This is a variation of our frozen fruit crisp base recipe. Made with naturally sweet strawberries and just a touch of added sugar, our frozen strawberry crisp highlights the fruit’s bright, juicy flavor. Topped with a golden, buttery oat crumble, it’s the perfect balance of indulgence and health. Bonus: you can make it year-round with frozen berries! Serve it warm with a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream for a dessert that’s as comforting as it is wholesome.
Must-Know Cooking Skills to Level Up your Kitchen Game
To make this recipe even easier, check out these videos to master the basics:
Plus, we’ve got an awesome Knife Skills 101 course to help you slice and dice like a pro (for other recipes)!
Culinary Tips for Making the Best Frozen Strawberry Crumble
When measuring brown sugar, be sure to pack it in the cup. Watch this culinary technique video to learn how to measure brown sugar properly!
Frozen strawberries can be slightly tart, so you might need to add 1-2 tablespoons more brown sugar to the fruit. Taste one to find out! Note that the crisp topping is sweet on its own, so it will also help balance any tartness.
Different fruits store different amounts of water. Frozen strawberries seem to need ¼ cup of cornstarch to thicken; they contain more water than a lot of other fruits. Other berries need 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and peaches, pears, pineapple, mangos, or apples require 2.
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions
- Frozen Strawberries: Feeling adventurous? Swap some (or all) of the strawberries for any fresh or frozen fruit you love! Mix in blueberries, raspberries, dark cherries, or blackberries for a berry-packed crisp. Want to shake things up? Apples, pears, peaches, or mangos make delicious additions. If you’re using fresh strawberries, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch seems to do the trick.
- Brown Sugar: Switch it up with coconut sugar, turbinado sugar, or cane sugar—but heads up, cane sugar won’t bring that same rich flavor. Honey or agave can also work—just drizzle it over the fruit after you’ve tossed it with cornstarch.
- Cornstarch: No cornstarch? No problem. Use ¼ cup of all-purpose flour instead—it’ll do the job just fine.
- Lemon Juice: Out of lemons? Orange juice works too. Feeling zesty? Toss in a teaspoon of lemon zest for extra brightness.
- Old-Fashioned Oats: Quick oats will work in a pinch, but they don’t deliver that same hearty, golden crisp. Whatever you do, steer clear of steel-cut oats—they are too tough.
- All-Purpose Flour: For a nutritional boost, try white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, or spelt flour. Just know the crust might turn out a bit denser.
- Almonds: Pecans or walnuts make excellent substitutes if you’re feeling nutty.
- Butter: You could try avocado or canola oil, but we weren’t wowed by the results. Coconut oil might be a better bet, but we didn’t get a chance to test it—so if you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Recipe Variations
Have fun making it your own! Add a dash of vanilla to the strawberries or a teaspoon of cinnamon to the crisp. We are all about adding more flavor!
To make a gluten-free berry crisp, substitute a gluten-free flour mix, such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Flour, in place of the all-purpose flour, and be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Want some fruit crisp recipe inspiration?
Use our frozen fruit crisp base recipe as a guide, and create your own signature variation!
Equipment Recommendations
Make sure your kitchen is stocked with these tools for easy preparation!
- Nested mixing bowls – great for mixing, great for storing!
- Citrus juicer – for game changing real lemon juice.
- Measuring Spoons & Cups – precision makes a difference.
- 8×8 Glass or Ceramic Baking Dish – great for crisps and so much more!
If you choose to serve this frozen fruit crisp recipe with homemade whipped cream, you may also want an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. And the Kitchen Aid branded ones are so fun and colorful—Chef V has all pink in her kitchen. Whisking by hand is always an option too, just get ready for a good arm workout! There’s no chance we’d go for that—ha ha!
Check out our essential equipment guide to stock your kitchen with ALL the tools you need to prepare anything and everything!
Is Frozen Strawberry Crisp Healthy?
Although this is a dessert recipe, we still found a few ways to ensure you get some good nutrition in every bite. Strawberries, old-fashioned oats, almonds, and less sugar than most desserts makes this a perfect recipe for those looking for a delicious frozen strawberry dessert!
Frozen Strawberries
Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and phytonutrients. These nutrients promote a healthy body and can help prevent chronic diseases.
Oats
Oats are a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Fiber is important for digestion, satiety, stable blood sugar, good cholesterol, and healthy gut bacteria. Complex carbohydrates are important for steady energy and focus.
Almonds
Nuts of all varieties contain plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Almonds in particular are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Less Sugar than Most Desserts
Although we expect to find sugar in most desserts, many recipes and pre-made desserts contain way more than necessary. In this frozen fruit crisp, we use lemon juice to enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit and nuts, then add some brown sugar to balance the flavors out. Each serving of frozen strawberry crisp contains 1 Tablespoon (12 grams) of added sugar – far less than you would find in any store bought dessert! Even most homemade fruit crisp recipes have almost twice the amount of sugar than is in this recipe!
Dive into our ingredient guide to discover the freshest, tastiest picks for all your recipes—because great ingredients make all the difference! 🌟🍎
Serving Suggestions for Strawberry Crisp with Frozen Strawberries
Serve straight from the oven with a small scoop of Greek yogurt, banana nice cream, or a dollop of homemade whipped cream,
You can also make this recipe a day or two in advance. Allow to cool completely, then cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to eat. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350ºF and cook for 20 minutes, or until the strawberries are bubbling and mixture is heated through. Good luck keeping sneaky hands from sampling a taste if you leave it in the fridge for too long before serving!
Looking for a fun breakfast? Microwave a portion in the morning and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt for a sweet, but still nutritious option!
Learn how to build a healthy balanced meal with our Whole Life Plate, meal plan, and book!
Storage Recommendations
Cool completely, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Strawberry crisp will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-5 days (but we doubt it will last that long!). The crispy topping may begin to get soggy, but we promise it will still taste good!
Want more delicious recipes with strawberries? We got you covered!
Try out these favorites!
Whole Grain Strawberry Banana Pancakes
Strawberry Kefir Smoothie with Oats
Share the Love – Leave us a Review!
Unlike many other recipe blogs, we actually encourage you to tweak our recipes. Not because they’re in need of change, haha, but because we believe one of the secrets to success in the kitchen is cooking to YOUR taste. Make the recipe, leave us a review, and tell us if you made any changes! We love hearing how you’ve made it your own.
Frozen Strawberry Crisp
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (~6 cups) frozen strawberries
- 2 Tablespoons + ½ cup packed brown sugar, divided
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Place frozen strawberries in an 8×8 baking dish. Add 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, almonds, remaining brown sugar, and salt.
- Cut butter into ½-inch cubes. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it makes a coarse crumbly mixture. Do not overmix. Sprinkle oat mixture on top of the strawberries in an even layer.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit mixture is bubbling around the edges of the pan. Cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
This Post Has 25 Comments
This is a perfect summertime dessert!
Yes! Be sure to check out our other variations as well – you might find another favorite.
Hi!
Question:
Is it possible to make this recipe with thawed strawberries?
Just curious about that and how it would turn out.
Thanks!
It should still work! I think it would turn out the same, but let us know if you find out differently.
This was so easy, added 1 cup of frozen rhubarb from last springs harvest. Thanks for a recipe using frozen fruit!
That’s so awesome! Strawberry + rhubarb is such a delicious combo! Glad we could help 🙂
I made it for my family and my mom told me that it was the best dessert she had ever eaten. The crispy oats, melting strawberries and ice cream all together were perfect. Thank you so much for this awesome recepie! 100% recommend it!
We love to hear that!! Thank you so much for making it and letting us know your thoughts!
I made this recipe today. A couple of observations. When I mixed the cornstarch, lemon juice and brown sugar, it created a clump that would not thin out to mix with the frozen fruit? Any thoughts on what I did incorrectly? I attempted to compensate with another tablespoon of lemon juice. Also the recipe calls for an 8 x 8 pan which I used, but I then noticed that the photo features a different size pan. Should the fruit be hot or warm only in the middle when it comes out of the oven. Mine still cool in the middle, and I assume the pan size would be affecting the temperature.
I would really like to have a successful outcome since this recipe sounds so appealing. Feedback would be appreciated.
Thank You!
Denise, Thank you so much for sending these observations! You are correct. The cornstarch, lemon juice, and brown sugar mixed together will clump. Instead of mixing them separately, sprinkle them straight onto the fruit. We try to eliminate extra dishes and cleaning when we can. If it helps, sprinkle them one at a time over the fruit evenly. Then, toss well to combine and distribute evenly. You will still see white cornstarch, but as the fruit bakes, it releases juices. These juices mix with the cornstarch to create a delicious syrupy texture. One thing we can’t control is the water content of fruit. This can vary widely depending on the type of fruit and its ripeness. As for the pan’s temperature, the entire pan of fruit should be hot when it comes out of the oven. Cornstarch begins to thicken at temperatures above 203°F. If your crisp is not hot enough, the juice will not be released from the fruit, and the cornstarch will not have anything to mix with. A good way to tell if it’s done is to watch for bubbling. Bubbling indicates that the fruit is releasing its juices and that the starches are thickening the liquid. The pan size and material can impact the cooking time. A larger darker pan will cook faster. An 8×8 pan is perfect for this recipe! We hope this is helpful, and please let us know how it works out!
Thank you, Lindsey, for the detailed reply! I will certainly make the adjustments you suggested. The crisp tasted delicious, even with the issues I had, so it will definitely be on repeat in my kitchen.
The cornstarch did not mix well although trying my best to mix it all up, the frozen berries made it all clump up but as you mentioned it did mingle with the juices but left a small amount at the bottom of the dish ! I had to discard this part but it came out very good !!!
It might help to sprinkle the cornstarch over the strawberries, spreading it out, and then mixing it together. Kind of crazy a small amount didn’t mix with the juices, but glad it was still a hit! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
I combined cornstarch and brown sugar and then tossed over the strawberries a mixed and then sprinkled the lemon juice over the berries. Been doing a similar recipe over the years with rhubrd and this what I have done.
That’s fantastic! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I really want to make this for a pot luck. Can it be made the day before? It sounds amazing. But I am concerned if I made it before that it will get soggy.
We have not tried making it a day before, but I think it really could be reheated in the oven the next day to make sure it crisps up again!
Oh wow so good! I have a bag of mixed frozen fruit I’m trying to use up and worked perfectly! I used cantaloupe, grapes, pineapple and strawberries and the taste is amazing! First time making a crisp; definitely using this recipe again. Love the topping too! So thanks so much!
Love it! You can really use any frozen fruit in this recipe, and that’s why it is so great! Check out our base recipe to see more ideas!
Can you use gluten free flour?
Yes, that should work!
I’m an experienced cook, followed recipe exactly, and am from a family of pretty healthy eaters… but none of us liked this. The topping was not sweet enough, the addition of the salt was off-putting, and the ratios seemed off. Appreciate you posting recipes, but this one definitely needs a rework.
Sorry to hear that! One star – that hurts 😮💨Curious if you used kosher salt. The granules are larger, so if you used iodized instead, you would need to cut back. If you didn’t, it might have tasted salty.
We actually believe in altering recipes to your taste, so if you found the crisp not sweet enough, feel free to add more sugar next time. We like the sweetness level as written 😅
It was very soupy. Baked 45 min. until sides were bubbling. Tastes good but too runny.
We have altered the amount of cornstarch in this recipe I believe two times already! I think it really just depends on the frozen strawberries and how much liquid they weep. Some are more watery than others. If you use the same brand of strawberries, just up the cornstarch a bit more or add some more sugar. Both will help firm up the liquid.