A sweet and tangy vegan Blackberry Crisp made with bourbon for a fun spin on a classic dessert to enjoy during these late summer months.
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Happy 4th of July weekend, y'all! I hope you have some exciting plans to help celebrate the long weekend ahead.
If I could have it my way (it's funny how rarely that happens) I would be, this very moment, packing up my car preparing to head to the coast for a long weekend of beach lounging and camping. I could use a few days out of the city. Very recently (and suddenly) I've turned into a curmudgeony Portlander, complaining about the traffic (it's bad) and mourning the loss of our once cultured city as it rapidly turns into one big luxury apartment building.
Classic landmarks are being torn down for rows and rows of identically modern complexes and yet with all these new apartments the reality is a growing number of people are forced to live outside because rent has become too damn high and minimum wage is far too low. It is a sad reality happening at time-lapse speed with no end in sight. I can get down about it but I do love you, Portland. Really, I do.
Now back to my daydream of leaving...
Ah yes, there I am. I am sitting by a campfire, sandy and sun-burnt after a day of lounging on the beaches of the Oregon coast, drinking whiskey and listening to the waves crash on top of one another while watching the movement in the freckled sky and breathing in the stillness that I so rarely feel. World, you are so big and magnificent and I am so glad to be a part of it for this brief moment. Later I will crawl into my tent and get some restless sleep but it will be so worth it for another day at the edge of the world.
But alas, this trip will have to wait as I will be hanging out here this weekend.
At least there will be pie.
Or crisp, rather. A vegan Blackberry Crisp, to be specific.
I prefer a good crips over pie any day for one very important reasons:
It is so much easier to make.
Seriously, if you can toss some berries in some sugar and cornstarch (which you can) and top it with buttery clumps of oats and sugar (which you also can), you've got yourself an award-winning crisp. So enjoy this holiday weekend however you celebrate best but I urge you to make this Blackberry Crisp a part of it. Sweet and tangy with a bit of a kick and topped with vanilla coconut ice cream, this makes sticking around town worth it.
Blackberry Crisp
Ingredients
Blackberry Filling
- 4 cups fresh boysenberries
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Oat Crisp
- 1 ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter I use Earth Balance
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- In a medium bowl combine boysenberries and cornstarch. Toss to coat.
- Add the remaining filling ingredients and gently stir together. Pour into an 8x8 baking dish or four 4" custard dishes.
- In another bowl combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut the butter in small cubes and add. With your fingers, press the butter into the oat/flour mixture until it resembles small pea-size pieces. Top berries with oat crisp and firmly pat down.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are browned and the filling begins bubbling up.
- Serve with your favorite dairy free ice cream.
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the 
Lisa says
Excellent! Tasted like a crunchy blackberry pie. I did make a minor modification, by doing just 1/4 cup of coconut oil and 2 Tablespoons of applesauce instead of 1/2 cup vegan butter. And I’m relieved it worked out. I’ll be making this several more times this summer. Thank you!
Debbie Patterson says
I have made this twice (without bourbon, just more vanilla) -- it's absolutely delicious! I made it once with boysenberries and once with blackberries. It was a little better with the boysenberries. Highly recommend it!