Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Could i use peanut butter instead of butter?
Dawn, I don’t recommend it here – sorry!
I saw most strawberry rhubarb recipes online have a 1-to-1 ratio, so I tried that. I macerated the strawberries and rhubarb overnight (no corn starch). I had soup by morning. I drained off all the liquid (over 1 cup) and then proceeded with the recipe. Worked fine, and everyone liked it but the end product wasn’t as tart as I’d hoped. (I assume the extended maceration pulled out some of the tartness.) Also, I didn’t have rolled oats, so I tried steel cut oats instead. That substitution didn’t really work; they didn’t soften and just added a crunchiness without any benefit. (So, if you don’t have rolled oats, just skip them entirely.)
Fantastic recipe! The balance of tart to sweet was perfect, and the rhubarb flavor really shined. My guests devoured the entire pan.
For anyone who doesn’t have a food processor like me: I cut in the cold butter the old-fashioned way (mashing with a fork). It’s more time consuming, but works just as well.
Love all your recipes! Cant wait to try this! If we have a nut allergy can I just omit the pecans? Should I add more oats? Thank you
So glad you like the recipes! You can just omit the pecans. It will still be delish!
This was delicious and so easy! I didn’t have a food processor or pastry cutter handy for the butter so I sliced it up and used a potato masher to break it into bits. Doubled the recipe and put in a 13×9 baking dish. Prepped the day before, refrigerated, then next day let it sit out about a half hour before baking. Served with some vanilla ice cream. Delish!
Made this yesterday we really enjoyed it!
Fantastic recipe! It was a hit with everybody!
Really good! I followed the recipe exactly and thought it was well-balanced. Not too tart or too sweet. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My husband loves desserts like these and he thought it was excellent.
Flavor was great but even after measuring the strawberries to ensure I didn’t go overboard like the directions said, it still turned to soup. I’ll probably just add more cornstarch next time to help it thicken up. It was still so so delicious. I will absolutely make it again
It is a great recipe.
How long after you prepare it can you wait to put it in the oven ?
Glad you like it! I wouldn’t let it sit for any more than 2 to 3 hours prior to baking; I’m concerned if you wait any longer, the fruit would get too liquidy.
Great, easy recipe! Very flavorful! If I wanted to do a strawberry blueberry crisp, what amount of each berry would you suggest? Can I leave everything thing else the same?
Hi Martha, Glad you like it! I would use half of each berry. Keep in mind, I’ve never used this combo before, so I’m not sure how much juice they will give off. I’d love to hear how it comes out if you try it!
Thanks Jen!