This Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp has it all - a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors, warming spices, crumbly and buttery topping served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for ultimate decadence.
Juicy tart rhubarb paired with sweet strawberries create a classic dessert for any occasion.
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- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Ingredients
- Tips
- Fresh VS Frozen Rhubarb and Strawberries
- How to tell if rhubarb is ripe?
- Serving Suggestions
- Freezing And Storing Instructions
- Variations and Mix-Ins
- More Strawberry Recipes
- Did You Like This Recipe?
- Recipe Card
- Instructions Step By Step
- FAQs
- Easy Dessert Recipes
- Comments
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
For the best flavor, use fresh and seasonal rhubarb and fresh strawberries that complement each other well in terms of texture and flavor.
Whereas you can make this rhubarb crisp exceptionally only with ripe strawberries, you can’t really make a good crisp with just tart rhubarbs.
Strawberries add lots of sweet flavors that work well in balancing out the tartness of rhubarb creating a perfect match for this spring dessert.
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Ingredients
- Rhubarb and strawberries - I recommend fresh and organic.
- Lemon juice - don't skip this. Lemon juice balances the sweet flavor of the berry sauce and gives a nice tartness to the crisp. And as always, fresh is best!
- Brown sugar - adds color, caramel flavor binding the oats, flour and butter together for a crisp topping. You can use either light or brown sugar, or brown sugar substitute - raw sugars.
- Butter - some recipes call for frozen butter cubes, but in my experience melted butter incorporates in the topping better and creates ultra buttery flavor. Let the butter cool first.
- Flour - both all purpose wheat flour or GF blend works. Use my Gluten Free Flour Blend, or Schar gluten free flour which I really love to use in baking and it is available in Europe. (Schar Mix C have worked well on multiple crumble-baking recipes). In the US is also available but the choices are limited, the best US alternative that my readers have reported is a Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 all purpose flour.
- Optional spices - cinnamon (½ teaspoon) and nutmeg (¼ teaspoon).
Step by step photos can be found below recipe card.
Tips
- For a smaller batch choose the amount of servings in the recipe card or prep the crisp in individual mini ramekins.
- I recommend placing a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of oven, the filling may start bubbling and pour over the edges.
- For ensuring your crisp stays crispy please follow the recipe instructions and use a kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients. Over-adding the butter or in reverse, using too little butter may affect the crispiness of the pie.
- Stick to recipe quantities and don’t increase the amount of Strawberries as these release more moisture than rhubarb.
- You should not end up with watery filling as you have sugar and cornstarch in the filling that both help to thicken the berry sauce. For the filling to set, allow the crisp to cool.
Fresh VS Frozen Rhubarb and Strawberries
For this recipe to work, use fresh fruit whenever possible.
- Fresh rhubarb and strawberries have stronger, sweet, and tart flavors compared to frozen fruit or even canned versions. Frozen may work but will result in bland-tasting muted flavors.
- The texture does matter. You can still make it with frozen rhubarb but the crisp will become overly soft and mushy. The same thing will happen with strawberries + they tend to release even more liquid when cooked. The crisp filling will not look the same when using fresh ingredients.
- Just like with banana recipes, the more ripe fruit and berries the less sugar you need to add. Frozen fruit may require more sugar and this will also change the look and feel of this crisp.
Overall using fresh fruit will add the most natural flavor to any dessert.
How to tell if rhubarb is ripe?
Look for long stalks rather than the deep red color as it is often not the indicator of ripeness.
The color actually means rhubarb variety. The stalks need to be firm and leaves without damage.
Serving Suggestions
- Vanilla ice cream - the classic flavor combination. Vanilla bean ice cream works great because it balances out the sweetness of the fruit. Serve the crisp warm with a scoop of ice cream on top. Other flavors to consider: lemon ice cream, strawberry or berry ice cream, or sorbet.
- Whipped cream - make it homemade! You only need heavy cream for this and a good electric mixer. Adding sweetener and vanilla extract is totally optional.
- Yogurt - consider a lighter topping option, a simple greek yogurt, plain without sugar added. You can also use creme fraiche or mascarpone.
- Caramel sauce + ice cream - Try my Coconut Caramel or Pumpkin Caramel. You could also use melted chocolate for this.
- Lemon curd - or raspberry or strawberry curd.
- Traditionally these kinds of desserts are served with warm drinks like tea or coffee but I like to make it even more fruity by serving it with Strawberry aqua fresca or Margaritas.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Store leftovers in the fridge wrapped in aluminum foil. Reheat in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit covered with aluminum foil until warmed through.
- To Freeze. You can freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months. Or freeze unbaked crisp: follow the recipe instructions until it’s time to bake. Wrap the crisp tightly with an aluminum or freezer-friendly lid) wrap and freeze for 2-3 months. Allow the crisp to thaw and come to room temperature. It should not be cold before baking.
Variations and Mix-Ins
Here are some popular mix-ins you could try adding:
- Mix in some shredded coconut, chopped macadamia nuts, pecans, walnut or almond flakes, and oatmeal (old-fashioned or quick oats) to the topping.
- Chocolate - add good quality cocoa powder for an added pop of color or for more rich chocolate flavor some chocolate chips or chocolate shaving. I prefer dark chocolate here.
- Citrus - try something different by mixing in some orange juice, lime, or lemon juice, or zest to your filling.
- Fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, basil or mint add delicious herbal notes to any dessert. You only need a little mixed in the filling or served on top for freshness.
- Other fruit and berries - make this crisp with other filling such as apples, peaches, mango, raspberries, blackberries.
- Spices - cinnamon and nutmeg are classic here but you could add ground ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves. With any new spice additions, start with a small amount and taste as you go. You may need to experiment with flavor combinations until you find the right amount and balance.
- Dairy free and Vegan modification - instead of dairy butter use vegan butter or coconut oil for the topping.
- You can make it crisp without oats but the topping will not be as crisp as it should be. If you're GF, go for certified gluten free oats.
More Strawberry Recipes
If you have extra fruit, you can make these delicious rhubarb recipes strawberry rhubarb jam and rhubarb oatmeal cookies.
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Recipe Card
Rhubarb Crisp Recipe (Sweet and Tart!)
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INGREDIENTS
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 1 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and sliced ½-inch thick
- 10- ounce strawberries, hulled and quartered
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, optional
Crisp Topping
- ¾ cup flour, or gluten free flour blend, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash and rinse rhubarb and strawberries. Pat dry with paper towels or kitchen towel.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl combine fruit filling ingredients: rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla. Mix until the fruit is nicely coated. Add in your spices, if using. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine topping ingredients: add flour, oats, brown sugar, white sugar and salt. Stir in melted butter and mix with a fork until the batter becomes crumbly.
- Spread the filling mixture out in a buttered 10-inch pie dish or a similar size cast iron skillet.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly on top.
- Bake in the middle rack of oven for 45-50 minutes or until the topping is becoming crisp, golden brown and fruit bubbling.
- Tak out of the oven and let cool for about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
NOTES
- Why is my rhubarb crisp soggy? The main reason could be that you haven’t baked it long enough. Both rhubarb and strawberries release moisture as the crisp cooks and the top filling should be baked through.
- Can you freeze a strawberry rhubarb crisp? You can freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months. Or freeze unbaked crisp: follow the recipe instructions until it’s time to bake. Wrap the crisp tightly with an aluminum or freezer-friendly lid) wrap and freeze for 2-3 months. Allow the crisp to thaw and come to room temperature. It should not be cold before baking.
- You can use frozen rhubarb and strawberries, but for the best natural flavor use ripe fruit.
- I recommend placing a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven, the filling may start bubbling and pour over the edges.
- Stick to recipe quantities and don’t increase the amount of Strawberries as these release more moisture than rhubarb.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Instructions Step By Step
Wash and rinse rhubarb and strawberries. Pat dry with paper towels or a kitchen towel.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl combine fruit filling ingredients: rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Mix until the fruit is nicely coated. Add spices now if using. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine topping ingredients: add flour, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter and mix with a fork until the batter becomes crumbly.
Spread the filling mixture out in a buttered 10-inch pie dish or a similar size cast iron skillet (like I did with my Apple Cobbler recipe).
Sprinkle the topping evenly on top.
Bake in the middle rack of oven for 45-50 minutes or until the topping is becoming crisp, golden brown, and fruit bubbling.
Take out of the oven and let cool for about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
FAQs
There is a very thin line between crumble and crisp. It is common that crisp is usually a dessert that consists of fresh or frozen berries/fruits and has a thinner layer of crumb topping, with oats included but not essential.
Crumble is a dessert that also uses fruits or berries but has more dense streusel crumb topping, closer to a cobbler recipe.
There can be several reasons why your berry crisp is not crispy. The main reason is not using enough or overusing butter and the topping itself is too thin.
I would also recommend purchasing a small kitchen scale for accurate measuring for each recipe.
The main reason could be that you haven’t baked it long enough. Both rhubarb and strawberries release moisture as the crisp cooks and the top filling should be baked through.
You can freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months. Or freeze unbaked crisp: follow the recipe instructions until it’s time to bake.
Wrap the crisp tightly with an aluminum foil or freezer-friendly lid) wrap and freeze for 2-3 months. Allow the crisp to defrost and come to room temperature. It should not be cold before baking.
Easy Dessert Recipes
For all baking recipes, hop on to our Desserts collection.
Suzanne
I made this yesterday with rhubarb from my yard and frozen strawberries. The only change I made was to stir in 2 Tbsp of chia seeds to absorb some of the juice from the frozen strawberries. It worked perfectly.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
What a great tip and extra nutrition! Thank you Suzanne!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Use fresh seasonal rhubarb and strawberries, such a big difference compared to frozen!