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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Crisp:
Reserve a little butter for the top. Dotting extra cold butter directly onto the crumble before baking adds richness and helps deepen the golden color.
Don’t skip the thickener. Cornstarch or flour is what prevents a watery filling — strawberries release a lot of juice as they bake, so this step really matters.
Use cold butter for a crisp, crumbly topping. If the butter softens too much while you’re working it in, pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes before continuing.
Let it rest before serving. This gives the filling time to thicken up properly, so it holds its shape when scooped instead of running everywhere.
Don’t overmix the topping. Leaving some visible butter chunks keeps the topping light and crisp rather than dense.
What to serve with homemade Strawberry Crisp:
*Vanilla ice cream
*Homemade whipped cream
*Mascarpone whipped cream
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes. Add them straight to the filling without thawing first. Since frozen strawberries release more liquid than fresh ones as they bake, add an extra 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or flour to help the filling set up properly, and expect to add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Can I make this into a strawberry rhubarb crisp?
Yes! A good starting ratio is about half strawberries and half sliced rhubarb — the rhubarb adds a tart contrast that balances beautifully against the sweetness of the strawberries. You may want to add a touch more sugar to the filling to account for the rhubarb’s tartness.
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.
Pin Strawberry Crisp
By: Modern Honey® – www.modernhoney.com This Strawberry Crisp is made with fresh sweetened strawberries topped with a homemade buttery oat crumble topping. A Homemade Strawberry Crumble is an easy summer dessert. Prep Time: 15 minutes minutesCook Time: 26 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Equipment
- 9 inch square cake pan
- mixing bowl set
Ingredients
- 4 cups Strawberries (about 2 lbs. sliced)
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Flour or Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Oat Crumble Topping:
- 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Flour
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 10 Tablespoons Butter (cold, cut into cubes)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced strawberries, sugar, flour OR cornstarch, and vanilla in a bowl. Toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, mix rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and sugar. Cut in 8 Tablespoons (1 cube) of cold butter, cut into cubes, with a fork or pastry cutter until it is combined. You may end up with chunks of butter and that is okay as the butter will melt in the oven.
- Place the strawberry mixture in a 9-inch baking dish. Top with brown sugar oat crumble. Dot the remaining two tablespoons of butter on top of the crumble. Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the strawberry crisp is a light golden color and the strawberry juices starts to bubble.
- Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving to allow it to set up. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
