This is my mom's recipe, so I can't take full credit for it! After talking to her about posting this recipe, she told me she has used this same recipe ever since she was given it in her grade eight home economics classroom. How fortuitous that I now teach high school Foods! The only modification I've made to the original recipe is adding nuts. I like the flavour and texture they add to the oat crumble, but feel free to omit them if you wish. This is my go-to recipe for when I have some extra fresh fruit to use up. As for the filling, that is up to you! Different fruits will require different amounts of sugar, depending on how tart they are. Also, different types of fruit fillings will require varied amounts of thickeners (flour, cornstarch) based on how much moisture content they have. So what kind of fruit can you use?
Berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, haskaps, strawberries, saskatoons, currants, cranberries, etc.)
Stone fruit (peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, mangoes, etc.)
Apples
Pears
Rhubarb
When it comes to the filling, also consider adding in some extra flavour like vanilla bean paste, citrus zest, grated fresh ginger, or baking spices like cinnamon. You can also add in some dried fruit too, like raisins. I know I play a bit of a guessing game each time I make a different fruit crisp, but either way, I am happy to curl up with a bowl of warm fruit crisp with some cool vanilla bean ice cream or a heavy pour of Bird's english custard atop. So here is the recipe for the crisp, are you ready for how simple it is? It is a ratio based recipe, so you can easily adjust it based on how much you need:
So there you have it! A general recipe to make your own fruit crisp and a great way to celebrate whatever fruit you have on hand or whatever is in season! Happy baking!