Strawberry Apple Crisp

This strawberry apple crisp is bursting with jammy, fruity flavor. The ripe sweetness of strawberries perfectly balances the subtle tang from lemon zest. Just imagine the comforting aroma of brown sugar and vanilla filling the kitchen. Rolled oats in the golden brown, buttery crisp topping add nutty flavor and a satisfying chewy texture.

Crisps are simple, recipes that turn a generous amount of fruit into an easy, delicious dessert.

In this strawberry apple rendition, juicy, red strawberries and tart green apples are gently sweetened with brown sugar. I kept the sugar in the filling to a minimum to let the natural sweetness of the fruit shine through, and provide a nice contrast to the sweeter crisp topping. Vanilla and lemon zest provide additional flavor and complement the jammy fruit taste.

I've made the topping with half whole wheat flour in order to add a rustic texture and nutty flavor to the crisp. Rolled oats provide a chewy texture and additional heartiness.

Fruit crisps and crumbles (like this apple blackberry crumble - similarly made, but without oats) may not be pretty, but the sweet aroma of strawberries and apples baking will win you over to this humble, delectable dessert.

If they don't, the warm tender fruit, crispy topping, and thickened fruit juices definitely will. And there's the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top...

But you don't need more convincing. Have you turned on the oven yet?

For more fruit-centered recipes, try this easy blueberry pie, mascarpone topped grilled peach dessert and this plum yogurt cake.

Ingredients

* See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.

FOR THE TOPPING

Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the total quantity of salt in the recipe. Cube the butter to make it easier to cut into the flour mixture of the crisp.

Whole wheat flour - Whole wheat flour adds rustic heartiness and a subtle graham-cracker flavor. You can also use rye flour for a nutty profile.

Oats - This recipe uses old fashioned rolled oats. Do not replace with quick oats or steel cut oats.

FOR THE FILLING

Semi-tart baking apples - I use Granny Smith apples, which are tart and firm with a shiny, bright green peel. Braeburn apples have a similar flavor. Golden Delicious or Jonagold retain a comparable texture when baked.

Strawberries- Fresh or frozen strawberries will work for this recipe. There's no need to defrost the berries prior to baking. You may need to add a few minutes of bake time.

Brown sugar - If your strawberries aren't particularly sweet, consider adding an extra tablespoon of sugar. Taste the filling before you bake the crisp to get a sense if more sugar is needed.

Lemon juice - Lemon juice adds brightness and keeps the apples from turning brown.

Cornstarch - Cornstarch thickens the juices from the apples and strawberries.

Instructions

These photos provide visual cues. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card.

Mix together flours, oats, sugar and salt. Cube butter and add to flour mixture. Work butter into flour until mixture forms clumps. Cover bowl and freeze 15 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour.

Peel, core and chop apples. Add brown sugar, cornstarch, pinch of salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir until apples are well coated.

Add strawberries and stir gently to blend into the apples and coat with cornstarch mixture.

Pour strawberry apple filling into dish and distribute evenly.

Pinch bits of the crisp topping mixture between your fingers to make small clumps. Sprinkle topping all over the fruit.

Place dish on parchment lined baking sheet (to catch any drips) and bake on middle rack of oven for 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4).

The crisp is done baking when juices in the middle are bubbling (not just at the edges) and the topping is a nice golden brown color.

Substitutions

• Whole wheat flour - Feel free to replace the whole wheat or rye flour in the crisp with an equal amount of all purpose flour. You'll lose the nutty flavor and rustic texture that whole wheat flour provides, but all purpose flour will still taste amazing.
• Strawberries- If you don't have strawberries, you can replace them with an equal amount of apples for a classic apple crisp. You could also use a similar amount of plums, blueberries or rhubarb. If using rhubarb, I recommend increasing the sugar quantity in the filling.

Variations

Give these variations and serving suggestions a try!

• Without oats - To make this crisp into a strawberry apple crumble, omit the oats from the recipe.
• With nuts - Add ¼ to ½ cup chopped nuts such as almonds or pecans to the crisp topping recipe.
• Extra topping- If the crispy, buttery topping is your favorite part of this classic fruit dessert, go ahead and make an extra thick layer! I'd start with a 1.5x recipe: increase the flours, sugar and butter each to ¾ cup, add 1⅛ cups rolled oats, and just a pinch more salt.
• Á la Mode - Serve each portion of strawberry apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - or your favorite flavor!
• Over the top - Serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar, or a drizzle of maple syrup.

Equipment

For this strawberry apple crisp recipe, I use a 2.5 quart (2.4 liter) ceramic Corning Ware casserole dish that measures 12 inches x 9.75 inches x 2 inches. A 9 x 13 inch casserole dish provides the same area and works equally well.

A parchment or foil lined half sheet baking pan (18 x 13 inches) catches any drips or spills. Sometimes a bit of fruit juice bubbles over. Save yourself the work of cleaning the oven and use a baking sheet underneath!

Frequently asked questions

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