Strawberry Apple Crisp

This strawberry apple crisp with oats is bursting with jammy, fruity flavor. The ripe sweetness of strawberries perfectly balances the subtle tang from lemon zest. Brown sugar and vanilla provide comforting aromas and the 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 crisp, 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 give a toothsome texture and additional heartiness.

Fruit crisps and crumbles (similarly made, but without oats) may not be visually compelling, but the sweet aroma of strawberries and apples baking will certainly win you over to this humble, delectable dessert. And if they don't, the warm tender fruit, crispy topping, and thickened fruit juices surely will. And there's the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top...

But surely you don't need more convincing. Read on for all the details.

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

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• More Fruit Desserts
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

FOR THE CRISP TOPPING

Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the total quantity of salt in the recipe. Salt content in salted butter varies from brand to brand. The butter should be cubed to make it easier to cut into the flour mixture of the crisp.

Whole wheat flour - Whole wheat flour adds a rustic heartiness and a subtle graham-cracker flavor. Alternatively, you can 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 STRAWBERRY AND APPLE FRUIT FILLING

Semi-tart baking apples - I use Granny Smith apples, which are tart and firm with a shiny, bright green peel. Braeburn apples would give a similar flavor. Golden Delicious or Jonagold have slightly different flavor but 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. To know when the crisp is done, look for the cues noted in the recipe card.

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.

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

Instructions

Learn how to make strawberry apple crisp with oats! These photos provide visual cues. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card.

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.

Hint: Chilling the crisp topping before baking will ensure that the butter remains cold. This will help the topping to crisp up well when baked.

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 a little bit of the nutty flavor and rustic texture that whole wheat flour provides, but it won't negatively affect the outcome of the recipe.
• 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 doubling the sugar quantity in the filling (increasing from ¼ cup to ½ cup.)

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! Strawberry ice cream would be particularly fitting.
• Over the top - Serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar, or a drizzle of maple syrup.

Equipment

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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. I found it at a secondhand store, but you can purchase it here. 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!

Storage

Store: Store leftover crisp in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.

Freeze: To freeze leftovers, wrap in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator prior to serving.

Make ahead: Make the crisp topping ahead of time. You can prepare it up to a week in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can also freeze it in a zippered storage bag for up to 3 months.

You can also make the filling ahead of time and freeze it in the baking dish. See details in the FAQ below.

FAQ

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ★★★★★ rating in the recipe card below, and scroll down to leave a review. Your comments, suggestions and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers. Thank you for visiting!

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