Rhubarb Crisp Recipe + VIDEO

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings

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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

5 from 32 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!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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. Karen -Alberta says

    Delicious! Easy to make. 2T cornstarch was the right amount with fresh rhubarb. Whole family loved it. Thanks for contributing.

  2. Dawn says

    Love the recipe !! Was wondering if could make a bigger pan 9×13 size? If so, what would the measurements be? Thank you

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      So glad you enjoyed it Dawn! I’ve only tested the recipe as is, so I don’t have measurements for a bigger pan, but I am thinking if you just double the recipe, it would fit nicely. Enjoy!

  3. Jen says

    I made it tonight, haven’t tired it yet but it looks like the corn starch is all on the bottom on my glass pan. Is is supposed to look like that?

  4. Sheila says

    This is the first time I’ve ever cooked with Rhubarb, It turned out delicious. My Husband and Son in Law loved it. The crumble recipe is one of the best I’ve made. I cut back on the sugar and substituted with 1/2 Splenda and truvia. It was delicious and a keeper.

  5. Valentine Henao says

    This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Appreciate it!

  6. Sue Gostick says

    Hi there, happy to hear u r from Manitoba. We r in wpg, just going in the house to make ur crisp recipe. My husband is out in the garden picking the rhubarb as we speak. I see so many recipes that r from the states or other parts of the world, so really great to see a local. Sue

    • Jordan says

      This is my second time using this recipe. The first time was with frozen rhubarb and the send was with fresh…(followed the corn starch recommendation) you can’t go wrong either way! Big fan of this recipe. Thank you for sharing.

  7. Niki says

    I made 2 pans of this last weekend, I got 2 thumbs up from everyone. I used vegan butter and added 1tsp of cinnamon, I also did in each, 4 cups of rhubarb and 1 cup of mix fruit (blue berries, raspberries and strawberries). My husband wants me to make it again this weekend. Thank you for sharing your recipe and letting me take the credit with my family!!!

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