Every year I wait patiently for strawberry season, and when it f-i-n-a-l-l-y comes I take full advantage of the local bounty. I’m not exaggerating when I say there have been years that we’ve picked a 25-lb flat of strawberries four or five times in one season. Yes, that’s 100 pounds of strawberries. We invite our friends and family to come strawberry picking from across the state, and I always have to bring a fresh quart home to my grandpa. There’s really nothing like fresh strawberries from the field; they’re still slightly warm, deeply red, and much smaller and softer than their grocery store relatives. I never really want to bake with my fresh, local strawberries. I just want to eat as many as humanly possible freeze whatever I can’t eat for smoothies and treats all summer and fall. If I’m lucky I have enough left uneaten to make a big batch of jam. 
But, you see, I live in New England, and although spring is officially here, strawberry season is still over two months away. Two. Whole. Months. That whole thing about patiently awaiting strawberry season? Yeah, my patience is being tried right about now. When I walked into the grocery store the other day and was greeted by a huge display of 2-pound strawberry containers, there was no way I was resisting them. They were all pretty red and smelled like dreams-of-early-summers-past, plus they were on sale, so I bought them. If you live in Florida or California or some magical place where you get fresh, local, delicious strawberries for more that a few weeks every year, I’m going to have to ask you to keep that to yourself. I can’t handle information like that when I’m dealing with cold, hard, sort-of-good strawberries in Massachusetts right now.
Luckily, what store-bought strawberries lack when fresh, they make up for entirely when cooked. I might have subconsciously been planning to make a crisp when I saw them, because I didn’t have to think twice about what to make when I got home. This strawberry crisp is such a beautifully humble dessert with its jammy berry layer covered in craggy, crumbly bits of coconut-studded dough. This crisp is loaded with good-for-you ingredients like oats, honey, coconut oil, whole wheat flour, strawberries, and coconut. There’s a perfect level of floral sweetness from the honey, though you could use maple syrup or agave nectar for an entirely vegan dessert if you’d like. You can treat this like your favorite warm fruit dessert and top it with ice cream or whipped cream, or just enjoy it plain straight from the oven. 
Although it looks and tastes like an indulgent dessert, there’s nothing unhealthy here. There’s no sugar crash or stomachache after eating a dessert like this because you’re actually nourishing your body while you eat dessert (Yes!!). Full disclosure: I made this for dessert on Sunday but ate the majority of it cold on top of Greek yogurt for breakfast all week. I might have done that last week too with the leftovers from this pie. Oops. Whether you make this for dessert, eat it cold for breakfast, or add it to your Easter brunch table with yogurt to dollop on top, I think you’re going to love this recipe. Sweet jammy strawberries + honey + toasted coconut is a winning combination. If you make it, leave me a comment below to let me know what you think of it, or tag me on Instagram with #bakedgreens so I can be jealous of all your nutritious desserts!
Honey Sweetened Strawberry Crisp with Toasted Coconut
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 pounds strawberries quartered
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Crumb Topping
- 1/4 cup coconut oil room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour*
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes**
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put all filling ingredients into a baking dish, and stir to combine.
- 2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping except for the coconut. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands to completely distribute the coconut oil into the dry ingredients. Then, gently stir in the coconut.
- 3. Pour the topping mixture onto the strawberries and spread to evenly coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling and browned.
- 3. Allow to cool slightly, and serve. Crisp is best eaten when warm, though leftovers still taste good cold atop yogurt for breakfast the next day. Store leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
**Unsweetened shredded coconut can be used if you can't find flakes. An equal amount of slivered almonds or chopped walnuts would also be good here.