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
- Salt – balances the sweetness and makes everything taste better
- 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
This strawberry rhubarb crisp is loaded with sweet-tart fruit and topped with a buttery oat pecan streusel.
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and sliced ½-inch thick (about 4 cups)
- ½ pound 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 with a knife
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch 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.
For 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-quart or 8-inch baking dish (no need to butter it) and set aside while you prepare the topping.
For 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 45-55 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.
- Note: 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.
- Note: 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).
- Freezer-Friendly 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
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 332
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Sugar: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 81mg
- Cholesterol: 23mg
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 was not your average crisp. It struck such a nice balance between sweet, tart, smooth, crunchy. I didn’t have quite enough rhubarb so I subbed the remainder with zucchini. Next time I will peel it so the kids don’t notice 😉
I will also try to reduce the sugar and butter a bit and see how much I can get away with. Thanks for this; perfect with some vanilla ice cream!
Hi Jen, I have made dozens of your recipes, and they have come out delicious and perfect every time. I have made the strawberry rhubarb crisp for small dinner parties and everyone asks for the recipe. I would like to make it for a larger crowd and wonder if I can just double the recipe.’Thanks so much for bringing such goodness to our table.
Nancy
So glad you like the recipes, Nancy! Yes, you can double this and bake it in a 9 x 13-inch dish. Enjoy! 🙂
Delicious, never had rhubarb before! Will make it again and again!
Our friends brought this over for dessert recently and I have made it twice since then to RAVE reviews by all. It is delicious and SO easy to prepare. I put the fruit together earlier in the day, refrigerated it and had the dry ingredients in the food processor ready to go so it was quick in the evening and cooked while we had dinner. Everyone LOVES it!
I’ve always loved rhubarb but never tried to bake with it. I’m getting ready to gather my ingredients but I don’t have a big food processor. Can I improvise?
Love your book n recipes!!
Sure, Jackie – you can cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter (or rub it in with your fingers). Hope you enjoy!
Made this tonight and followed the recipe precisely. It was AMAZING. This is the quintessential summery crisp. I am definitely not a skilled baker, but this is really simple. Another keeper!! Thank you.
I made this today to take to a dinner with friends and it got rave reviews from everyone.
I made one minor revision when I discovered I didn’t have any old-fashioned rolled oats.
We’ve been buying the quick little packages and my husband suggested I use them. I used two cinnamon packs and it worked out just fine! We served it with vanilla ice cream…yum.
Also, thanks for making it so easy to get into your site and see your recipes!!!
This recipe is incredibly good!!!!! I had never made anything with rhubarb before but this was fantastic and will be made again and again this summer. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Jen,
I am planning on making this dessert for a family lobster bake! Is the weight of the strawberries AFTER hulling or before? Thank you! Always LOVE your recipes.
Glad you like the recipes! The weight is before you hull them. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Jenn,
I would like to make this recipe with rhubarb only. Do you have any suggested modifications or adjustments I would need to make. Thanks
Hi Rich, I haven’t tried it, but I think you could use all rhubarb here without any modifications. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!