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.

strawberry rhubarb crisp

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.”

Heather

What You’ll Need To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

strawberry rhubarb crisp ingredients
  • 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.

oats and pecans added to topping

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!

strawberry rhubarb crisp topped with vanilla ice cream

Video Tutorial

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

strawberry rhubarb crisp

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is loaded with sweet-tart fruit and topped with a buttery oat pecan streusel.

Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the Filling

  1. 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.
  2. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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414 Comments

  • This was so insanely delicious! The one thing I changed was to add cinnamon to the topping because I don’t believe in crumbles without cinnamon. Oh also I didn’t have pecans so I just left them out and it was still fantastic. Would make again!

  • Hi Jenn – I don’t have a scale to weigh the berries and ‘barb. Do you have an approximate cup measurement?

    • Hi Nycki, When you slice the rhubarb, the volume should fill approximately 4 (measuring) cups. The sliced strawberries would be the equivalent of about 1-3/4 cups. Hope that helps and you enjoy!

  • Could you substitute strawberries in this recipe with saskatoon berries?

    • Hi Jeri, I just looked up saskatoon berries (I had never heard of them). All fruits are different in terms of levels of sweetness and the amount of juice they give off so for the most predictable results, I’d stick with strawberries. Sorry!

  • This recipe was unbelievable. I eat a gluten-free diet so instead of the flour I used (1/2) Bobs Red Mill Paleo flour and (1/2) 1-1 baking flour (my daughter shared this recipe with me but used all Paleo flour and it turned out just as good). I like mixing the Paleo Flour which is mostly Almond Flour with the rice flour (just my preference). I will most definitely try some of the other dishes and have already saved this website in my bookmarks.

  • I made this recipe yesterday and it is wonderful! I had almonds instead of pecans. Also good.

  • Excellent with vanilla ice cream.

  • Really delicious rhubarb and strawberry crisp. I will certainly share with my family and friends.

    • — Cheryl O’Neill
    • Reply
  • This was AMAZING! I was very impressed with this recipe. This will now be my go-to recipe for this perfect summer dessert. Wouldn’t change a thing.

  • Hi Jen, do you think this recipe would work if I omitted the rhubarb, I’m not a fan

    • Hi Lynda, I wouldn’t recommend it as I think using all strawberries would create too much juice and make it soggy. Sorry!

  • Made it for Fathers Day. It was excellent. Did the crumble by hand it was quick and easy. No need for a food processor.