Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
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Juicy red fruit bubbling under a crisp, golden topping—this strawberry rhubarb crisp is one of the easiest (and best) desserts I know.
This strawberry rhubarb crisp is one of my favorite easy desserts, especially in spring or early summer. It’s perfect warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a little sweetened whipped cream. And the leftovers are just as good the next morning with a cup of coffee.
Just a heads up: while fruit desserts like this are usually pretty flexible, it’s important to keep the ratio of rhubarb to strawberries the same. As tempting as it is to add extra strawberries, they release a lot of juice and can lead to a too-juicy “fruit soup” situation.
For more seasonal fruit crisp variations, don’t miss my summer peach crisp and autumn apple crisp—two longtime favorites around here.
“I served it to guests at a dinner party and everyone agreed it was the best crisp any one of us had ever tried.”
What You’ll Need To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Rhubarb & strawberries – the classic sweet-tart combo. Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but you treat it like fruit. It’s very tart, but once you add a little sugar and cook it down, it takes on a jammy, berry-like sweetness. To prep it for this recipe, trim off the leaves (they’re not edible) and rough ends, rinse the stalks, and cut them into ½-inch pieces.
- Granulated sugar & light brown sugar – for sweetening the fruit and giving the topping that warm, caramel-y depth
- Cornstarch – thickens the fruit juices so you don’t end up with a soupy filling
- Vanilla extract – adds subtle warmth and rounds out the fruit flavor
- Flour & oats – the foundation of the crisp topping; the flour gives it structure, and the oats add hearty texture
- Chopped pecans – for crunch and a toasty, nutty flavor
- Unsalted butter – cut in cold to make a buttery, crumbly topping
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the fruit filling. Quarter the strawberries and combine them with the rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Stir until the fruit is evenly coated with the sugar mixture. Transfer the fruit mixture to a 2-quart baking dish (no need to butter it) and set aside while you prepare the topping.
Step 2: Make the Topping. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Process until well combined, then add the chunks of cold butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with a few pea-sized clumps of butter within.
Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the oats and chopped pecans.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake. Spoon the topping evenly over the fruit without packing it down. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
Step 4: Cool and Serve. Cool the crisp for about 20 minutes before serving, then spoon into shallow bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 lb rhubarb stalks, trimmed and sliced ½-in (13-mm) thick (about 4 cups)
- ½ lb strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 2 cups)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-in (13-mm) cubes
- ¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Stir until the fruit is evenly coated with the sugar mixture, and the sugar mixture is no longer white. Transfer the fruit mixture to a 2-qt (2L) or 8-in (20-cm) baking dish (no need to butter it) and set aside while you prepare the topping.
- Make the Topping: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Process until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with a few pea-sized clumps of butter within. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the oats and chopped pecans.
- Spoon the topping evenly over the fruit without packing down. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes before serving. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- If your baking dish is shallow, place it on top of a foil-lined sheet pan to catch any spills that might bubble over the edges.
- Don't be tempted to increase the strawberries in the recipe, or you'll end up with fruit soup (they release a lot of juice)
- Freezing Instructions: The crisp can be frozen tightly covered for up to 3 months. Before serving, reheat it, uncovered, in a 300°F oven until heated through and crisp on top.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is wonderful as written. My husband loved it. How would you adjust if using only fresh rhubarb without strawberries?
Glad you both enjoyed it! I’ve never tried this with all rhubarb; you could certainly give it a try, but I’m not sure if it will be too tart (or sweet), too liquidy, etc. without testing it myself.
It’s my go to base for all crumbles.
Soo delicious. I reduce the sugar as I love tart desserts!
So good! I was nervous about the rhubarb to strawberry ratio but shouldn’t have been. It was a great balance of sweet and tart. There is a lot of topping, but it sinks down into the fruit as it cooks, leaving lots of crisp in every bite, so it doesn’t end up tasting like eating spoonfuls of jam. I’ll be trying the other crisps in other seasons!
This recipe is one of the easiest and delicious I’ve ever made. It has been a huge hit and everyone wants the recipe.
This was delicious. Perfect combination of sweet strawberries, tart rhubarb and the yummy crunchy topping. Both my husband and I loved it. Will definitely make again. Thanks Jenn.
This is a great recipe except every time i add the cold butter to the flour mixture it turns into a dough. Do you know what i could be doing wrong? Thanks for your help. Your recipes are wonderful.
Hi Charlotte, glad you like the recipes, but sorry you’re having a problem with the topping here. Even if the butter starts out cold, it can warm up from your hands or from extended mixing (especially in a warm kitchen). Try working more quickly, using a pastry cutter instead of your hands, or popping the streusel mixture into the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes if it starts to feel soft before sprinkling it over the fruit.
Absolutely perfect recipe. Loved it so
Much!
Made it today fresh pulled rhubarb and picked strawberries.,it was delicious.Have prepared and frozen enough for 4 more,when I use frozen fruit should I add extra cornstarch,today’s was perfect.
So glad you liked it! No need to add more cornstarch if using frozen fruit. Just thaw the fruit first and drain off any excess liquid.
Followed the recipe exactly. It was the best crisp ever. As with everything, the quality of ingredients matter. You need sweet, ripe, farm fresh strawberries.
This was so delicious! I only had about 2 cups of rhubarb so I used that plus 1 cup strawberries but kept the topping amount the same and it turned out great! Also used a bit less sugar than the recipe called for. Can’t wait to try it with the called-for amount of filling, will make it even better I’m sure!