Name: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups thinly sliced rhubarb (about a pound); 3 cups strawberries, sliced; 1 cup sugar; 3 Tbsp cornstarch; 1 tsp orange zest; 3/4 cup flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp old fashioned oats; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup very soft butter

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Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp– Slices of tangy rhubarb and sweet strawberries covered with a buttery brown sugar oat topping make a wonderful summer treat. Fantastic served warm with vanilla ice cream!

Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

My parents gave us a huge bag of rhubarb from their garden. Usually I make raspberry rhubarb jam, but our freezer is packed with homemade jam, so I knew I needed to find another rhubarb recipe. I found a recipe for Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp in one of my cookbooks, and a recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie on the Taste of Home website.

I combined the two, added my own touches, and came up with Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. A hint of orange zest gives it a fresh flavor, and plenty of oatmeal in the topping makes it nice and crispy. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Now I do have to admit that when I first made it, it turned out pretty tart. The vanilla ice cream balanced it out, but I have adjusted the recipe so that it is a little more sweet. Of course if you like things tart, you can use less sugar. 😉

Rhubarb on its own doesn’t cook up to a very pretty color, but with the addition of the strawberries, it is beautiful. I used fresh strawberries, but unsweetened frozen strawberries would probably work just as well.

The fruit filling in this crisp is quite juicy, so if you want a thicker filling, feel free to add an additional tablespoon of cornstarch.

Now in my opinion, you cannot serve cobbler or crisp of any kind without a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They just go together. Something about the warm crisp, the crunchy topping, and the vanilla ice cream melting into your bowl is just so comforting and delicious. Can’t be beat! So don’t skimp on the ice cream.

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients

rhubarb – You can use fresh or frozen.
strawberries – Fresh berries are best, frozen make the dish a little too runny.
sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens up the tart rhubarb.
cornstarch – Needed to thicken up the juices from the fruit.
orange zest – Adds such a yummy fresh flavor!
flour – I use all purpose, whole wheat flour also works.
salt – A bit of salt enhances the flavor and balances out the sweetness.
oats – I prefer old fashioned, but quick oats will do in a pinch.
brown sugar – Used for the topping, either light or dark will work.
butter – I always use salted butter, but unsalted will also work.

Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir till cornstarch is dissolved. Pour into a greased 8″ pan or casserole dish. Pour flour, salt, oats, and brown sugar into a mixing bowl. Stir together, then add butter. Mix till crumbly and spread over fruit. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or till fruit is bubbly and topping is light brown and crispy. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

TIP: If you have an abundance of garden fresh rhubarb, slice it up and place it in ziplock freezer bags. It will keep for several months, so you can have tasty rhubarb treats all year round. I like using a food processor if I’m slicing it in large quantities, it is so much faster!

I want to bake this rhubarb oat crisp in individual servings. Will that work?

Yes, that should work just fine. Grease your ramekins and add the fruit mixture to each cup. Sprinkle the topping on each serving. Bake at 375 °, but start checking for doneness at about 25 minutes. They should be bubbly on the edges and golden brown on the top.

Can I use quick oats instead?

Quick oats can be used in a pinch, but they don’t give the same crumbly crisp texture. I definitely recommend using old fashioned oats for this recipe.

Can I use frozen strawberries or frozen rhubarb for this crisp?

I’ve used frozen rhubarb with good results. If you use frozen strawberries, you may need to add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch because they tend to release more liquid.

What is the best way to store fruit crisps?

After it has cooled to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap or foil. It will last at room temperature for about two days, or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Can this strawberry rhubarb crisp be frozen?

It’s better fresh, but you can freeze it. After you bake it, let it cool completely. You can cover it tightly (I like to wrap it with plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil.) Freeze for two or three months. When ready to serve, remove the covering and let it thaw. Cook it uncovered at 350° until it is heated through and the topping is crisp.

I’m diabetic. Can I make this rhubarb crisp sugar free?

I haven’t tried it myself, but I did have a reader tell me he made it with 3/4 cup of Splenda in the filling and 1/2 cup of Splenda brown sugar blend in the topping. He said it turned out wonderfully.

Can I double the recipe?

Absolutely. I double it all the time. Place it in a 9×13″ baking dish and bake at 375° for about 45 minutes.

Do you love a good cobbler or crisp? Check out these recipes as well:

Blueberry Dump Cake – fresh berries make this recipe stand out from the rest.
Cranberry Apple Crisp – the addition of cranberry sauce makes this apple crisp a perfect fall dessert!
Zucchini Cobbler – I promise, this stuff is amazing and no one will guess it’s made with zucchini.
Double Crumb Apple Crisp – If you think the crunchy topping is the best part about fruit crisps, this is the recipe for you.