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Introducing your new favorite spring and summer dessert recipe! My amazing Strawberry Crisp is sweetly flavorful and ready in just one hour with a few secret ingredients that really take it over the top.
This mouthwatering strawberry crisp was originally published on Sunday Supper back in April of 2017. We have updated the photos and made this recipe even better than before!
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When it starts getting warm outside—that's really early in the year, here in Florida!—there is very little I look forward to more than shelves full of beautiful bright red strawberries at the grocery store.
When my kids were growing up, though, one of our favorite activities together was picking fresh strawberries at a local u-pick farm. Plant City has plenty to choose from early on in the year! One of the many blessings of living in the Sunshine State.
By far my favorite thing to do with strawberries is find new desserts to make. This Strawberry Crisp recipe is one of my many (and I mean many!) strawberry dessert recipe experiments, and it turned out perfectly. I love making this crisp, and my family loves eating it, so I know yours will, too!
And, guess what? This dessert is gluten-free!
Strawberry Crisp Ingredients
Some of these ingredients might surprise you - that's what makes this strawberry crisp recipe so exciting! I've also included substitutes so you can swap out what you want as necessary, so if you see anything that you don't have or don't have access to, don't worry - you can most likely leave it out and still make a delicious strawberry crisp.
For the Filling
- Strawberries: You can use fresh or frozen hulled strawberries. If you use frozen, you don't have to thaw them - just add a bit more to the baking time.
- Superfine Sugar (Can Be Substituted): Also called caster sugar or baker's sugar. You can just use regular white sugar, too, so don't sweat it if you don't have any caster sugar or don't want to buy a different kind. Alternatively, you can also use coconut sugar!
- Almond Meal (Can Be Substituted): This is essentially almond flour, the difference being that almond meal is made with unpeeled almonds. It's not a necessary ingredient, so you can leave it out if you'd like, but I recommend adding a little extra cornstarch if you do.
- Pimm's No. 3 (Optional): Okay, here's my secret. I love to add a little bit of alcohol to my strawberry crisp filling. However, this is not at all necessary, and you can leave it out to keep this dish 100% kid-friendly (or if you just don't want to add any alcohol).
- Minute Tapioca (Can Be Substituted): This essentially acts as a thickener, so if you want, you can leave it out and add another tablespoon of cornstarch instead.
- Cornstarch: The main thickener of this filling, and the perfect substitute for almond meal and minute tapioca if you don't want to pick up any extra ingredients.
- Salt: A pinch of salt adds a nice contrast to the sweet filling to balance it out.
For the Crumble Topping
- Instant Oatmeal: Some recipes use old fashioned oats, but I prefer instant oatmeal. It's really easy.
- Baking Powder: You will love the crisp texture you can get by using a little baking powder in the crumble topping. Definitely include this!
- Almonds: Personally, I love the flavor of slivered almonds in the crumble topping. You can also use other nuts if preferred, or leave the nuts out entirely.
- Demerara Sugar (Can Be Substituted): This is a type of cane sugar that is very similar to turbinado sugar. You can use turbinado sugar in its place, or use light brown sugar instead.
- Butter: You'll want a little bit to butter the baking dish with, and the rest cold and diced to bake into the topping.
- Heavy Cream (Optional): For serving.
How to Make Strawberry Crisp
First, hull the strawberries and cut them in half. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, which makes this a year-round crumble. To hull strawberries, use a cutting board and a small knife, such as a paring knife, to slice off the top of the berry. So easy! Then, cut the berries in half.
Next, combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Give them a good stir to mix them together completely. You want to mix everything really well to coat the strawberries in the other filling ingredients for the best results.
Then, you combine the crumble ingredients in a bowl with cold butter. Mix everything together so it's combined, but not so much that it reaches a paste consistency. I'm using a pastry cutter for this, but you could also just use a fork.
Finally, pour the filling into a buttered baking dish or deep pie dish. Sprinkle the crumble layer on top. Now, you're ready to bake your strawberry crisp! Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes for fresh strawberries, or 50-55 minutes for frozen strawberries. The filling should be boiling and bubbling up through the crisp topping, which should be a nice golden-brown.
Enjoy your easy strawberry crisp! My family loves this dessert with a little heavy cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and sometimes I like to add blueberries to the strawberry mixture as a treat, too. For other flavor variations, try adding a little bit of vanilla extract and cinnamon, or even a mix of lemon juice and lemon zest for a zesty flavor. Have fun with it!
How to Store Leftover Strawberry Crisp
For storage of leftovers, keep your strawberry crisp in an airtight container or the baking dish wrapped in plastic wrap. Make sure to allow it to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. Then, you can store it for 3-4 days.
Alternatively, you can also freeze strawberry crisp in the baking dish wrapped tightly with foil and labeled with the date. Freeze for up to 3 months. The strawberries may become watery when you defrost, however, and the topping won't be as crispy. I recommend reheating at baking temperature for about 20 minutes after thawing in the refrigerator overnight.
Isabel's Tips
- Many of the ingredients have substitute options or can be left out. Make sure to read the notes beside the ingredients above for options.
- You can get creative with the ingredients. Although this is a recipe for strawberry crisp, you can add other fruits, too. I love to cut up bananas and add them now and then, especially if I have any too-ripe bananas.
- I use a deep pie dish or baking dish, but guess what? You can also use a cast iron skillet. This makes for an amazing presentation guests love. Just make sure it's deep and large enough to handle the amount you're making!
FAQ
Yes. The superfine sugar can be replaced with granulated white sugar or even coconut sugar, and you can use light brown sugar or turbinado sugar in place of demerara sugar.
Yes! We don't use any flour in this strawberry crisp, so it is 100% gluten-free. If you want, you can use gluten-free flour in place of the cornstarch or almond meal, but it really isn't necessary. Just make sure to check the packaging of your ingredients to ensure none of them have added gluten.
No, you can leave it out, if you want.
What to Serve with Strawberry Crisp
Try my No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake next!
Amazing Strawberry Crisp
Equipment
- Baking dish or deep pie dish, or deep cast iron skillet
- Pastry cutter (optional) you can also use a fork!
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1½ lbs strawberries - fresh or frozen, with the stem cut off and halved
- ¼ cup superfine sugar - substitutes: white granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup almond meal - optional; use 1 extra Tablespoon cornstarch if leaving it out
- 2 Tablespoons Pimm's No. 3 Cup - optional; you can use any alcohol you like, or leave it out entirely
- 1 Tablespoon minute tapioca - optional; use 1 extra Tablespoon cornstarch if leaving it out
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt - a pinch of salt adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the filling!
For the Crumble Topping
- ⅔ cup instant oatmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder - this helps crisp the topping
- ½ cup slivered almonds - optional; you can use other nuts, or leave it out entirely. You may need to add extra oats if you leave it out.
- ½ cup demerara sugar - substitutes: turbinado sugar or light brown sugar
- 5 Tablespoons butter - cold and diced, plus a little extra for buttering the baking dish
- heavy cream - optional; to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a deep pie dish or baking dish with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss 1½ lbs strawberries with ¼ cup superfine sugar, ¼ cup almond meal, 2 Tablespoons Pimm's No. 3 Cup, 1 Tablespoon minute tapioca, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon salt. See notes by each ingredient for substitutes.
- Pour the filling into the buttered dish and spread it along the bottom of the dish evenly.
- Mix together ⅔ cup instant oatmeal, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup slivered almonds, ½ cup demerara sugar, and 5 Tablespoons butter in a bowl until combined.
- Use a pastry cutter, fork, or a food processor to cut or pulse the cold butter into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over process into a paste!
- Sprinkle the crumble on top of the filling in the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes for fresh strawberries or 50-55 minutes if you are using frozen.
- Start checking for bubbling filling about 30-40 minutes in. Once it is bubbling, bake for about 10 minutes more. You need the filling to boil and bubble to help activate the tapioca and cornstarch so it will thicken up.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving with heavy cream if desired. If you are baking this a day or two before you are serving, cool the crumble completely, cover it with cling film and refrigerate. You can serve the crumble warmed in the microwave or oven, but I must say that some folks love it cold!
Notes
- Many of the ingredients have substitute options or can be left out. Make sure to read the notes beside the ingredients above for options.
- You can get creative with the ingredients. Although this is a recipe for strawberry crisp, you can add other fruits, too. I love to cut up bananas and add them now and then, especially if I have any too-ripe bananas.
- I use a deep pie dish or baking dish, but guess what? You can also use a cast iron skillet. This makes for an amazing presentation guests love. Just make sure it's deep and large enough to handle the amount you're making!
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