Fruit crisp, especially stone fruit and blueberry crisp,  is the perfect summer dessert. It’s versatile, simple, and takes only a few minutes to prepare. I’m not putting crisp down as a fall dessert with apples and pears, or a spring sweet with the addition of rhubarb. However, there is something truly special when the ripe summer fruit peeks out from below the baked crisp topping.

Whether you bought too many peaches because they were irresistible or have a huge bag of cherries to use up, fruit crisp is the answer to your “what shall I do with this fruit before it spoils?” question. 

This recipe uses any summer “stone fruit” (those with pits, such as peaches, plums, cherries, or nectarines), as well as blueberries. It works best when fruits are combined, but also works with a single variety of stone fruit if you prefer or that’s what you have available. The topping is simple in the extreme. I added crystallized ginger to the fruit because I am obsessed with that tangy confection. However, you could easily leave it out. While this recipe is inspired by a berry crisp recipe from Sheila Lukins (of Silver Palate cookbook fame), it is lighter and fruitier than her original.  

I first made this stone fruit and blueberry crisp with my young friend, Gabriel. This was part of our first cooking adventure. As his cooking “coach,” I’ve been introducing him to new recipes over the past two months. I was super pleased to hear that he made this one again for his family the next week.

For the crisp Gabriel and I made, we used beautiful fruit that his mom bought at the farmers’ market. When I made the crisp photographed for this post, I used a few pieces of fruit from my CSA and cherries and blueberries from the grocery store. Wherever you get your fruit and whichever varieties you choose, keep in mind that the tastier the fruit, the more delicious the crisp. 

Stone Fruit and Blueberry Crisp

Servings – 6-8 

Ingredients

• 6 cups of pitted stone-fruit cut into chunks and blueberries 
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour (divided into 2 portions, ¼ cup for fruit and ½ cup for topping)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger (optional)
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not quick or minute oats)
• ¼ cup brown sugar (preferably dark brown)
• ¼ granulated/white sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small (6-10) chunks + bit more or a bit of vegetable oil for greasing the pan)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or oil an 8-inch square pan or equivalent rectangular one. (I used a 6-inch by 10-inch rectangular baking dish.)
• In a medium-sized bowl, gently mix the fruit with ¼ cup of the flour, the cinnamon, and the (optional) minced crystallized ginger. Pour the mixture into the greased pan or dish.

• For the topping, mix the oats, the rest of the flour, the sugars and the pinch of salt together in a bowl. (If you use the same bowl as for the fruit, you only have to wash one, and I’m all in favor of that!) Work the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or your fingers until the topping looks like coarse, uncooked granola. 
• Sprinkle the topping as evenly over the fruit without getting too crazed if a bit of fruit remains visible. Place the dish on a baking sheet to avoid fruit juice spills on the oven floor. Bake the crisp in the center of the oven for 60-70 minutes until the topping is nicely browned and the fruit juices bubble merrily. Cool the crisp on a rack for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. 

If you add a scoop or two of ice cream, I’m not judging.