Best Homemade Strawberry Crumble

This incredibly delicious homemade strawberry crumble is probably one of the easiest and quickest strawberry desserts to make! Ripe, sweet and juicy strawberries topped with crisp, crunchy and buttery crumble made with the simplest ingredients.

Once baked, the strawberries under the crumble topping release their sweet, fragrant juices which are also double up as a syrup. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, custard, cream or whipped cream for an irresistible treat!

Strawberries are at their absolute best this time of the year, and this easy strawberry crumble recipe is one of my all-time favourites way to enjoy them. It's also great way of using up any fruit that's past its 'best before' date or gone a bit mushy or soft.

My best homemade strawberry crumble dessert is very similar to my Strawberry Crumble Bars. If you prefer a strawberry dessert that is a bit lighter and doesn't require baking, be sure to check out this Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe, which is always a winner on a hot summer day.

Jump to:

• Ingredients and substitutions
• Instructions
• Best strawberry crumble topping
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage and freezing
• Frequently asked questions
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients and substitutions

Here's what you will need to make this easy strawberry crumble recipe:

• Flour - Use plain, all-purpose flour.
• Sugar - Any type of sugar (other than icing sugar) can be used. Golden caster sugar or demerara sugar will work particularly well, as it will add more crunch to the crumble. I'm using a mixture of both.
• Butter - Salted or unsalted butter is fine to use.
• Ground cinnamon - Optional ingredient. I like to add a small amount to the crumble topping to get that gentle hint of spice.
• Strawberries - Personally, I prefer to use fresh strawberries, but you can also make a delicious strawberry crumble with frozen strawberries. Alternatively, you can also make this homemade crumble using canned strawberries.
• Cornflour - Small quantity of cornflour or corn starch will help the strawberry juices to thicken up and create that delicious syrup. Alternatively, to make strawberry crumble without corn starch / cornflour, use some ground almonds instead (same amount).
• Vanilla - Optional ingredient, for an extra flavour. You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (or a bit of both!).

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card and the full list of the ingredients.

Instructions

Preheat oven and start by preparing the strawberries. Hull strawberries and cut any larger ones in half. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with cornflour, tossing the fruit in the bowl to cover it evenly.

Hint: You may not need to use all of the topping. See the FAQ's section for some ideas how to use any leftover crumble topping.

Best strawberry crumble topping

Different recipes use different methods of making the crumble topping. One is to rub the cold butter into the flour using your fingertips, to create the breadcrumb-like texture. The other method is to use melted butter and pour it directly into the flour and sugar mixture.

Personally, I prefer the melted butter method. I find it to be quicker, easier, and the end result is just tastier, in my opinion. It also allows you to produce the variety of clumps/ breadcrumbs in different sizes, which look much more 'crumbly'.

The rubbing method creates finer texture, more 'sandy' in appearance, where the melted butter method gives a bit more bite and chew. Whichever method you choose, be assured that the result will be delicious regardless.

Hint: If you are using the melted butter to make your topping, I recommend placing the crumble in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes- 1 hour, prior to baking with it.

Hint: For the basic crumble topping, use the simple half fat to flour ratio. For example, for every 500g of flour, use 250g of butter. Sugar amount should be similar to the butter, but it can always be adjusted to suit personal taste.

Variations

One of the great features of a humble crumble is that it can be easily adapted and you can try adding different ingredients and extra flavours to it. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Add more crunch - Swap a portion of flour for a handful or two of flaked almonds or oats to add an extra texture and crunch to the crumble. I always sprinkle a tablespoon of demerara sugar on top of my strawberry crumble too, for more crunchy goodness!
• Extra add-ons - Why not add some chocolate chunks/ chocolate chips, desiccated coconut, or some nuts and seeds into the topping? Drizzle of honey or some extra spices like cardamom will also taste delicious! Adding some lemon juice or lemon zest to the filling will also add a lovely flavour.
• Different fruit - The beauty of crumble is that you can use almost any type of fruit to make it. Berries work great, so why not try it with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or gooseberries? You can also add some apples or rhubarb for a delicious, sweet and tart flavour combination.
• Gluten free strawberry crumble - Use plain gluten free flour to turn this recipe into gluten free strawberry crumble.
• Paleo Crumble - Check out this Paleo Apple Crisp recipe from Bojon Gourmet blog for a paleo version of crumble topping.
• Vegan crumble - Use dairy free butter alternative to turn this dessert into a vegan version.

Equipment

You can make this recipe in an oval or rectangular ceramic pie dish. It will need to be approximately 1.5L in capacity to easily fit the fruit.

Heatproof Pyrex-style type of baking dish will also be a good choice, as long as it is big enough. You can use smaller dish, with less capacity, but the fruit and crumble quantity will have to be adjusted accordingly (and the baking times!).

This recipe can be easily scaled down or scaled up to fit your needs!

Storage and freezing

Any leftovers of this quick and easy strawberry crumble can be stored in the fridge, in the dish you baked it in. Just make sure to cover the top of the dish with some clingfilm or kitchen foil, so it doesn't absorb any smells from the fridge.

To reheat, simply scoop out a portion of crumble into a serving bowl or a plate and microwave it to heat it up to a desired temperature.

This easy crumble recipe is also suitable for freezing. You can freeze unbaked or baked. For baked strawberry crumble, place the dish in an air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.

Unbaked crumble can also be frozen in two different ways:

• Freeze the entire strawberry crumble in a freezer-friendly baking dish (make sure to wrap it in some clingfilm to avoid any freezer smells or freeze burn.
• Freeze the strawberry filling and topping separately, in the freezer-friendly bags or containers.

Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as per the recipe instructions.

Frequently asked questions

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