Strawberry Crisp

This Strawberry Crisp features juicy fresh strawberries baked beneath a buttery, golden oat crumble. Easy to make with fresh or frozen berries — the ultimate simple summer dessert.

 

The first real strawberries of the season always feel like a small celebration — and there’s no better way to use a big basket of them than this Strawberry Crisp. Sweet, juicy strawberries bake down into a soft, jammy filling underneath a thick layer of buttery, golden oat crumble, and the whole thing comes together with barely any effort at all.

This strawberry crisp recipe is made completely from scratch — fresh strawberries, a simple thickened filling, and a perfectly crisp oat topping. The strawberries bake down into a soft, jammy layer while the topping turns golden and crunchy, creating the perfect contrast of textures in every single bite.

Why This Recipe Works

• The perfect crumble-to-fruit ratio. This recipe uses a generous amount of oat topping, so every scoop gets plenty of that buttery, golden crumble — not just a thin dusting over the fruit.
• Cold butter, worked in by hand. Cutting cold, cubed butter into the dry topping ingredients (rather than melting it) creates those irregular, craggy clumps that bake up crisp and golden instead of flat and doughy. It’s like the best oatmeal cookie, paired with sweet strawberries.
• A thickener that actually works. Strawberries release a lot of liquid as they bake, so tossing them with cornstarch or flour before baking keeps the filling jammy and scoopable instead of watery.
• Extra butter on top. A couple of tablespoons of butter dotted directly on top of the crumble (rather than mixed in) adds an extra buttery flavor and helps the top layer turn a beautiful golden color.

What ingredients are in Strawberry Crisp?

For the Filling

• Fresh strawberries, sliced
• Sugar
• Flour or cornstarch
• Vanilla extract

For the Oat Crumble Topping

• Rolled oats
• Flour
• Brown sugar
• Sugar
• Butter, cold and cut into cubes

How to choose ripe strawberries:

The riper the strawberries, the better this crisp will taste — look for berries that are deep red, fragrant, and firm (not mushy). If your strawberries are on the more tart side, feel free to add a touch more sugar to the filling to balance things out.

How to make the Best Strawberry Crisp Recipe:

1. Start with Fresh Strawberries. Slice the strawberries and toss them in a large bowl with sugar, cornstarch or flour, and vanilla. Since the sugar will bring out the natural juices from the strawberries, it is important to add a thickener — cornstarch or flour. If you can find ripe, juicy strawberries, use them as they will make this strawberry crumble that much sweeter.
2. Make a Homemade Oatmeal Topping. Mix together rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, sugar, and cubed cold butter. The cold butter is essential as it creates a crumble that will melt the butter slowly in the oven. I like to use a combination of both brown sugar and sugar. The sugar makes this strawberry crisp extra crisp and the brown sugar gives the topping some chewiness. 
3. Place the strawberries in a baking dish and generously top with the oat crumble. Dot the oat topping with the remaining butter that was set aside. 
4. Bake until the strawberry juices are bubbly and the oatmeal crisp is a light golden color. Let set up to room temperature and serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

Storage:

Store leftover strawberry crisp covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This is important: strawberries are highly perishable, and this crisp should not be left out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours, since it can spoil (and even develop mold) well before the 3-day mark if left uncovered on the counter.

To reheat, warm individual portions in the microwave for 20–30 seconds, or place the whole dish in a 300°F oven for about 10–15 minutes to help re-crisp the topping.

Popular Strawberry Recipes:

• Strawberry Shortcake
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
• Strawberry Oat Crumble Bars
• Strawberries and Cream Stuffed French Toast
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart
• Strawberry Shortcake Cake

If you love peaches, check out my popular PEACH CRISP RECIPE. 

More Crisp Recipes:

Nectarine Brown Sugar Crisp

Berry Crisp

Apple Crisp

Peach Crisp

Fresh Apricot Crisp

Blackberry Crisp

This Strawberry Crisp is proof that some of the best summer desserts don’t need to be complicated. A handful of pantry staples, a basket of ripe strawberries, and about 25 minutes in the oven is all it takes. Whether you’re making it for a summer get-together or just because strawberries were on sale, this one’s worth adding to the regular rotation.