This strawberry cardamom crisp has the delicious taste of a pie but none of the hard work. It's even more delicious when paired with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: besides Christmas, the best time of the year is strawberry season.
And last week, I went a little overboard when buying strawberries, and I had no idea how in the world I was going to eat them all. Then it hit me: strawberry crisp!
I tested this recipe again and again until I got it just right, and I can't wait to share it with you today. It takes less than 15 minutes to whip up and only 30 minutes in the oven, and I promise you're going to love it!
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What You'll Need
Let's quickly chat about some of the key ingredients and tools you'll need to make this recipe, shall we?
Ingredients
- Strawberries - For this recipe, I recommend hulling your strawberries, then cutting them into quarters. If you have particularly large strawberries, you can cut it into sixths, and if you have a teeny tiny strawberries, just cut them in half.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch is often added to pie fillings to help thicken them up, and that's why I included it in this recipe. After cutting your strawberries, toss them with cornstarch until they're evenly covered before adding in the rest of the ingredients.
- Ground cardamom - This recipe calls for ground cardamom in both the filling and the crisp topping, and it pairs beautifully with the strawberries. If you've never tried baking with cardamom before, I promise you'll love it!
Equipment
- Baking dish - I like to use a 1-quart baking dish when making this recipe, but you could also use a 8 x 8-inch baking dish or even a 9-inch pie pan. The crisp doesn't rise in the oven, so you don't have to worry about it spilling over the sides.
- Lemon juicer - This recipe calls for the juice of half a lemon, so having a lemon juicer definitely comes in handy.
- Small offset spatula - After pouring the strawberry filling into the baking dish, I like to spread it evenly using a small offset spatula. But if you don't have one, a knife works just fine!
How to Make This Recipe
Now that you've got everything ready, let me walk you through how to make this crisp!
- Make the strawberry filling. Lightly toss the cut strawberries with the cornstarch, then mix in the light brown sugar, ground cardamom, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and water.
- Prepare the topping: In a separate bowl, mix together the old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom. Add in the melted butter and mix well until the entire mixture is crumbly.
- Time to assemble and bake! Pour the strawberry filling into a lightly greased baking dish, then sprinkle the topping evenly over the strawberry filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F, or until the strawberry filling starts to bubble up around the sides.
Tips for Making This Crisp
Here are some of my best tips that I've learned over the years when making this recipe:
- Make sure to evenly mix all the ingredients for the topping. When mixing together everything for the topping, be sure to thoroughly combine everything as much as possible to avoid any clumps of sugar or salt.
- Bake until the strawberry filling bubbles up over the sides of the topping. You can tell that the crisp has finished baking when the strawberry filling starts to bubble out over the topping. Once you see that, it's time to take it out of the oven!
- For maximum deliciousness, serve this crisp with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Common Questions About This Crisp
You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.
Definitely! Simply replace the fresh strawberries with frozen ones, and follow the rest of the recipe as written. The crisp might just take a bit longer to bake in the oven. I love to stash my berries in the freezer when they start to go bad — that way, I can easily make desserts like this when the craving hits.
I haven't tried this yet, but I think you could definitely make this recipe into bars. I would recommend lining your baking dish with parchment paper before pouring in the filling. Then, after baking, let the dish cool completely before slicing into bars. If you give this a try, let me know how it turns out in the comments below.
In general, this crisp will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge. However, it's definitely best served fresh, so try to eat it as quickly as possible. No pressure!
How to Store & Freeze
To store: You can store the baked crisp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze: Tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or sealed in a freeze-proof container, you can freeze this crisp either baked or unbaked for up to two months. Then, you can bake or reheat it straight from the freezer, or you can let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to The Baker's Almanac for even more baking recipes and tips.
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Strawberry Cardamom Crisp
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This strawberry cardamom crisp has the delicious taste of a pie but none of the hard work. It's even more delicious when paired with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling:
- 2 ½ cups (417g) strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 2 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons (40g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoons water
Topping:
- 1 cup (89g) old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (107g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 8 x 8 square baking dish or 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Make the strawberry filling: Place the cut strawberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle cornstarch on top, mixing well to coat evenly. Add the light brown sugar, ground cardamom, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and water. Mix well and set the bowl aside.
- Make the topping: In a separate bowl, mix together the old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom. Add in the melted butter and mix well until the entire mixture is moistened and crumbly.
- Assemble the crisp: Pour the strawberry filling into the prepared pie pan or baking dish, spreading it so it evenly coats the bottom of the dish. Crumble the topping on top, spreading it so that it evenly coats the strawberry filling.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the strawberry filling starts to bubble up around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Strawberries: I like to use fresh strawberries for this recipe, but frozen strawberries also work here! You can just add them in and proceed with the recipe as written. The crisp just might take a bit longer to bake in the oven.
- Storage: Stored in an airtight container, this crisp should stay fresh for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it baked or unbaked for up to two months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crisp, strawberry cardamom crisp, cardamom
Yum! The recipe was a hit with the entire family. Will definitely be bookmarking it to make it again.
★★★★★
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Rosa! 😊
I had never tried cardamom and strawberries together before, but it was a hit for me and my Independence Day guests. Everyone loved it! Thanks for the great recipe; love how easy it was to put it all together.
I'm glad you liked the recipe, Yvonne! I have tried using strawberries and cardamom together a few times before, and I always love how they work together. I feel like the cardamom really enhances the flavor. Happy belated 4th of July - I hope you had a great one!
Thought it was a cobbler, but was so much more. Great recipe.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed the crisp, Justin! (And thanks for leaving a review 😊)