Strawberry Crisp
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My strawberry crisp works with fresh or frozen strawberries and features them baked under the most buttery crisp topping ever.
When strawberry season arrives, my partner and family always hope I’ll use the extra berries to make this strawberry crisp.
Strawberry crisps are notorious for ending up with either a watery filling or a soggy topping because strawberries release a ton of moisture as they bake. When testing this recipe, I experimented with adding just enough cornstarch to keep the filling gooey and jammy without becoming runny.
The end result is a rich strawberry filling topped with a buttery oat topping that actually stays crispy, even when you add a scoop (or three) of vanilla ice cream.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Make it year-round. Fresh strawberries are my preference, but frozen strawberries work just as well, so you can make this crisp any time of the year.
- A fun twist on the classic. Most crisps are made with apples. I love my healthy apple crisp as much as anyone, but strawberries become extra jammy and sweet once baked.
- Simple ingredients, big payoff. Everything is made with pantry staples, but the end result tastes more impressive.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this strawberry crisp recipe, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the strawberry filling:
- Strawberries. Use ripe strawberries with the stems removed. If you only have frozen strawberries, let them thaw overnight and drain the excess juices.
- Orange zest. To add a brighter flavor. I also tested lemon zest, and both were equally refreshing.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any crisp.
- Sugar. Balances out the tartness from the berries. Any type of sugar works, be it white, brown, or coconut sugar. Please do not adjust the sugar amount: strawberries don’t actually get sweeter as they bake, so I purposely add a little more to compensate.
- Cornstarch. Thickens the filling so it turns gooey instead of watery. Please measure this carefully, as even a smidge more can make the filling a little gummy.
For the crisp topping:
- Butter. Use cold butter straight from the fridge or freezer, as it yields better clumps and a nicer crunch. The first time I used softened butter, it just didn’t have that crunch.
- Old-fashioned oats. Rolled oats give the best crunch and texture, though quick oats work in a pinch.
- Sugar. I like using a mix of white and brown sugar to promote even browning, a consistent crunch, and a deeper, caramelized flavor.
- Cinnamon and salt. Enhances the other ingredients and gives a warming flavor.
- All-purpose flour. I like adding a little flour to bind everything together and also absorb extra juices as it bakes.
Variations
- Vegan strawberry crisp. Use vegan butter or coconut oil.
- Make a strawberry rhubarb crisp. Swap half the strawberries for rhubarb, which will add sourness and balance the berries’ sweetness. I do this whenever rhubarbs are in season.
- Gluten-free. Use certified gluten-free oats and swap the flour for almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend. I prefer almond flour for the nutty texture.
- Use different berries. Fold in a mixture of blackberries and raspberries for a mixed berry crisp.
How to make strawberry crisp
Step 1- Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Pour the filling into the greased skillet.
Step 2- Make the topping. In a separate bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Mix with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Step 3- Bake. Sprinkle the topping over the strawberry mixture. Bake the crisp for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Step 4- Cool and serve. Remove the crisp from the oven and let it cool before serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a cast iron skillet if possible. In testing, I found that cast iron baked the crisp much more evenly than other pans. It retains heat well, and the sloped sides mean more of the filling stays in direct contact with the heat, which cooks off excess moisture faster.
- Using a different pan? If baking in a glass dish, add an extra 5-6 minutes since glass takes longer to heat up. A Dutch oven should bake in roughly the same amount of time as a cast iron.
- Cover the crisp if needed. If I notice the top of the crisp is browning too quickly, I’ll loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. I do recommend removing it for the final two minutes to firm up the crisp.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover strawberry crisp should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. There will be small pools of liquid in the corners, which can be soaked up/removed before reheating.
To reheat: Reheat in a preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the strawberry mixture is bubbling and the crisp is firm. If I’m lazy, I just zap it in the microwave for about 30 seconds- it won’t crisp up, but the flavor is all there.
To freeze: Let the crisp cool completely, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container for six months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Cobblers are topped with a soft biscuit or cake-like topping, while crisps have a crumbly oat topping that becomes golden and crisp as it bakes.
No, the crisp should bake uncovered so the topping stays crisp. The only time I recommend loosely covering it with foil is if the topping starts browning too quickly.
Strawberry Crisp
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds strawberries chopped
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
Crisp topping
- 1/2 cup butter cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the chopped strawberries, orange zest, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and cornstarch. Stir well to ensure that the strawberries are evenly coated with the mixture.
- Pour the strawberry filling into a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
- In a separate bowl, combine the unsalted butter cubes, old-fashioned oats, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, and all-purpose flour. Mix the ingredients with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Spread the crisp topping mixture evenly over the strawberry filling.
- Bake the crisp in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Remove the strawberry crisp from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More pie and crisp recipes
If you enjoyed this strawberry crisp, here are some other fruit desserts I think you’ll love:
My healthy peach cobbler works with fresh or canned peaches, and somehow tastes even better the next day.
I make this healthy key lime pie whenever I need an easy but impressive dessert for dinner guests.
I originally developed this lemon meringue pie for my niece, who is allergic to eggs and dairy- no one ever believes it’s completely egg-free.
This fruit crostata has a buttery, flaky pastry and works beautifully with almost any fruit.
Originally published May 2023
The best summer dessert! I used frozen mixed berries, which worked great. I did not have cornstarch and used flour which also worked fine. Highly recommend!
I love that, Gretchen! Using frozen berries is totally fine, and works just as well. I’m glad you used flour and it worked well for you to. Thanks for taking the time to leave a lovely comment 🙂
Crispy and sweet. Nice. Orange peel is necessary?
Hi Mario- I received your email, thank you! Glad you used the orange peel 🙂
I will make it for sure as mix of oats and fruits are so good.
It really should be crispy haha. Soo good.
I will make this for my
Friends. But will not use sugar.
Didn’t care for the orange zest and would leave it out next time. Otherwise, it’s pretty good, just don’t like the combo of strawberries and zest.
Easy to make and delicious!
I made this yesterday and LOVED it. I shared it with my neighbor. Then I never had dinner so I made it again for a late snack and my husband liked it too! I used honey, and no coconut flour. Since I didn’t have any. I bought two flats of strawberries so I’m trying to use them before I have to freeze them. 🙂 And I got a deal. 16 lbs for $14.00! 🙂
Amber! thank you SO much for your kind words- Although I hope you made a double batch when you shared it with your neighbor 🙂
….I’m trying not to be jealous!!!!!!
Gah I just moved home to my parents – in the boooons out west in Canada – and everything is SO much more expensive than I’m used to. I. hate. it. The berries for sure, though I think now with summer the prices are slowly beginning to drop. Thank god. This looks and sounds delicious. Definitely want to make for breakfast asap.
Hi Arman,
What a delicious breakfast! Strawberries look so great, yum! To be honest, I would love have it as snack too!
Zaria
🙂 Thanks so much, Zaria!
This will be perfect anytime of the day! I love fresh strawberries, but will use frozen if I have to.
🙂 Thanks, Joanne! Sometimes, frozen just has to do 🙂
For some reason, I’m not a fan of frozen strawberries. Even if they’re unsweetened, they taste fake/overly sweet to me. I can 100% get behind FRESH strawberries, though. And blending roasted, salted almonds = delicious (because almond butter). Blending flavored almonds = double delicious (because salted caramel almond butter ?).
YES! I made a batch with their toasted coconut ones and nearly died!