Apple Strawberry Crisp
Apple Strawberry Crisp is an easy to make and delicious dessert that combines crisp apples and juicy strawberries together in an incredibly tasty treat. The oatmeal topping adds a crispy, crunchy texture with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Best Strawberry Apple Crisp Recipe
Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts, and I love to bake them throughout the year. They’re easy to prepare and yield big flavors.
Our apple and strawberry crisp is one of John’s favorites. It has a wonderful blend of summer and fall flavors, so it’s the best of both worlds.
This crisp recipe combines tart apples and sweet strawberries to create the perfect balance of flavors and textures.
And, don’t forget the crispy topping. I use our crumble topping on all my crisp recipes. It’s made with a blend of flour, brown sugar, butter, old-fashioned oats, and cinnamon.
The combination of tart apples, strawberries, and crumble topping make this dessert recipe irresistible. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and your family will be coming back for seconds!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Topping Ingredients:
- Old-fashioned Rolled Oats: You’ll need 1 cup of oats to make the crumble topping.
- Butter: We use ½ cup of unsalted butter to make the topping hold together.
- Flour: You’ll need ½ cup of all-purpose flour to use as a binder in the topping.
- Sugar: We use ½ cup of light brown sugar and ¼ cup of granulated sugar to give this topping its sweet taste.
- Ground cinnamon: You’ll need ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to give this topping a hint of warming flavor.
Filling Ingredients:
- Apples: You’ll need 5 medium-sized apples. Any type of apple works, but ideally they should be firm and not a soft variety.
- Strawberries: We use 4 cups of fresh strawberries in the filling.
- Sugar: We use ½ cup of granulated sugar to sweeten the filling. Adjust the amount depending on the sweetness of the apples and strawberries.
- Cornstarch: You’ll need ⅓ cup of cornstarch to thicken the filling as it cooks.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: You’ll use the juice and zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons) to keep the diced apples from turning brown and to give this crisp a pop of fresh flavor and acidity.
- Vanilla and Salt: We use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and ½ of teaspoon of salt to add extra flavor to this crisp and to enhance the other ingredients.
How to Make Apple Strawberry Crisp:
Scroll to the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient amounts!
This is the perfect dessert to prepare if you have an abundance of apples or lots of strawberries. It only takes about 15 minutes to prep then the rest of time is hands off!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 2 ½-quart casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Use a pastry cutter, forks, or your hands to make sure the ingredients are well mixed. There shouldn’t be any dry, sandy patches left in the bowl.
- Place the diced apples, lemon juice, and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- To the bowl, add the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt. Gently toss to combine the ingredients.
- Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared dish then top with the crisp topping.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the oat topping is golden brown and crunchy and the filling is bubbly.
- Let the crisp cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Fruit Crisp Tips:
- Choose ripe and flavorful apples and strawberries: Select apples that are firm, crisp, and slightly tart, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Pick ripe, sweet strawberries for a burst of flavor.
- Combine apple and strawberry varieties: Mixing different types of apples and strawberries can add depth to the flavor profile of your crisp.
- Keep the topping light and crumbly: Use cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This will ensure a crisp, light texture.
- Precook the apples if needed: Some apple varieties may take longer to soften. If you’re using a firmer apple, consider lightly precooking the diced apples on the stovetop with a bit of butter to soften them slightly before assembling the crisp.
- Consider spices: Add additional warm spices like nutmeg or cardamom to complement the flavors of the fruit.
- Adjust sweetness: Taste your fruit before adding the sugar. Depending on the sweetness of your fruit, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar you add.
Storage:
Refrigerator: Store leftover apple strawberry crisp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. After that, the texture begins to deteriorate.
Freezer: Allow the apple strawberry crisp to cool completely at room temperature before freezing. Transfer the cooled crisp into airtight, freezer-safe containers or resealable freezer bags. Store for up to 2 months.
Thawing and Reheating: To enjoy the frozen strawberry apple crisp, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, reheat it in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
Alternatively, you can microwave individual portions on low heat until heated evenly.
Can you use frozen apples and strawberries for the crisp?
Yes, you can use frozen apples and strawberries for the crisp. However, make sure to thaw them first before using them.
Additionally, frozen fruits tend to contain more water than fresh fruits, so you may need to increase the cornstarch or cook the crisp a bit longer when using frozen fruits.
For best results though, it is recommended that you opt for fresh apples and strawberries during strawberry season.
How do you prevent the crisp from becoming too watery?
Fruit crisps release quite a bit of liquid as they bake, so it’s important to use enough cornstarch, arrowroot, or flour to thicken the filling. Otherwise, they becomes soupy and watery.
Also, ensure frozen fruit thaws entirely before making the fruit filling. It’s best to drain away excess liquid before assembling the filling ingredients.
Last, let the crisp cool for 10-15 minutes or longer if possible. This gives the crisp time to thicken and set up.
Can you prepare the crisp topping ahead of time?
Yes, the crisp topping can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container or covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerated. You can also freeze the topping to use later on for a quick and easy dessert.
Can you make this crisp into individual servings?
Yes, you can make this apple strawberry crisp into individual servings. Simply divide the fruit mixture and oat topping among four or six individual ramekins and bake until the filling bubbles and the topping is golden brown.
Can you use quick oats in place of old-fashioned oats?
No, we recommend using old-fashioned oats for this recipe. Quick oats have a finer texture and will result in a different consistency for the topping compared to that made with old-fashioned oats.
Quick oats soak up liquid easier meaning the topping will be softer and less crunchy.
Can you substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative?
Yes, you can substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative when making an apple strawberry crisp. A gluten-free all-purpose flour or a blend works best.
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Ingredients
For the Topping:
- 1 cup(s) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 8 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup(s) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup(s) brown sugar
- ¼ cup(s) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
For the Filling:
- 5 medium apples, cored, peeled and diced; about 135g each
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice
- 4 cup(s) fresh strawberries, diced
- ½ cup(s) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup(s) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon(s) kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 2 ½-quart casserole dish.
To Make the Topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Use a pastry cutter, forks, or your hands to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.. There shouldn't be any dry, sandy patches left in the bowl.1 cup(s) old-fashioned rolled oats8 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter½ cup(s) all-purpose flour½ cup(s) brown sugar¼ cup(s) granulated sugar½ teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
To Make the Filling:
- Place the diced apples, lemon juice, and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.5 medium apples1 large lemon
- To the bowl, add the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt. Gently toss to combine the ingredients.4 cup(s) fresh strawberries½ cup(s) granulated sugar⅓ cup(s) cornstarch1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract½ teaspoon(s) kosher salt
- Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared dish then add with the crisp topping.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the oat topping is golden brown and crunchy and the filling is bubbly.
- Let the crisp cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Scroll up and see the post for tips, storage information, and FAQs.
