Sweet, tangy, and topped with a golden buttery crumble, this Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp is everything I crave as the weather warms up. Whether you’re a longtime rhubarb fan or totally new to it, this dessert is the perfect place to start.
This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe Is the Perfect Warm Weather Treat
I’ve been a long-time lover of anything rhubarb, but add the sweetness of strawberries to the mix and it just takes me over the top! Rhubarb has that bright, tart bite I love, and when it melts into sweet strawberries under a buttery oat topping, it becomes downright irresistible. And if you haven’t tried rhubarb yet, what are you waiting for?
I love hearing from my recipe testers and tasters—it’s the best way to know a recipe is truly ready for you to enjoy at home. Here’s what a few of them had to say after making this easy strawberry rhubarb crisp:
- “Loved the simplicity of this recipe—a great way to use up garden rhubarb. It came together so easily and turned out beautiful!”
- “Delicious! Not too tart, not too sweet. The fruit was perfectly balanced, and that crisp topping was fantastic—crunchy, buttery, and just the right amount of spice.”
- “I swapped out the flour for gluten-free flour as you suggested for my family, and everyone wanted seconds. No one even noticed it was gluten-free! This one’s definitely a keeper.”
Watch how easy it is to make!
What is Rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a vegetable (yep, not a fruit!) with thick, celery-like stalks and a tart flavor that makes it ideal for sweet desserts. The stalks range in color from pale green to deep red, but the color doesn’t affect the taste much. Just be sure to avoid the leaves, they’re toxic and should never be eaten.
Rhubarb’s natural tartness balances beautifully with sweeter fruits like strawberries, which is why they’re such a classic pairing in crisps, pies, and jams.
If you like this you may want to try this 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Cherry Cobbler or my old-fashioned blueberry cobbler and this easy apple crisp.
Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp Recipe Ingredients
For the Topping:
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the topping and helps create a crumbly, slightly crisp texture.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: Adds heartiness and texture and gets perfectly crisp in the oven!
- Light brown sugar: Sweetens the topping and adds a hint of molasses flavor for depth.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Brings warmth and enhances the fruity flavor.
- Kosher salt: Balances all the flavors!
- Salted butter: Binds the topping and creates that buttery, golden finish. Unsalted butter works too, just add a pinch more salt.
- Chopped pecans or sliced almonds (optional): Adds crunch and nutty flavor. Omit for nut-free version or try walnuts instead.
For the Filling:
- Rhubarb: The star ingredient! Tart and tangy, it softens beautifully when baked. Use frozen or fresh rhubarb in the fruit filling.
- Strawberries: Naturally sweet and juicy, they balance the rhubarb’s tartness.
- Granulated sugar & Brown sugar: Sweetens the filling and balances the rhubarb’s tang.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the fruit juices during baking, creating a jammy filling.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the flavors and enhances the natural tartness of the rhubarb.
- Bourbon vanilla extract: Adds warm, aromatic flavor. Regular vanilla works great, too.
- Lemon zest (optional): Adds a fresh, citrusy note that lifts the whole dish.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
Step 1 – Make & Chill the Topping
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the softened butter and use a fork or your fingers to mix until it forms moist, larger crumbs. If using, mix in chopped nuts. If preferred, use cold butter and place ingredients in food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs.
Transfer the crumble topping to a small tray or bowl and place it in the freezer while you prep the fruit (or cover and refrigerate overnight if prepping ahead).
Step 2 – Prepare the Filling
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C); no need to grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. I like using a glass baking dish for this recipe.
In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, both sugars, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest (if using). Gently stir to coat the fruit. Pour into the baking dish.
Step 3 – Assemble & Bake
Remove the topping from the freezer and sprinkle it evenly over the fruit, without packing it down.
Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling at the edges. Tent with foil if the topping browns too quickly near the end.
Cool for 20–30 minutes before serving to let the filling thicken slightly. Serve warm, room temp, or chilled with scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Success Tips
- Chilling the topping helps create a crispier, more defined crumble. Don’t skip it—it makes a big difference!
- Using frozen rhubarb? Use straight from the freezer. No need to thaw—just increase the cornstarch to 4 tablespoons to help absorb extra moisture.
- Keep strawberry amounts in check: Overly ripe strawberries release a lot of liquid. If yours are firm and not too juicy, you can increase to 4 cups, but too many will make the filling runny.
Variations of Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, I like using half GF flour and half almond flour and certified GF oats.
- Dairy-Free: Swap the butter for plant-based butter.
- Nut-Free: Simply leave out the pecans or almonds.
- Add More Zing: Add one teaspoon of grated ginger to the filling for a fresh twist.
- Use orange zest and orange juice in place of lemon.
- You can use quick-cooking oats, but not instant; I prefer the chewiness of old-fashioned rolled oats.
- Try different combinations with rhubarb, blackberries, cherries – you name it!
Storing Leftover Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
Can You Freeze Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp?
Absolutely! You can:
- Freeze after baking: Let it cool completely, then wrap well and freeze. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Freeze before baking: Assemble the crisp in a freezer-safe dish, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 10–15 minutes to the baking time.
What’s the best way to store and reheat leftovers?
- Refrigerate tightly covered for up to 4 days.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave, or rewarm the whole dish in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 15 minutes.
FAQs for Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
Yes! Frozen rhubarb and strawberries work great. There’s no need to thaw them first, just use them straight from the freezer. Be sure to add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling to help thicken the extra juices they release during baking.
Strawberries naturally release a lot of liquid as they bake, especially if they are very ripe. Make sure not to overload the crisp with too many strawberries, and always let the fruit mixture sit briefly before baking. Chilling the topping before adding it also helps prevent a soggy finish.
Simply substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour, and be sure to use certified gluten-free oats. The crisp turns out just as delicious, and most people won’t even notice the difference!
Absolutely! You can mix the topping ingredients and store it in the refrigerator overnight or even freeze it. This makes assembly quick and ensures you get a perfectly crumbly, buttery topping.
A crisp is a baked fruit dessert topped with a crumbly mixture of oats, flour, sugar, and butter that gets golden and crunchy in the oven. A crumble is almost the same, but usually leaves out the oats for a softer, streusel-like topping. A cobbler has a fruit base with a biscuit-style topping that’s dropped on in spoonfuls and bakes up fluffy. A pie has a pastry crust on the bottom (and sometimes the top) and is sliced into wedges, more structured, but often more work too.
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Video
Ingredients
For the Crisp Topping
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour I use unbleached
- 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup salted butter softened, if using unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon additional salt
- ½ cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans, walnuts optional
For the Filling
- 5 cups rhubarb chopped into ½-inch pieces; about 1¼ to 1½ pounds
- 3 cups strawberries hulled and quartered (about 1 pound)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract or regular vanilla extract works too
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Make the crisp topping: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the softened butter and use a fork or your fingers to mix until it forms moist, crumbly clumps. If using, mix in chopped nuts. If preferred, use cold butter and place ingredients in food processor and pulse until crumbly.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cup salted butter, ½ cup sliced almonds
- Chill the topping: Transfer the topping to a small tray or bowl and place it in the freezer while you prep the fruit (or cover and refrigerate overnight if prepping ahead).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C); no need to grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. I like using a glass or ceramic baking dish for this recipe.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, both sugars, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest (if using). Gently stir to coat the fruit. Pour into baking dish.5 cups rhubarb, 3 cups strawberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1½ teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Assemble the crisp: Remove the topping from the freezer or fridge and crumble it evenly over the fruit, without packing it down.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling at the edges. Tent with foil if the topping browns too quickly near the end.
- Cool for 20–30 minutes before serving to let the filling thicken slightly. Serve warm, room temp, or chilled with ice cream or whipped cream
Notes
- Refrigerate tightly covered for up to 4 days.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave, or rewarm the full dish in a 300°F (150° C) oven for about 15 minutes.
- Freeze-assembled but unbaked crisp for up to 2 months (wrap twice in plastic wrap and once in foil and label. Bake from frozen, adding 10–15 minutes. You can also freeze baked crisp once fully cooled.
- Chilling the topping helps create a crispier, more defined crumble. Don’t skip it—it makes a big difference!
- Using frozen rhubarb? Use straight from the freezer. No need to thaw—just increase the cornstarch to 4 tablespoons to help absorb extra moisture.
- Keep strawberry amounts in check: Overly ripe strawberries release a lot of liquid. If yours are firm and not too juicy, you can increase to 4 cups, but too many will make the filling runny.
- Gluten-free? Use a 1:1 GF flour blend and certified gluten-free oats.
- Dairy-free? Substitute softened plant-based butter.
Nutrition
ColleenB.~Tx.
Oh, the memories I have right now.
I miss my big rhubarb patch that I had in Iowa along with all the rhubarb recipes that I used to make. The rhubarb sauce that I used to make we would put on vanilla ice cream. Drooling just thinking about it.
Sad note; unable to grow it here in Texas. :-{
Thanks for the memories
So sad it doesn’t grow in Texas, Colleen- is it too hot?
ColleenB.~Tx.
yes on the heat and then we don’t get the cold, freezing temperatures for long periods at a time that a lot of states receive
👍🏼