Easy Strawberry Crisp (Gluten-Free)

An Easy Strawberry Crisp recipe made with oats, pecans, fresh strawberries, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. A delicious gluten-free and vegan strawberry dessert that can be enjoyed anytime!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Easy - No complicated instructions here. Whipping up the strawberry mixture and the crisp topping come together in a few simple steps.
• Healthy - Coconut sugar and maple syrup take the place of brown and white sugars. Whole grain oats and fresh fruit shine!
• Simple Ingredients - juicy strawberries, whole-grain oats, pecans, and vegan butter make up the major components for this simple dessert.

Crisps vs Crumbles

Both baked fruit desserts, what really is the difference between a crisp and a crumble? The two dishes are similar in that they use a streusel topping that covers a fruit mixture.

But unlike crumbles, crisps use oats in their topping that "crisp" up during baking. You'll find that this is not a hard and fast rule, but was what originally distinguished the two.

For either dessert, the best way to serve them is with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.

Gluten-Free Oats - Whole grain oats are the main component of the crispy topping. In this buttery oat crisp dessert, oats are used in their whole form as well as blitzed in a food processor to make oat flour. Store-bought gluten-free oat flour will work for this too.

Fresh Strawberries - The star of the recipe, fresh ripe strawberries, bake up into a warm compote-like strawberry filling. A couple pounds of strawberries is just the right amount for this dish.

Raw Pecans - The addition of chopped nuts enhances the flavor and texture of the warm crisp recipe. Other raw nuts like almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts would work well as a substitute.

Coconut Sugar & Maple Syrup - Swap out that brown sugar and white sugar. These two natural sweeteners give this dessert a sweet but not-too-sweet taste.

Vegan Butter - Melted butter brings the crunchy oat streusel together. Melted coconut oil can be used in place of vegan butter as a daiy-free alternative.

Arrowroot Starch - A grain-free alternative to cornstarch. Cornstarch or tapioca starch can be used in place of arrowroot.

Ground Cinnamon - A little cinnamon goes a long way in enhancing the hints of vanilla and maple syrup in this dish.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your baking pan with cooking spray. Melt the vegan butter and set aside.

Step 1: Place 1 cup of oats in the bowl of a food processor.

Step 2: Process on high until a fine flour is achieved. Set aside.

Step 3: Place cut strawberries in a medium bowl and toss with arrowroot starch, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Then, transfer strawberry mixture to baking dish.

Step 4: Combine oats, oat flour, pecans, coconut sugar, salt, and melted butter in the medium bowl.

Step 5: Scatter the crumbly oat mixture on top of the strawberries in the baking pan.

Step 6: Set the bake time for 35-45 minutes. Crisp topping should be golden and fruit bubbly.

Equipment

To make this delicious dessert, there are a few main kitchen tools that you will need.

• Making oat flour at home is easy with a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, a high speed blender will work great too.
• A medium mixing bowl can be used for both the strawberry mixture and the crisp mixture.
• An 8x8 baking dish or casserole dish.

Recipe Tips

If you are making this for people that specifically need a gluten-free dessert, make sure you are using certified gluten-free oats. I like using Bob's Red Mill brand, but doing a double-check of the label is always a good practice. 

Cut down on using multiple mixing bowls by wiping out the mixing bowl after making strawberry mixture. Then, the same bowl can be used to make the crumbly oat topping.

FAQs

Love strawberries? Check out Veggie Balance's gluten-free strawberry shortcake and more gluten-free strawberry desserts below.

Want more crisp? There are crisps for all seasons. Check out this blueberry crisp or this apple butternut squash crisp!

Easy Strawberry Desserts

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