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Fruit Crisp Topping

Fruit crisp topping is a buttery oat-and-brown-sugar crumble that bakes up deeply golden with chunky clumps and cinnamon specks. Mix, cut in cold butter, then scatter over fruit for a crisp, crunchy finish after a 375°F bake.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Fruit crisp topping
  • 1.5 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter cold, cubed
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup chopped nuts optional
  • 0.25 cup shredded coconut optional

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the crumble
  1. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
  2. Add chopped nuts and shredded coconut, if using, and toss to distribute throughout the dry mix.
  3. Add the cold cubed unsalted butter and work it in with your fingertips, two forks, or a pastry cutter until large chunky clumps form, leaving some pea-sized butter pieces.
  4. Use the topping immediately over your prepared fruit filling, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
Bake until deeply golden
  1. Bake the crisp over the fruit filling at 375°F for 35-45 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and crunchy.

Notes

Pro tip: cold butter is key—mix just until chunky clumps form, and avoid melting the butter with overworking. Store topping refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months; bake from thawed or from cold for best texture. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of regular flour.