Roasted Strawberries may have been the most trendy food item of summer 2020, but they are sure to carry on long into the future. But how do you roast them? What makes them so special? And what exactly do you do with them once they’re roasted? Read on to find out.
Roasting strawberries is just like roasting potatoes or other vegetables, you cut them into uniform pieces (so they cook evenly), season them, and put them in the oven to cook.
Normally, when you roast vegetables, you roast them at a high temperture, usually 400+F, to caramelize them. Part of the reason you need the high heat is because the vegetables lack the sugars needed to caramelize. They also are usually more dense and fiberous, and those high temperatures help break them down and make them less crunchy. But, with strawberries containing significantly more sugar than vegetables, as well as having a softer bite, we can roast them at a much lower temperature.
While the roast brings out the strawberries natural sweetness, they are less sweet than most other fruit, so we add sugar just to make sure the sweetness is dialed up. The vanilla gives it just a little something extra.
Things to know about this recipe:
When you think about roasting, you normally check for caramelization to assume doneness. You won’t see that with strawberries, or they’ll be burnt. You want the fruits to shrink, and emit a syrup, but you wont see any golden coloring.
Make sure you use a rimmed baking sheet, or your delicious strawberry syrup will run all over the inside of your oven. If you don’t own one, I recommend these, they’re what I use to bake with all the time.
I almost always line my baking sheets with parchment, if you do this too, DON’T for this recipe. The syrup leaks underneath, and you just end up scraping it off the tray anyway. So don’t waste your parchment.
Perfect Pairings:
- Pancakes
- French Toast
- Yogurt
- Oatmeal
- Trifle
- Parfait
- Strawberry Shortcake (sub for fresh)
- Ice Cream Topping
Let me know if you make some roasted strawberries and what you used them for! I’d love to know what you’re cooking in your kitchen.
Roasted Strawberries
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Strawberries hulled and cut into uniform pieces
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°
- Hull and chop strawberries into uniform pieces. Leave small strawberries whole.
- Place hulled and chopped strawberries in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with the ½ cup of sugar and teaspoon of vanilla (if you’d like).
- Bake at 375°F for approximately 35 minutes, until strawberries are soft and syrupy.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a heatproof container (I prefer a mason jar).
- Let cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator. Strawberries will keep for a week or two.
