This Brown Butter Berry Crisp is perfectly sweet from the honey glazed berries and the double portion of cinnamon crisp! The brown butter adds an extra layer of warmth and sets it apart from a classic berry crisp. It makes for a great summer treat to make with the whole family. And as always, it serves as a great opportunity to educate your kids on nutrition.
As a dietitian-led blog, I always want to highlight why we should cook around our children and how it helps them develop a healthy relationship with food. I especially get this question when I post a dessert recipe – “how is that healthy for my kids?”.
I’d like to re-define the word “healthy”. Rather than “healthy” just meaning something that is beneficial for the body and nutrient dense, “healthy” can also be something that is beneficial for the mind and long term food relationship. It’s not always about calories and macros – especially for our kids.
Not to mention that cooking desserts usually peaks their interest for involvement in the kitchen – which is always a win.
Get your Kids Involved
This Brown Butter Berry Crisp recipe is no different than any of my other recipes in that it lends itself to kid-friendly cooking. Here are some specific ways your kids can get involved in this recipe:
- Measuring the dry ingredients: older kids with more motor control can try out the flour measuring. A less messy alternative for younger kiddos is measuring the oats!
- Mixing & Whisking: more fine motor practice!
- Combining the butter + dry ingredients by hand: the more kids can feel food textures with their hands, the more likely they are to taste new textures. Playing with their food can actually be quite productive!
- Measuring the berries: this is a GREAT place for your child to try a new berry that they might have been resistant to in the past. Cooking is a much lower stress environment than the dinner table, so they are more inclined to try new things when there is a lower risk!
Whether your kids get involved in the cooking, or just the tasting process – it’s a great way to introduce them to new berries or fruits. Feel free to swap the mixed berries for other fruits – peaches, rhubarb, apple, etc.
Brown Butter Berry Crisp
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup oats
- 1 tsp all spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 cups mixed berries fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F
- Start by browning the butter. In a small saucepan, place the butter on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until it turns a light amber color. Once browned, take it off the heat immediately to cool. We want the butter to reach a semi-solid texture so feel free to stick it in the fridge for 5 minutes!
- While the butter is cooling, combine the remaining crisp topping ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oats, all spice, cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt.
- Once the butter is cooled enough (semi-solid texture or creamy consistency), add to your flour mixture. With your hands or a fork, combine the mixture until a uniform sand-like consistency is formed. Set the crisp mixture in the fridge while the berries are prepped.
- To prepare the berry filling, place 5 cups of berries (fresh or frozen) into a 9x9in greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle the corn starch and honey onto the berries and gently mix to combine.
- Top the berry mixture with the cooled crisp topping and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove the foil and cook for another 25-30 minutes or until the crisp is golden brown
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