This easy strawberry crisp recipe is the perfect way to enjoy a bounty of fresh berries! Juicy, sweet strawberries are topped with a buttery, crunchy oat streusel for a classic spring or summer dessert that everyone loves. Bake the crisp in a skillet or in a dish, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top!
Strawberry Crumble
Truly -- the best strawberry crisp recipe (or "strawberry crumble") that you will ever taste! A fruit crisp (or crumble) is such a great dessert for beginning bakers because it's almost impossible to mess up. So much easier than a pie -- and ready for the oven in about 15 minutes. This version is a lot like an apple crisp or pear crisp, but we're using fresh ripe strawberries for the filling instead. You get the buttery, crumble topping, the sweet, juicy fruit, and vanilla ice cream on top. What could be better?!
What is the difference between a Strawberry Crisp and a Strawberry Crumble?
There are plenty of old-fashioned fruit dessert recipes, so it’s easy to get confused! Crumbles and crisps are very similar, as they both include a fruit base with a streusel topping. Originally, an old fashioned strawberry crisp would contain oats in the topping, while a crumble would not. These days, the words “crumble” and “crisp” are often used interchangeably when referring to these desserts. As a result, you can call this a strawberry crisp or a strawberry crumble -- whichever you prefer!
Ingredients for Strawberry Crumble
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for an old fashioned strawberry crumble recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh strawberries: fresh is best for maximum flavor, but frozen strawberries will also work in a pinch (don't thaw first). If using frozen berries, you'll need to increase the cornstarch to at least 3 tablespoons to account for the extra liquid that the frozen berries release.
- Granulated sugar: sweetens both the filling and the streusel topping.
- Cornstarch: an important thickening agent, since the berries will release a lot of juices as they cook.
- Lemon juice: the acid in the lemon juice balances out the sweetness of the fruit filling and adds a touch of brightness to the dish.
- Butter: gives the topping its delicious flavor and brings the streusel together.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the topping.
- Oats: for extra texture and toasty flavor in the streusel topping. I like old-fashioned rolled oats for their nice chew, but you can substitute with quick oats instead. Do not use steel-cut oats here.
- Light brown sugar: to sweeten the topping and add some rich molasses flavor.
- Finely chopped pecans: for toasty, nutty crunch! Feel free to substitute with almonds or walnuts, or omit the nuts altogether and replace them with extra oats.
- Salt: balances the sweetness and enhances the other flavors in the dessert.
How to Make Strawberry Crisp
A strawberry crisp is a simple, rustic dessert made from a strawberry base that's topped with a buttery oat streusel crumb topping. It's absolutely the best spring or summer treat when fresh, sweet strawberries are in season.
- Prepare the Strawberry Filling. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, strawberries, and lemon juice. Pour the filling into a cast iron skillet or other greased baking dish.
- Prepare the Oat Streusel Topping. Combine the softened butter, flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pecans, and salt. Use your fingers (or a fork) to incorporate the butter into all of the ingredients so that there are no dry pockets of flour. Spread the topping over the strawberry mixture.
- Bake the Strawberry Crisp. Bake the crumble in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Don't be tempted to crank up the heat on the oven to get it done faster. Slow and steady wins when it comes to a crisp, because this gives the fruit enough time to break down. Go too hot and the topping will burn before the fruit is done.
How to Serve Strawberry Crisp
If at all possible, this dessert is best when served warm! Sure, we've been known to scoop out some leftover cold crisp straight from the refrigerator for breakfast the next morning, but it's really at its finest when it's fresh from the oven. Serve the crisp on its own, or (ideally) top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop or freshly whipped cream.
Make Ahead
This strawberry crisp can be baked in advance and then reheated just before serving. To reheat the crisp, place the dish in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes (or until warmed through). If the topping starts to get too dark, tent loosely with foil.
How to Store
Let the crisp cool to room temperature, and then lightly place a paper towel on top to absorb condensation. Cover tightly with foil, plastic wrap, or a lid. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can freeze the crisp before or after baking. If freezing a baked crisp, allow the dish to cool completely before wrapping tightly and freezing for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat: If frozen, allow the crisp to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat, warm the crisp in a 350°F oven (uncovered) for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
Recipe Variations
- Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to the crisp topping for cozy warmth.
- Instead of lemon juice, use vanilla extract in the filling.
- If using frozen strawberries instead of fresh, do not thaw the strawberries before baking. You'll also need to increase the cornstarch to at least 3 tablespoons to account for the extra liquid that the frozen berries release.
- I love the flavor combination of strawberries with pecans, but you can use any nuts that you prefer in the topping. Try walnuts or almonds! If you'd like to omit the nuts altogether, that's fine -- just substitute with an extra ⅓ cup of oats.
- Strawberry Crisp for Two: Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the dessert in a 1-quart dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Crisp Recipe
- Don't slice the strawberries too thin. They will break down as they bake, so you don't want them to completely disintegrate in the oven. Some chunky berries in your filling are ideal.
- I like to bake the strawberry crisp in a deep 10-inch cast iron skillet. Alternatively, you can use a 9-inch square baking dish or an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Any similar dish with a capacity of 2 ½ - 3 quarts is fine!
- This strawberry crumble has the perfect ratio of topping to fruit! Don't be tempted to double the streusel and overload the crisp with more topping or the dessert will become too dense and fatty.
- Swap out the strawberries and use other berries instead -- blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are also great options! Or use a combination of strawberries with these other berries as well. Just make sure that the total amount of fruit comes to about 6 cups.
What to Do with Fresh Picked Strawberries
If you have a bounty of fresh fruit that you picked yourself or that you scooped up at the market, here are a few more recipes to use up strawberries:
- Strawberry Shortcake Cake
- Strawberry Chicken Salad
- Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie
- Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry Bread
- Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Poppy Seed Dressing
- Strawberry Freezer Jam
- Healthy Strawberry Crisp
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Strawberry Muffins
Strawberry Crisp
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 6 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
For the Topping:
- 1 stick (½ cup) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (or sub with quick oats -- do not use steel cut oats)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup finely-chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional, for serving: vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square dish, an 11 x 7-inch dish, or a 10-inch cast iron skillet; set aside.
Prepare the Filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the strawberries and lemon juice and toss gently to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Prepare the Topping:
- In a separate bowl, use a fork (or your fingers) to mix together butter, flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pecans, and salt until completely combined. The mixture will be lumpy and clumpy and should look like a streusel crumb topping.
- Spread topping evenly over the strawberries.
Bake the Crisp:
- Bake until the fruit juices are bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Allow to stand for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Don't slice the strawberries too thin. They will break down as they bake, so you don't want them to completely disintegrate in the oven. Some chunky berries in your filling are ideal.
- I like to bake the strawberry crisp in a deep 10-inch cast iron skillet. Alternatively, you can use a 9-inch square baking dish or an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Any similar dish with a capacity of 2 ½ - 3 quarts is fine!
- This strawberry crumble has the perfect ratio of topping to fruit! Don't be tempted to double the streusel and overload the crisp with more topping or the dessert will become too dense and fatty.
- Swap out the strawberries and use other berries instead -- blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are also great options! Or use a combination of strawberries with these other berries as well. Just make sure that the total amount of fruit comes to about 6 cups.
- Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to the crisp topping for added cozy warmth.
- Instead of lemon juice, use vanilla extract in the filling.
- If using frozen strawberries instead of fresh, do not thaw the strawberries before baking. You'll also need to increase the cornstarch to at least 3 tablespoons to account for the extra liquid that the frozen berries release.
- I love the flavor combination of strawberries with pecans, but you can use any nuts that you prefer in the topping. Try walnuts or almonds! If you'd like to omit the nuts altogether, that's fine -- just substitute with an extra ⅓ cup of oats.
- Strawberry Crisp for Two: Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the dessert in a 1-quart dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in May, 2020. It was updated in April, 2022.
Kalin
This recipe looks delicious and I can't wait to try it. Your photos are amazing! I cannot get over how great the top-down shots are. Love it!
Blair
Aw, thank you, Kalin! It can be tough sometimes to get the shots exactly how I want them, so I appreciate your kind words. Hope you get to try the dessert!