I created this recipe on a whim, for Easter brunch at my in-law’s house almost 5 years ago to the day. As it turns out, strawberries and tahini are meant to be. Everyone was licking their bowls clean afterwards.

Strawberries, I'm happy to report, are not only one of the most delicious spring fruits on the planet, but they also happen to be a healthy and powerful fruit with tons of vitamins, minerals and important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. They’re an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber.

The peak season for Strawberries is April through July and I would generally advise against eating them out of season. They certainly won't be as sweet and flavourful and the source is often questionable. Also, since strawberries have very pourous skin, they absorb chemicals and pesticides very easily, so I would highly recommend organic and/or locally grown strawberries.

This strawberry crisp is vegan friendly, oil free, and gluten free if you use certified gluten free oats. The tahini not only acts as a binder for the topping ingredients, but also adds a whole other dimension of flavour that complements the natural sweetness of the strawberries. It’s barely sweetened and relies mostly on the natural sweentess of strawberries.

While I would strongly suggest you train your taste buds to appreciate the natural sweetness and flavours of food, if you like things sweeter, feel free to add a bit more maple syrup, to taste.

The recipe is very slightly adapted from it’s original version which first appeared on my old blog 5 years go, and is better than ever.

Strawberry Tahini Crisp

Author Nissrine Boufawaz @ HolisticNiss.com

Time 40 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Servings 4-6
Diet vegan, gluten free
Category Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Ingredients:

Strawberry Filling:

400 g Strawberries, preferably local and organic
1/4 Tsp Pure Bourbon Vanilla Powder
1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup (or more to taste)
1/2 Tsp Kuzu Root, diluted in water or (1/4 tsp Arrowroot Powder)

Almond Oat Tahini Crisp Topping:

1/2 C (80g) Nuts (I used blanched almonds and cashews)
1 C (120g) Rolled Oats (use certified gluten free if necessary)
4 Tbsp (80g) Hulled Tahini (runny)
1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 Tsp Pure Bourbon Vanilla Powder
1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon (optional)
Pinch Fine Sea Salt

For serving

Non Sugar Added Yogurt of Choice

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 °C.
Wash, hull and slice the strawberries into bite sized pieces, toss them with all the other filling ingredients and put them in a small deep oven safe baking dish or pie plate.
Mix all the topping ingredients together and spread it evenly on top of the strawberries, covering them completely.
Bake on the center rack for 30 minutes. If the top starts to brown too much, cover it with a piece of parchment paper or alluminum foil. You'll know it's ready when the strawberry juices start bubbling around the edges of the baking dish and the topping is firm and lightly toasted.
Once the crisp is ready, scoop into serving bowls or dishes and top with non sugar added yogurt of choice.