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Rhubarb Crisp Recipe + VIDEO

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 22 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 6 servings

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Published on May 21, 2018 / Last updated on June 2, 2020

This Rhubarb Crisp recipe is loaded with brown sugar streusel, and bakes up with a crispy, crunchy oatmeal topping! It is sweet and tart and just begs for a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Includes step by step RECIPE VIDEO so you can follow along when you’re making it!

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rhubarb crisp in a clear glass pan with metal spoon in the pan

I’m sure it doesn’t surprise you that this rhubarb crisp is making an appearance here today. I think I’ve only told you about 1 million and 1 times that a hot fruit dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is my ultimate summer craving (okay, summer, winter, spring…. it really doesn’t matter!).

But rhubarb??!

Who likes rhubarb??

I’ll be totally honest, I haven’t always enjoyed rhubarb.

When you’re a kid, tart and tangy desserts often aren’t number 1 on your list of favorites, and I was no different.

Thankfully, my kids aren’t piggy, especially when it comes to dessert, and they love citrus and rhubarb and often prefer it over desserts that are much sweeter.

I remember when my Grandma would bring a rhubarb crisp or rhubarb pie to one of our family gatherings — I’m sure I turned up my nose and scoffed at it. Rhubarb is a vegetable! How is that even considered dessert?

I wouldn’t even touch it.

But as is inevitable, I got older.

rhubarb crisp in a clear glass bowl with scoop of ice cream

And now? I love it. I love a tart, tangy and sweet dessert. The rhubarb gives the perfect balance to the sweet, crunchy brown sugar streusel and that giant scoop of vanilla ice cream that will definitely accidentally fall on top when you’re not looking.

Do yourself a favor and let it get a little melty before you dig in 😉

If you’re a rhubarb lover and want to get your hands on more recipes, check out these Rhubarb Recipes from Taste of Home — I can’t wait to try some myself!

How to make Rhubarb Crisp:

  • This rhubarb crisp recipe is easily made dairy free: simply swap out the butter for dairy-free or vegan margarine or butter. I have never tried using coconut oil, but that might be another option!
  • This rhubarb crisp recipe is easily made gluten-free: simply swap out the oats for gluten-free oats, swap out the flour for gluten-free flour, and double check all of your packages to be sure.
  • I used frozen rhubarb in this recipe, because we are slow to get Spring here in Manitoba and it’s all I had available. Fresh and frozen fruit works equally as well in a crisp like this, you will just want to reduce the amount of corn starch in the fruit filling if using fresh rhubarb.
  • Feel free to add in chopped strawberries, apples, or other fruit if you like! Strawberry rhubarb crisp is just as high on my list of favorite summer desserts as this one! You’ll want to reduce the amount of rhubarb you use and replace it with another fruit of your choice.
close up image of rhubarb crisp on a metal serving spoon in a glass pan

How to freeze Rhubarb Crisp:

Crisps are great desserts to have on hand in the freezer for last minute company or family dinners.

You can freeze rhubarb crisp to bake later two ways:

  • Freeze before baking: Simple prepare up to the baking point, cover tightly in two layers of plastic wrap (or cover with a freezer-friendly lid), and freeze until ready to bake. To bake, I recommend leaving the crisp out on the counter to thaw for at least a couple of hours before baking (this helps the dish to warm up before heading into the hot oven). If your dish says that it can go from freezer to oven, then you should be fine putting it right in. If it is browning quickly but is still frozen in the middle, cover with a piece of tin foil and continue baking.
  • Freeze after baking: prepare and bake according to directions, using a freezer-friendly dish. Cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap or cover with a tight fitting lid, and freeze. To reheat, let thaw at room temperature for 6-8 hours, then cover with tin foil and warm in a 350 degrees oven just until warm. Remove the foil to crisp up the topping once more.

Watch the recipe video in the recipe box and see how easy this Rhubarb Crisp is to make!

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Rhubarb Crisp

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 22 votes
This Rhubarb Crisp recipe is loaded with brown sugar streusel, and bakes up with a crispy, crunchy oatmeal topping! It is sweet and tart and just begs for a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Includes step by step RECIPE VIDEO so you can follow along when you’re making it!
rhubarb crisp scoop in pan
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 6 servings
Calories 454cal

Ingredients

  • 5 cups rhubarb frozen or fresh, chopped (about 600g)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 cup butter cold, cubed
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or sub all purpose) 65 g

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease an 8×8 or 9×9″ pan.
  • In a large bowl, stir together rhubarb, granulated sugar and corn starch (*if using fresh rhubarb, use only 2 tbsp corn starch). Pour into the prepared pan.
  • In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, oats, and flour until crumbly (use a pastry cutter, a fork, your hands — whatever works!). Spread over rhubarb in pan and press down lightly.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown on top and thick and bubbly at the edges. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving with ice cream.

Notes

You can absolutely use fresh rhubarb in this recipe! I used frozen because it’s early in the season here. To use fresh, use 2 tablespoons corn starch instead of ¼ cup.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 454cal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 8.2mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Kayla H says

    Yum! I am going to make this up to the baking point and then freeze it until this weekend. I’m using fresh rhubarb & strawberries. Would I add in the extra cornstarch right now since it will be frozen or use the smaller amount since I have fresh rhubarb? Thanks!

    Reply

  2. Roxie says

    My favorite summer treat since childhood! I added 1 tsp cinnamon to the crumble and 1 tsp vanilla to the rhubarb. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂

    Reply

  3. Cheri Johnson says

    Love this recipe so much! I used all whole wheat flour because I try to incorporate less white in my diet. I also used a little over 1/2 cup granulated sugar because the brown sugar I figured would be enough sweet. We like tart! I was 1 cup short of rhubarb so added a chopped Granny Smith. I have bookmarked the recipe and it will be my go to from now on. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  4. Susan Proctor says

    I made this this morning for my 91-year-old mom. She loved it but she wished I would’ve put half of the crumb topping on the bottom and half on top. Our neighbor liked it so well she had two helpings.

    Reply

  5. kimberly heeg says

    Would I double this if I wanted to make it in a 9x 13? I’ve made it in an 8×8 and it’s awesome.

    Reply

  6. Jen says

    I’m the exact opposite, this is such a childhood favorite of mine! My mom used to always make it and I can’t wait to try your recipe.

    Reply

  9. Emily says

    I love Rhubarb so I had to try this dish! So glad I found it because it was delicious!! Will definitely be making again, thank you!

    Reply

  11. Dave says

    I substituted one cup blueberries for some rhubarb, and halved the sugar in the fruit, and added one tablespoon cinnamon to the topping. Delicious.

    Reply

  13. donna anderson says

    Delicious, made this 2 weeks ago, I did not need ice cream . I love the taste of rhubarb. Followed it exactly. So refreshing

    Reply

  14. Victoria says

    Your recipe is great — one of the best all-rhubarb crisp recipes we’ve tried — but “gluten-free oats?” Oats have no gluten.

    Reply

    • Carey says

      Hey victoria, i know crazy right? I had thought that at first but Surprisingly gluten free oats is a real thing. Those that are severely allergic should use them because most oats are processed in a facility with gluten. Doctors had me eat gluten free for awhile and I was so confused at first because i thought the same thing 🙂

      Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Oats themselves do not have gluten, but are most often processed in a plant with other grains that contain gluten. Only certified gluten-free oats are safe for those with allergies or Celiac disease.

      Reply

  16. Alyssa says

    I can’t ever remember eating rhubarb when I was younger, but I’m certainly making up for lost time now. Thank you for writing this recipe with frozen rhubarb….it’s much easier to find here than fresh!

    Reply

  18. Marcia Amann says

    I have made basically the same recipe for many years, but I bake it in the microwave instead of the oven and yes, the topping does get crispy. Microwave also works really well for apple crisp. 10-15 minutes on high and it is perfect.

    Reply

  20. Hannah says

    I made this for Memorial Day and it was fantastic! However, I did alter it a bit (hubby and I are watching what we eat). I halved the measurements for the crumble, and I halved the sugar in the fruit. I used half rhubarb and half strawberries. Fantastic recipe! Thanks!

    Reply

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