I really fell off the sugar wagon this Easter, so I’ve been craving sweets way too much lately. In an attempt to wean myself off of the pure sugar desserts, I concocted this nutritious strawberry crisp — which is not only full of fruit, nuts, and oats, but is also so easy to throw together when you’re wanting something sweet.
I have to give my mom credit for this recipe idea, because she recently made a strawberry cobbler for the family when she realized she was out of blueberries. She used brown sugar in her recipe, and it was delicious (of course). I decided to create a slightly more nutritious version by adding sliced almonds and using coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I loved the results! The almonds give the cookie crumble an extra crunch to contrast the softness of the fruit. Oh, and I serve it hot with a small scoop of vanilla nondairy ice cream (cashew milk is my favorite!). YUM!
The strawberries are great this time of year, which helps this dish a lot in terms of natural sweetness. If the strawberries at your local store don’t look that great, you can also use frozen berries. Just be sure to thaw them and cut them before adding them to the recipe.
I only buy organic strawberries because strawberries are high on the pesticide list. Pesticides seem to cling to the tiny seeds on the outside of the strawberries, and rinsing doesn’t seem to help much. I think organic berries taste better anyway.
Another option: Grow your own!
Of course, we all know that the best part of any cobbler or crisp is the topping. It’s basically an oatmeal cookie crumbled on top of warm fruit and baked until golden and crunchy. The hint of cinnamon makes your house smell amazing for hours after baking!
- 1½ lb strawberries, fresh or frozen and thawed, chopped
- 1½ T. pure maple syrup
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. tapioca or corn starch
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ cup GF all-purpose flour
- 2 heaping T. Earth Balance or other nondairy butter substitute
- ¼ cup almond slices or slivers
- ¼ cup GF rolled oats
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cut strawberries in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl or cup, whisk together the maple syrup, lemon juice, and corn starch. Pour mixture over the strawberries and toss to distribute.
- Spread the coated strawberries out evenly in a medium casserole dish. The berry layer should be about an inch to 1½ inches thick.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut sugar, salt, and flour. Add the Earth Balance, cutting into pieces with the edge of a spoon. Using your hands, knead the pieces into the mixture until distributed and a crumbly dough forms. Stir in the almonds, oats, and cinnamon.
- Spread the crumble out over the strawberry layer and bake until brown and crisp and strawberries are bubbling, 35-40 mins.
- Serve hot with nondairy vanilla ice cream or coconut whip.
This is a great recipe to make with kids!
My picky husband doesn’t like fruit in his desserts, so it was up to Abby and me to eat all of this strawberry crisp on our own. Challenge accepted and completed!
If you love strawberries and own a juicer, you should try my refreshing sparkling strawberry rhubarb lemonade!
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