Strawberry Crisp {Simple and Perfect}

Name: Strawberry Crisp
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (cut into large pieces); 1/4 cup coconut oil; 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats; 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; 3 tablespoons coconut sugar or light brown sugar; Zest of one medium lemon ((juice the lemon for the strawberry filling)); 2 pounds fresh strawberries; 3 tablespoons cornstarch (plus 1 to 2 additional teaspoons if your berries are very juicy); 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup; Juice of one medium lemon (you can juice the lemon you zested for the topping!); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; Vanilla or plain nonfat Greek yogurt; Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

THEY’RE BACK. The first real strawberries of the season have arrived, and that means it’s time for Strawberry Crisp.

A bowl of Strawberry Crisp with melting vanilla ice cream

I do a little happy dance when the first pint of real strawberries hits stores.

This dance is usually accompanied by a little squeal, and you can bet that an easy-to-make, healthy strawberry dessert (or Strawberry Bread) is soon to follow.

Often, it’s fresh Strawberry Pie or Strawberry Oatmeal Bars, which are a healthy version of strawberry crisp bars and the most popular dessert on my site.
Other times, it’s Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake (not because it’s gluten free, but because it is delicious) or Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie.

A bowl of quartered fruit next to honey and lemons

But this time, I wanted to celebrate the arrival of strawberries with a simple dessert that is all about the fruit itself (and who are we kidding? It’s about the topping too): strawberry crisp.

This healthy strawberry crisp filling tastes like pure strawberry abundance.

The topping is chunky, oat-y, and buttery, the way a crisp topping should be.

Start to finish, this crisp can be in your oven 15 minutes from now.

It demands only two bowls—and if you want to cheat and stir the filling up inside the baking dish instead, you can cut it down to one.

Buttery oat topping being added to the top of a fruit dessert

5 Star Review

“I have made more crisps than I can count and yours is THE BEST. The entire family couldn’t stop eating and it was so easy!! Will make again and again all summer long!”
— Emily —

How to Make the Best Strawberry Crisp

And I do mean BEST.

I make this recipe constantly during strawberry season (unless I’m making my Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, of course).

The ingredients in this crisp are simple, sublime, and entirely focused on letting the strawberries shine.

The Ingredients

Strawberries. The red, juicy jewel of the summer! Strawberries are not only delicious, but they’re also packed with vitamins and antioxidants. You can make strawberry crisp with just-picked strawberries, strawberries that are getting old, or even frozen strawberries.
Honey. Rather than sweeten up the filling with sugar, I used honey. It’s the bees knees when paired with strawberries.
Lemon Juice. The crisp doesn’t taste lemony; rather, the lemon enhances the intensity of the strawberries’ flavor.
Cornstarch. To help the filling thicken. Don’t worry if it’s super juicy right out of the oven; the filling will gel a bit more as the crisp cools.
Vanilla Extract. Once you try it in your fruit crisp filling, you won’t go back!
Topping. This recipe uses melted butter (yes, that’s right! No need to cut in the butter here), coconut oil, baking powder, cinnamon, coconut sugar, granulated sugar, white whole wheat flour, oats, and lemon zest for the topping. The topping for this crisp comes together quickly and tastes fabulous!

Substitution Tip

I used coconut sugar in the topping, but you can certainly make this a brown sugar strawberry crisp if you prefer.

DIETARY NOTE

If you’re looking for a gluten free crisp, try this Blackberry Crisp, which uses almond meal instead of any flour.

The Directions

Melt the butter and coconut oil. Stir in the remaining topping ingredients, then transfer the bowl to the refrigerator.
Hull and quarter the strawberries. Add them to a mixing bowl with the filling ingredients. Pour the mixture into a baking dish.
Scatter the topping onto the strawberry mixture. Bake strawberry crisp at 375 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes. DIG IN!

Dietary Note

To Make Gluten Free. Swap the white whole wheat flour for a 1:1 baking blend like this one.
To Make Vegan. Use a vegan buttery spread in place of the butter or swap the butter for additional coconut oil. Swap the honey for maple syrup.

Storage Tips

To Store. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
To Reheat. Reheat gently in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep Tip

Up to 1 day in advance, hull and quarter the strawberries. Refrigerate them until you’re ready to finish the recipe.

What to Serve with Strawberry Crisp

Frozen Desserts

Oat Milk Ice Cream

Save Recipe

Cocktails

Strawberry Champagne

Save Recipe

A serving of Strawberry Crisp with vanilla ice cream

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Baking Dish. Perfect for making strawberry crisp for one or for a crowd.
Mixing Bowls. This set of mixing bowls comes in handy for so many different recipes.
Rubber Spatula. My go-to tool for stirring the crisp filling and topping ingredients together.

This strawberry crisp with a big, melty scoop of vanilla ice cream is the most magnificent of summer desserts.

And since it is made with wholesome ingredients, when warmed and topped with Greek yogurt it makes for best-day-ever summer breakfasts too!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?

Yes, you can make a strawberry crisp with frozen strawberries. Thaw the strawberries in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 2 hours. If they are not yet quartered, do so before adding them to the filling.

What Can I Use instead of Coconut Oil?

If you don’t have coconut oil on hand, you can swap it for additional melted butter.

Can I Make Strawberry Crisp without Oats?

While we love our strawberry crisp with oats, you can certainly make this crisp without them. Swap in the topping on my Peach Crisp (replace the 1 cup oats with an additional 1/2 cup flour) or replace the 2/3 cup oats called for in this recipe with 1/2 cup additional flour or 3/4 cup chopped raw pecans.

Save ReviewPrint