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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is the perfect summer dessert! Easier to make than pie and prepped in just minutes. A delicious dessert made with juicy fruit and topped with a crunchy, butter oat crisp that is perfect for BBQ parties and get-togethers!
Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp topped with a scoop of ice cream is the perfect ending for every summer meal. This easy dessert will be a hit at your next BBQ, summer party, or get-together with friends and neighbors!
Looking for more summer desserts? Our summer favorites are my perfect Apple Crumble Pie, the most delicious Peach Crisp, and a family favorite – my Raspberry Lemon Cake with Streusel Topping which makes a great breakfast.
Why our recipe
- Even people who don’t like rhubarb will love this crisp recipe!
- Our recipe makes an extra crispy topping.
- This rhubarb strawberry crisp tastes so good and is super easy to make from scratch!
Ingredient Notes
- Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch
- Sugar: You need granulated and brown sugar for this recipe. The topping is made with only brown sugar to give it a more intense flavor.
- Rhubarb: Two to three large stalks of rhubarb will give you about 3 cups of sliced rhubarb. Peel the rhubarb roughly with a small knife. If you have the time, sprinkle the sliced rhubarb with a little bit of sugar and put it into a colander set over a bowl. This way, extra liquid will drip off.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries work best in this recipe, but you can also use frozen strawberries. Hull and quarter the strawberries so they are evenly sized.
- Vanilla extract: Instead of vanilla extract, you can also use vanilla sugar.
- Old-fashioned oats: The oats add crispiness to the topping. Sometimes they are also called rolled oats. Don’t use steel cut or instant oats in this recipe.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter for baking. The butter should be soft but not melted.
What is Rhubarb and what does it taste like
Rhubarb is a vegetable that grows on the ground. Only the long stalks are edible, the green leaves should be discarded. It’s in season during May, June, and early July. Rhubarb on its own can taste a bit tart.
That’s why I love to combine it with a sweet component like berries. This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is definitely one of the easiest and best desserts you can make with rhubarb! It’s perfect for a warm spring or summer night, served warm with a scoop of ice cream.
How to make this recipe
You can make this crisp in your favorite baking pan, a pie dish, an oven-proof skillet or even in little ramekins to make individual crisps. Lightly grease your baking dish and add the fruit mixture.
The rhubarb and strawberry slices are combined with sugar, cornstarch to soak up some of the juices, and vanilla. Vanilla goes perfectly with the sweet strawberries and the tart rhubarb.
In another bowl, make the streusel topping. This topping is made with old-fashioned oats for a bit of extra crunch, brown sugar, butter and a bit of cinnamon. Because I use softened butter instead of cold butter for the streusel the mixture won’t be dry and crumbly, it will resemble cookie dough after you combine all the ingredients.
This makes a deliciously thick and crunchy topping that will stay crisp after baking, even after a few hours in the fridge!
Below is a picture of how the Strawberry Rhubarb crumble looks before it goes into the oven for 45 minutes:
Julia’s Tips and Tricks
- Oats: Don’t skip the old-fashioned oats! They make the topping crispy and give you a nice crunch.
- Serve it with: Homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would pair perfectly with this crisp. The warm juicy fruit, crunchy streusel, and cold ice cream are the perfect combo. So EASY and DELICIOUS!
- Strawberries: I wouldn’t advise increasing the amount of strawberries in this recipe, even if it is tempting. Strawberries release a lot of juice, so your crisp might get a bit more liquid.
- Liquid: Depending on how juicy the strawberries are and how deep your dish is, the filling might be more liquid.
- Baking dish: If you use a shallow baking dish, place it on top of a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any spills. This makes cleaning up easier!
- Frozen fruit: You can use frozen strawberries (or a mixture of berries) and frozen rhubarb for this recipe. No need to defrost them. The baking time will be a few minutes longer.
Storage and reheat
Refrigerate cooled down leftovers by storing them in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or the oven (my choice) until the desired temperature is reached.
I would not recommend freezing the baked strawberry rhubarb crisp because the topping will get soggy during thawing.
More Fruit Desserts
Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or less
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb, sliced 1/2 inch thick (2-3 stalks)
- 1 lbs strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9-inch square or similar sized baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and sugars. Add rhubarb slices, strawberry slices, and vanilla extract. Toss to coat.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix the ingredients together until large cookie dough like crumbs form. Drop small pieces of the topping evenly over the filling until you used all the topping.
- Bake at 350°F for about 45–60 minutes, until the fruit filling is cooked and bubbling, and the topping is nicely browned. Let the crisp rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Can you use quick oats for the topping?
Easy to put together and everyone loved it. I used frozen sliced strawberries as that was all I had on hand. Thank you for sharing.
this was quick to make and delicious!
Great recipe! I used organic coconut sugars (golden & brown) in place of regular white sugar. We love it!
This recipe is so easy and absolutely delicious!