With the most delicious fruit filling and super crispy, buttery topping, this strawberry rhubarb crisp is a quintessential summer dessert that you’ll want to enjoy on repeat all season long. Pair this easy fruit crisp with some vanilla ice cream and you’re in for a real treat!
When it seems like the rest of the world is ready to harvest their rhubarb, I’m sitting here patiently waiting for mine to grow. Newfoundland weather for ya!
Well, wait no longer! I was finally able to harvest our rhubarb, and, I gotta say, it was the best year yet (yay!).
There’s nothing quite like growing your own fruits and veggies, is there? I just think it makes whatever you’re preparing that much tastier, don’t ya think?
This recipe for strawberry rhubarb crisp is a cinch to put together, and the longest part about it is waiting for it to bake and cool … but so worth it.
Dawn has been known to have a little bit of a sailor mouth at times (my bad). So when I took a taste test of this fruit crisp, I may have let one slip. Man, is it ever good! I couldn’t help myself.
After harvesting some of our rhubarb, I can’t wait for more of it to grow so I can make another round of this dessert. I seriously hope you love it as much as we do around here!
What Is Rhubarb?
Did you know that rhubarb is a vegetable? The texture is quite similar to celery, actually. It’s tart and most often cooked with some sort of sugar and fruit (like strawberries used here) and used in things like crisps, pies and jams. Because of this, it is often treated like a fruit. Rhubarb can also be used in savoury applications, such as pickling.
My first experience with rhubarb was at my grandparents’ home. From a young child, I could always remember them growing some in a small planter they had.
Even though they grew rhubarb, they weren’t actually huge fans of it (perhaps they didn’t try my strawberry rhubarb crisp!). When I got older, I remember they gave hubby and I some of the rhubarb plant to grow in our own garden. That was quite special to me, knowing that the rhubarb we now grow came from them. It gives this rhubarb recipe extra special meaning, ya know?
Note: The leaves of rhubarb are not to be eaten as they are poisonous and should be discarded.
How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Here is an overview of how to make strawberry rhubarb crisp (refer to the recipe card below for full details):
- Grab a bowl and mix together some old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar and salt.
- Drizzle in some melted and cooled butter and vanilla extract. Pop the crisp topping in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling. (By putting it in the fridge, the butter hardens a little and it makes for the most amazing crisp topping!)
- Place the rhubarb and strawberries in a mixing bowl, along with white sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and cinnamon. Give everything a nice little mix to combine.
- Pour the fruit filling into a greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping over the strawberry rhubarb mixture.
- Bake until the fruit is tender and the top is golden brown and crispy, then allow it to cool a little before digging in.
Tips and Variations
- Place the crisp on a baking sheet when baking (this is a great way to catch any bubble over mess that may happen). And, if you want, you can even line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Less cleanup is always a good thing!
- If your berries are extra juicy (or if you prefer a little less juice or sauce after baking), add in another tablespoon of cornstarch. Also, keep in mind that as the crisp cools, the syrupy liquid released from the strawberries and rhubarb thickens. I happen to love the syrup because it tastes delicious and is so good over ice cream.
- Add some extra texture with the addition of some chopped walnuts or pecans in your crumble topping.
- Instead of orange zest, you can mix things up with lemon zest.
What to Serve With Fruit Crisp
You can certainly enjoy this strawberry rhubarb crisp on its own, or serve with any of the following for an extra special treat:
- Vanilla ice cream (my favourite!)
- Frozen yogurt
- Whipped cream
- A dollop of Greek yogurt
- Fresh basil or mint leaves
Storing Leftovers and Reheating
I prefer this fruit crisp (like most desserts) freshly made. That’s when it’s at it’s optimum tastiness, if you ask me. Plus, I find it hard to resist summer desserts!
However, if you have leftovers, properly store the cooled strawberry rhubarb crisp in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
To reheat before serving, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then place the crisp in an oven-safe dish, loosely cover with aluminum foil and warm through for about 10 to 15 minutes (removing the foil the last few minutes). Keep an eye on it so the buttery crisp topping doesn’t burn.
As you can probably tell, we didn’t like it, LOL …
More Yummy Summer Desserts
If you make this strawberry rhubarb crisp, be sure to leave a comment below!
This recipe for strawberry rhubarb crisp was originally published July 31, 2017 but has been updated.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Crisp Topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, or gluten-free old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 1 pound rhubarb, cut into ½-inch chunks (about 4 cups or 6 to 7 stalks depending on their size)
- 1 pound strawberries, green tops removed and half or quartered (depending on their size)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (white sugar)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, from about two oranges (depending on their size)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, or enough to grease baking dish
Instructions
Crisp Topping
- For the crisp topping: In a bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar and salt. Mix to combine, then stir in melted butter and vanilla extract until everything is well combined and there are no streaks of flour remaining. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, white sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and cinnamon and mix until everything is combined and there are no visible streaks of cornstarch.
Assemble the Crisp and Bake
- Grease a 9.5-inch deep dish pie plate (or similarly sized baking dish) with butter. Pour the strawberry rhubarb mixture into the pie plate, ensuring you get every last bit of the delicious flavour from the bowl (use a spatula, if needed). Top the mixture with the crisp topping.Tip: For bigger crispy bits, you can form some clumps of the crisp topping with your hands, if you like, as you are sprinkling it over the filling. It's nice to have some smaller pieces and some bigger pieces.
- Place the pie plate onto a baking sheet (just in case there is any bubbling while baking) and bake until the topping is golden brown and crisp and the filling is bubbling and tender, about 35 minutes.Tip: You can even line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for an even easier cleanup!
- Let the crisp cool for 15 to 20 minutes before enjoying (this allows things to settle). It's delicious served with vanilla ice cream (I love drizzling some of the syrup over the ice cream)!
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
© Girl Heart Food Inc. Photographs and content are copyright protected.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Kim | The Baking ChocolaTess
Rhubarb always reminds me of my son! He loves it and always requests it when I go down to visit him in Florida. I’ll have to show him this recipe and make it when I go down in September to visit! YUM!!!!! Have a wonderful day Dawn!!
Girl Heart Food
Hope he loves it, Kim! Thanks so much 🙂
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
As soon as we turn on a movie, I fall asleep! I just can’t help it! My husband knows he can pick whatever he wants, cause I’m just not going to make it through it! I love rhubarb and I love your crisp. Basil! I need to try this! I always think of basil as savory, but I think it sounds super interesting! Time to get baking!
Girl Heart Food
Haha! That sometimes happens to me too! Sometimes you just can’t help it, right? Hope you love the basil in there! Thanks Kathy!
Kevin | Keviniscooking
Boy Netflix has so many good ones to choose from these days. Ozark, Bloodline and The Killing are all super good (acting, plot and characters…). There were a few I watched that Dave might not like and when I mentioned I watched one or two he gave it a shot and liked it after all. So I never know. He goes to bed WAY earlier than I so I have time to watch stuff. I usually will watch Previews of new shows together to see if we like it and then if I get the not for me I watch on my own.
BUT this IS FOR ME! LOVE rhubarb and basil add in the fruit is perfect. Herb with fruit are amazing, right?! Awesome recipe Dawn. Now where’s the video for this? 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Totally! It’s like the last couple of years, they really brought some great shows!! Just watched the first episode of Ozark and definitely see some great potential…getting some ‘Breaking Bad’ vibes….really liked that one too so we’ll see how it goes 🙂 Herbs with fruit is definitely delicious and we have so many in our garden right now so it’s nice experimenting (though, basil is the hardest for us to grow so we usually grow inside)! Thanks so much, Kevin….I will have to do a recipe for this one sometime for sure 😉
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks
I’ve seen that Friends From College show advertised. Is it good? We’re always looking for something new to watch. I love that your rhubarb came from your Pop’s garden. I’m sure it made this crisp taste extra special and adding basil was a fantastic idea!
Girl Heart Food
Yes! Both of us really enjoyed it and hope there will be a second season; watch an episode or two and let me know what you think. Thanks Rachelle!
Adina
I love this kind of crisp or crumble, I make it so often myself with different kind of fruit or berries, it is always loved by everyone. My husband started watching Game of Thrones two seasons before I did, I had only seen the first 10 minutes from the first episode and said that is too disgusting, nothing for me. I refused to watch it again and then I got to read the books. So I started watching the show, starting season 3 and then again from the beginning and my husband watched with me again. Talk about love! 🙂 If you ask us and my brother-in-law, this is the best show ever!!!! We just saw the first three episodes from the new season last night: AMAZING!!!!
Girl Heart Food
Everyone tells me I need to watch Game of Thrones. It’s on my list now cause it seems that everyone the watches it, loves it! Thanks so much Adina! Can’t beat a good crisp and it’s just too easy to prepare, right?
Melissa Griffiths
Strawberry and rhubarb is one of my favorite combos! I love to make them in little dishes, too. Just so fancy. 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Melissa! Gotta love those little dishes – they’re just the cutest, right??
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
I don’t have an opinion on spoilers because I’m about 10 years behind the rest of the world. (I just started watching Dexter.) It’s my own fault if someone ruins the end for me, haha :). But I totally have an opinion on this crisp: AMAZING. Nothing short of delicious brilliance. Strawberry rhubarb is just the best thing for summer. And I saw rhubarb at the store the other day so I’m going to have to try this! Have a great week, my dear!
Girl Heart Food
Hahaha!!! Loved Dexter…watched it a while back and blew through it! Thanks so much, Kelsie! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Strawberry and rhubarb is maybe my favourite fruit combination EVER! And baked up in to a crisp is perfection 🙂
Girl Heart Food
I know what you mean – I really enjoy it too 🙂 Thanks Jennifer!
Jenny | The Baking Skillet
I actually like him to watch an entire episode first so he can check if it is good without me wasting my precious time lol! Can’t go wrong with this combination for a crisp. Loving the sound of that topping.
Girl Heart Food
Haha! Good way to do it 🙂 Thanks so much, Jenny!
Shashi at Savory Spin
So this might be a tad bit surprising – but hardly ever am the one to watch one of the recent shows (the only exception was The Is Us) so, am usually not the one spoiling the outcomes – as for those of my friends who share telly show outcomes with me, I’ve been blessed with a horrid memory so I simply manage to forget when it comes around to me actually watching the said show! 🙂
Speaking of shows though, I saw the trailers to “Friends from College ” and I cannot wait to catch it – though tbh, I might end up actually catching it next year!
Now – onto this crumby strawberry and rhubarb concoction you have going on here – wow – so so loving that Cointreau Liquer in there! Delicious! Happy Monday to ya, Dawn!
Girl Heart Food
Well, a good thing about it is that you don’t have to wait for commercials if you are watching on something like Netflix, right? Let me know what you think of Friends from College when you do get around to watching it! I think you definitely will enjoy it! Thanks so much, Shashi! So happy you are liking the recipe 🙂 Happy Monday to you too!
Milena | craftbeering.com
Looks good Dawn! I love the little dishes you use:) You are right – this is easy enough to make, even though I’ve never cooked with rhubarb, I think I can handle it! I’m glad that you include basil – I make a quick strawberry salsa with basil, honey and balsamic to eat with grilled meats in summer and this reminds me of it. All about that hum:) Pinned!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Milena!! I must admit – I love those dishes too; as soon as I saw them I knew I had to have them! That salsa sounds amazing!! Would love to try that – from the sounds of it, I know I’d love it!! Appreciate the Pin too! Have an awesome week!
annie@ciaochowbambina
Nothin’ better than anything from Nan & Pop’s garden to your table! Nothin’!! This crisp screams August dessert and I am all about it! I can imagine that crisp! You’re right – I am going to love this one!! Have a great week, my friend!! Cheers! XOXO
Girl Heart Food
Most definitely!! Thank you Annie! Have a great week too! XOXO
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
There aren’t many shows that my husband and I watch together, so when I find one that I think we’ll both like, I try to wait for him. Haha keyword being ‘try’ because usually I’ll start it and then have him rewatch the first episode with me. And I’m not too worried about my husband starting a show without me, because he mainly watches sports 90% of the time lol. Now onto this crisp…love it! I could eat crisps all day, every day, I just love that crumbly topping. And strawberry rhubarb is the perfect summer combo! Pinned! Hope your week is off to a great start!
Girl Heart Food
Haha! I hear ya, Gayle! Thanks for the sweet comment and Pin! Have a great week too 🙂 !
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
LMAO! I started friends from college.. but without Boy, because that isn’t a show he would like (he isn’t into any show that condones, or makes light of, people having affairs. Like the show The Affair – I loooove it, he hates it). I wasn’t that into friends from college… like, I’m okay with watching The Affair because it’s a serious show, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the fact that friends from college is a comedy… about an affair. I donno, I just don’t find that funny. So in this case (since I didn’t like the show), I’d say it’s fine your hubs left you out of the loop. LOL! BUT, if it was a good show? He should have ABSOLUTELY told you.. right after her watched the first 10 minutes. 🙂 Did all that make sense???? Anywho, this crisp! Now THIS is something I should probably share with Boy (like a good TV show), but I’d want to hoard it all to myself! SO YUMMY! You just can’t beat strawberries paired with rhubarb! Throw ’em in a crisp and I’m in HEAVEN! Gimme gimme! Cheers, doll!!
P.S. We finished Ozark last night – WATCH IT!!!!!!
Girl Heart Food
We blew through Friends from College. We actually really enjoyed it and are hoping for a second season! Started Ozark last night and definitely has potential! Will let you know how it goes 😉 Hope you and boy love this one (and please share, lol). Thank you!! Have a wonderful week, Cheyanne!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
How nice of Nan and Pop to share their stash from the garden! My mother would LOVE this strawberry rhubarb crisp. It’s one of her all time favorite summer desserts! I love the addition of the fresh basil too. Pinned! Thanks so much for sharing and hope you have an awesome week! XO
Girl Heart Food
It was, right?? Perhaps you can make this one for your mom? Thanks for the kind words and Pin, Mary Ann! Have an awesome week too! xo