thanks so much Lexi!
Love all of the berries!
Me too Maria!
Seriously woman, you and that slow cooker need to come for visit! And teach me your ways! <3
If you give me a photography lesson, then DEAL!
Will the oat topping get crisp as it would if baked in a convection oven? I bought a slow cooker (on an amazing sale price) on a whim, but haven’t yet tried it. I am looking for vegetarian uses for it that make sense compared to cooking in the usual manner. Thanks!
Hi Carolyn! It’s not *as* crisp as in the oven, but it’s still golden, toasty, and delicious. A nice plus is that, if your house is hot in the summer, the slow cooker means you don’t need to turn on the oven. If you try the recipe, I hope you enjoy it!
This crisp is beautiful! I love berries, but I love them even more in a pie ;)
I won’t turn pie down either Gaby! Thanks :)
hey girl- this looks so yummy! Y’all have a great weekend!
You do the same! Thank you Shawnna!
That is an excellent idea to put it in the slow-cooker. Never even thought of that (:
This looks SO good! So, what would happen if the only oats I have are the quick cook oats? Those are the only gf ones I seem to be able to find. Do you think it’s worth a shot?
Hi Kathryn! Because quick oats are essentially slightly ground rolled oats, that swap will make the crisp topping less, well, crisp, because they don’t retain their texture. If you don’t mind some loss of texture and a less crispy topping, then absolutely go for it! You could also try replacing some of the oats with extra chopped nuts to help make up for the loss of crunch. I hope that helps!
Yum! I would have never thought to make a berry crisp in a slow cooker – so clever!
Made this berry crisp for dessert last night and because we don’t generally have dessert, it was a real treat. I used strawberries and blueberries – so good and we likes that it wasn’t too sweet. I’ll definitely make this again with whatever berries are in the stores. These two went nicely together and we used a little whipped cream on top for “garnish”.
Chris, that sounds delicious! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing how it went. :)
Erin,
Just stumbled across your blog. Love this recipe and others! Great food, elegantly presented. You go girl.
Robin
<3 Thank you Robin! I’m so happy you found my site and hope you enjoy the recipes you try!
I am so excited for this recipe. I have been craving berry crisp but it’s been so hot and we don’t have AC so I haven’t made it. Thanks hope to try this over the upcoming weekend!
Meant to be Maria! I hope you love it!
Do you have to line the bottom of the crock pot?
Hi Jean! Check out step 1 of the recipe—you can either use nonstick spray or a crockpot liner. I hope you enjoy!
I’m trying some new gluten free ideas because I have several friends that follow this type of diet. I have tapioca flour. Would that work as a substitute in this recipe?
Hi Alyssa, I have never tried tapicoa flour, so I’m not sure how it would translate to this recipe. I haven’t tried it myself, so it’d be an experiment, but if you decide to give it a try I’d be interested to hear how it goes.
Hi Erin…I was wondering if I could skip the maple syrup as all I have is pancake syrup and my daughter does not like honey….Would it be alright to leave those out
Hi! The maple syrup is the only sweetener in the recipe, so I recommend leaving it in, as that’s the only way I can vouch for the recipe. You could experiment with using regular sugar, but I haven’t tried that myself.
Erin – I made this a few days ago after getting 10lbs of blueberries from Michigan. It is delicious and so easy! And although I made it for dessert and served with ice cream, it has been even better leftover on plain greek yogurt for breakfast!! Berry pie yogurt…. the chunks of topping mixed in made it so good. Really amazing. Thanks!
Donna, I’m so glad to hear you loved it! Thanks for taking the time to share this review.
Do you know how much a serving would be in terms of cups?
Hi Ashlee! Unfortunately, I didn’t measure cup for cup the yield of this recipe, but you can give it an eyeball to portion it out into 12 servings. I hope this helps!
what is a serving size for this triple berry crisp?
Hi Scott! Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact amount per serving size, but you could try eyeballing it into 12 equal portions. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I made this after procrastinating about it forever. It looked good but as much as I’ve used a crock, I’ve never made a dessert. I didn’t think it would be crispy enough. Not so. It was really good and so fast to make . Will do again and again! Thank you!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Sharan! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Have you ever tired this over night so it was ready for an early breakfast? Cook on slow for 3 hours and the let it sit warm? Will all the edges be burnt? Thanks.
Hi Adrienne! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, but I do worry that overnight would be too long. I’d recommend making it the night before, then just warming it up in the morning. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Delish! Super easy to make and stays crunchy. I used frozen berries on high, done in 2 hrs.
Hi Michele! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hello! I am going to try this recipe for our Friendsgiving this year
I only have an 8 quart Crock-Pot… will this make a difference, is there anything you think i should adjust??
Hi Heidi, although I haven’t tested it out myself I feel like it might cook just a little quicker. I’d definitely suggest testing it ahead of time or keep an eye on it just to be sure. Hope this helps!