This healthy strawberry crisp is super easy to make, and so delicious! It's gluten free, vegan, and refined sugar free, and the perfect treat for summer.
There's a lot to love about summer, but I have to say my favorite part is all the fresh fruits that are in season!
Strawberries are one of my favorites to include in my diet in a variety of ways. I eat them straight out of the fridge, as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt, and my favorite: in baked goods!
I bake with strawberries a lot, but this is recipe is a definite favorite from me and my family. The entire thing disappears within a few hours every time!
And the best part? (I mean besides the fact that it's SO delicious 😂) It's vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, and only takes 5-10 minutes of prepping!
When it comes to summer desserts, this strawberry crisp is number one in my house--and maybe it will be in yours too!😉
Ingredients in Healthy Strawberry Crisp
It doesn't get much easier than this! Only a few simple ingredients, but the result is so rewarding.
The Strawberry Base
You'll start with halved strawberries. No need to slice them thin; they'll shrink a good amount in the oven.
Fresh or frozen? To me it's not that important since they'll be baked anyways. I use frozen because they're cheaper, especially since you need 5 cups! Make sure that you measure after defrosting and draining the liquid--they really shrink after thawing!
To complete the strawberry mixture, simply add cornstarch for thickness, lemon juice for acidity, and coconut sugar for sweetness.
I like to use coconut sugar because it's unrefined and lower on the glycemic index. Yes, it's still sugar, but you don't need that much because the strawberries are already sweet.
If you don't have coconut sugar, it can be easily substituted with brown sugar or cane sugar.
The Crisp Topping
It's hard to say which part of a strawberry crisp I like better, but the crisp topping seriously adds SO much to the dessert.
It's made of just oats, almond flour, baking powder, salt, maple syrup, oil, and flaxseed meal.
The oats are the main crispy part, and they're also high in fiber! If you are gluten-sensitive, make sure the one you buy is certified gluten free (most are, but not all).
Instead of regular flour, almond flour is used in this crisp and I love the texture from it. It gives a slight chewiness, so it's not ALL crisp, but a combination of textures. It's also a good source of healthy fats and protein!
Maple syrup is the sweetener used here, which helps to bind the dry ingredients and give some natural sweetness to it.
Avocado oil is one of my favorite oils for baking because of the healthy fats and neutral flavor. If you don't have it, feel free to substitute with extra-light tasting olive oil. If you use the fancy extra-virgin kind, it may taste like olive.
Then there's flaxseed meal which is one of my favorite ingredients. You can skip it if you don't have any, but I love how it adds some fiber, protein, and omega 3 fatty acids.
I really hope you like this recipe! If you decide to make it, be sure to post a picture and tag me @nutritiousdelights on Instagram--I'd love to see it!💕
More recipes you might love:
Healthy Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad
Healthy Vegan Strawberry Crisp
Ingredients
- 5 cups halved strawberries fresh or frozen*
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar*
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats gluten free
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp almond flour blanched
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil or light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal finely ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease an 8"x 8" baking pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and sugar. Transfer to the prepared pan.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, maple syrup, baking powder, salt, oil, and flaxseed. Evenly distribute the mixture on top of the strawberries. Bake for 30 minutes.
[…] recipe is very similar to this Healthy Vegan Strawberry Crisp that I posted mid-summer (one of my favorite desserts on this page btw), but with a completely […]