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A sweet and flavorful strawberry filling is topped with a buttery, crumbly streusel topping in this easy Strawberry Crumble! It’s a fresh and summery gluten-free treat that goes wonderfully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Easy Gluten Free Strawberry Crumble
Fresh berries are my favorite things to bake with during the summer, and strawberries have a special place in my heart. They’re so bright, sweet, and juicy, and eating them always puts me in a good mood. But can you guess what puts me in an even better mood? Enjoying a big scoop of this strawberry crumble (especially with ice cream)!
The gooey strawberry filling uses fresh lemon juice and zest to add a nice zing and cornstarch to thicken up the mixture. The buttery cinnamon topping comes together with 1:1 flour to keep things gluten-free. It can also be made vegan and dairy free! This fruity, feel-good dessert is made in a mere 15 minutes, then popped into the oven to cook to perfection. It’s so easy!
What’s the Difference Between a Crisp and a Crumble?
While crisps and crumbles are both made with fresh fruit and a streusel topping, they’re actually quite different. Crumbles, which don’t use oats, have a cakey topping, while the texture of an oat-based crisp topping is more, well, crispy! Although some people use the words interchangeably. I just love the crumbly-sweet combo of a strawberry filling with the buttery topping.
Cobblers are an entirely different thing and you can learn more about that in this Gluten Free Peach Cobbler recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
All in all, this dessert is incredibly simple. You only need a handful of ingredients for the filling and the topping!
For the Strawberry Filling
- Strawberries: Cut into quarters.
- Sugar: Sugar not only sweetens the filling, but it also draws some of the lovely juices from the berries.
- Vanilla Extract: To intensify the other flavors in the filling.
- Cornstarch: Or another thickener of choice.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is preferable. It makes the berry flavor shine!
- Lemon Zest: You’ll need 1 teaspoon.
For the Crumble Topping
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour: You can use all-purpose flour if not gluten-free.
- Brown Sugar: Packed, for just the right amount of caramelized sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a teaspoon.
- Ground Cinnamon: For warmth and flavor.
- Butter: Cold and cut into cubes. This is the key to making a crumble, well, crumbly. It is just enough to hold the flour and brown sugar together, but not be a greasy mess.
How to Make Gluten Free Strawberry Crumble
Want to know a secret about all the best summer desserts? They require minimal effort! Summer is all about relaxing and enjoying life. And, of course, strawberries!
Heat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make sure you have a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish ready.
Make Filling: Place the prepared strawberries in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside while you prepare the crisp.
Make Topping: Mix together the flour, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it into the flour mixture until no lumps remain and the mixture is crumbly.
Assemble: Place the strawberry mixture into a baking dish and spread into an even layer. Spread the crisp mixture over the strawberry mixture in an even layer.
Bake: Bake for 45 minutes, allow to cool slightly, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!
Try it with Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream! You don’t even need an ice cream maker!
Other Serving Ideas
Don’t want to serve your crumble with a scoop of ice cream? That’s totally fine – it tastes amazing on its own! There are also plenty of other toppings you can add, such as the following.
- Whipped Cream
- Fresh Berries
- Chocolate Sauce
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Greek Yogurt
- Toasted Nuts (or try these Honey Glazed Walnuts!)
- Lemon Zest
- Powdered Sugar
Tips for Success
These tips, tricks, and ideas will have you making the tastiest strawberry dessert of your life. You are going to love it!
- Cool it Down: You don’t need to let your crumble cool to room temperature or anything, but you definitely want to let it rest for a couple of minutes after it bakes. This gives the filling some time to thicken up and also prevents you from burning your mouth!
- Add More Berries: The more, the merrier definitely rings true here. Try adding other fruits to the filling like blackberries or blueberries. Yum!
- Make it Vegan: To make a vegan and dairy-free strawberry crisp, substitute the butter with coconut oil or vegan butter. Top the crisp with your favorite dairy-free ice cream, if desired.
- Add Nuts: Want an even crispier, more flavorful topping? Just add your favorite chopped nuts! This also increases the crisp’s nutritional value – it’s a win-win!
How to Store and Reheat Strawberry Crumble
Leftovers should be stored at room temperature and will last for up to 2 days, if kept in an airtight container. The whole crisp can be made in advance, but I highly recommend enjoying at least one piece while it’s fresh – it’s so dreamy!
Reheating leftover strawberry crumble is super simple. Just microwave individual servings in 15-second intervals until warm.
More Gluten Free Strawberry Desserts
I just love fresh strawberries, but I might love them even more when they are added to another sweet treat.
- Gluten Free Strawberries and Cream Cake
- Strawberry Nutella Crepes
- Strawberry Cheesecake Greek Yogurt Popsicles
- Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcakes
Gluten Free Strawberry Crumble
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 1/2 lbs strawberries, quartered
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the Topping
- 1 1/2 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Have a 2-quart baking dish ready.
- Make the filling by placing the prepared strawberries in a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar, vanilla, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Mix well and set aside while you prepare the crisp.
- To make the crisp, mix together the flour, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Add the cold, cubed butter and rub into the flour mixture until no lumps remain and the mixture is crumbly.
- Assemble the strawberry to crisp by placing the strawberry mixture into a baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Spread the crisp mixture over the strawberry mixture in an even layer.
- Bake for 45 minutes and then allow to cool slightly before serving warm with ice cream.
Notes
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakekalechip on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
this worked well, thank you