Indulge in the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors with this Strawberry Apple Crisp recipe. Ripe strawberries and tangy apples are baked together under a crumbly buttery topping, creating a warm and comforting dessert that is sure to delight your taste buds.
Fruit crisps and crumbles are in my top 3 on the list of my favorite desserts. I love them so much because they are incredibly delicious but also because they require zero skill to make. Throw some fruit in a casserole dish or a pie dish, top with a simple mixture of flour, sugar and butter and bake.
When I was in college I used to work at a cozy restaurant in Scotland that always had a fruit crumble on the menu and that's how I was introduced to this sensational dessert. Apple crumble with custard is a British classic, of course, but I like to experiment with different fruit and toppings for the ultimate sweet comfort food.
I find that mixing and matching different types of fruit makes for the most delicious crisps. This easy Apple Strawberry Crisp is a delicious combination of soft cooked tart apples, sweet and juicy strawberries and THE BEST crumble topping made with simple ingredients. Butter is a must when it comes to making the topping crispy! I like using melted butter because it cuts the prep time to just a few minutes.
Looking for more easy desserts? Try these 2 Banana Muffins, this Easy Rhubarb Cake or these Easy No Bake Cake Pops. Or, check out my Healthy Desserts page for more ideas.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This crisp is a foolproof dessert recipe - it ALWAYS works
- Wonderful comforting dessert that's great both in the summer and fall, strawberry season or apple season
- An excellent way to use up seasonal fruit
- Easily customizable recipe: mix and match different varieties of apples, add other berries, mix in nuts or oats into the topping
- Only real, whole ingredients and high in vitamin C and fiber thanks to the impressive amount of fruit in this dessert
- Great for potlucks and parties - bring it already baked or unbaked and pop it in the oven at your host's house
Ingredient notes
- Strawberries: choose ripe and juicy strawberries
- Apples: firm and crisp apples, such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples or work best for crisps and pies but any type of apple will work
- Flour: I like to use a combo of all-purpose flour and blanched almond flour in this recipe. You can swap all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour, if you want.
- Brown and White Sugar: using both adds complexity to the flavor and texture of the topping. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Corn Starch: an important ingredient that thickens the fruit juices and prevents the crisp from getting too watery
- Butter: I used unsalted butter but salted butter will work equally well - just skip the salt added to the topping
- Lemon Juice: helps to prevent browning of apples and adds a nice citrus note to the flavor
- Vanilla: use natural vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Salt: to balance out the sweet and acidic flavors
- Cinnamon: it adds warmth and spice to the recipe. You can skip it if you don't like it.
Substitutions
- To make this crisp vegan, swap regular butter for vegan butter or coconut oil
- You can add more texture to the topping by mixing in chopped up walnuts, almonds or pecans
- If you don't have fresh strawberries, frozen strawberries will also work. Frozen strawberry slices will give you best results. You may need to bake the crisp longer if using frozen fruit.
How to make Strawberry Apple Crisp
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a casserole dish lightly with nonstick spray. I used a 7x11'' baking dish but you can use a smaller or larger dish, too, depending on what you have available.
STEP 2: Melt the butter in a small saucepan (Image 1) or in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Set aside.
STEP 3: Juice one lemon into a bowl (Image 2). Set aside.
STEP 4: Make the fruit filling. Peel and slice the apples - I usually cut the apple into quarters, remove the core and cut each quarter into 3-4 slices. As you're placing the apple slices in a large mixing bowl, add lemon juice and mix to prevent the apples from browning (Image 3). Slice the strawberries and add them to the bowl together with corn starch, sugar and vanilla (Image 4). Mix well.
STEP 5: Make the topping. In a separate bowl mix together both flours, white and brown sugar, salt and cinnamon (Image 5). Pour in melted butter and mix with a fork to create dough crumbles (Image 6).
STEP 6: Assemble the crisp. Place the apple strawberry filling into the prepared casserole dish (Image 7) and cover evenly with the topping mixture (Image 8).
STEP 7: Bake for 45 minutes in 350 degrees until the fruit mixture is bubbly and the topping golden brown.
Serving suggestions
Serve your Strawberry Apple Crisp warm or at room temperature, and enhance the experience with these delightful accompaniments:
- Vanilla Ice Cream: The cool creaminess of vanilla ice cream contrasts beautifully with the warm, fruity crisp. It's a match made in dessert heaven.
- Whipped Cream: Dollop a generous amount of freshly whipped cream on top for an indulgent touch.
- Greek Yogurt: For a lighter alternative, pair the crisp with a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt.
This crisp can be an awesome healthier alternative to birthday cake! Personally, I love fruit crisps much better than cake. Just scoop it into a bowl, add some vanilla ice-cream, stick a candle in it and celebrate!
This recipe is featured in a post compiling 15 Healthy Birthday Cake Alternatives. Find some more sweet ideas there!
Storage & freezing tips
Storage: Once cooled, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer the crisp to an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, allowing you to savor the flavors over multiple servings.
Freezing: Ensure the dessert has cooled completely, then tightly wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Alternatively, you can transfer individual portions to freezer-safe containers. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating: To enjoy the crisp once again, remove it from the refrigerator or freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature for a short while. For the best results, reheat individual portions in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. This will help retain the crisp texture while gently warming the fruit filling. If desired, you can also microwave individual portions on low heat, checking at 20-second intervals until heated to your preference.
Recipe FAQs
Generally, they are very similar. Crisp usually has some kind of addition in the dough, such as nuts and/or oats. This recipe uses almond flour. Crumble is typically made with butter, flour and sugar only.
Yes. Frozen strawberry slices will work best. Thaw them just enough to separate the pieces if they form a big clump. You may need to bake the crisp a bit longer, until bubbly and the topping gets golden brown.
Yes. If you don't want to use almond flour, swap it for equal amount of all purpose flour. You can also use almond meal or finely chopped almonds or other nuts, such as pecans or walnuts. Rolled oats will also work as a swap for almond flour.
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Recipe
Apple Strawberry Crisp
Ingredients
Fruit filling
- 4 cups sliced strawberries
- 4 apples large
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoon corn starch or potato starch
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crisp topping
- 1 stick butter or ½ cup, unsalted
- 11/4 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed, light or dark
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a medium sized casserole dish (7x11in or similar) with non-stick spray.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan on the stove or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave. Set aside to cool.
- Juice one lemon.
- Peel and core the apples and cut into slices and transfer to a large mixing bowl. As you are adding the apple slices to a bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice and stir to prevent browning.
- Add slices strawberries, corn or potato starch, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla extract. Mix together to coat.
- In a separate bowl prepare the topping. Mix together flour, sugar, salt (if using unsalted butter), almond flour and cinnamon. Pour in melted butter. Using a fork mix the dough together until crumbles form. Note: the crumbles should be no larger than 1.5in or else they won't brown evenly.
- Assemble the crisp. Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Cover evenly with crisp topping.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the fruit mixture is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
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