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The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

White bowl with strawberry rhubarb crisp in it and two scoops of vanilla icecream, in the background you can see a polish pottery pie dish with the rest of the crisp in it waiting to be served

 

The Best Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Last summer, my sister called to tell me that she had just had The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. I love that she knew I would be excited about it. I, of course, insisted that she get the recipe and share it with me. Here we are a year later, she got the recipe, and I made it last week. Oh.my.gosh! It really is the best! I didn’t expect to like it better than my favorite Rhubarb Crisp Dessert, but I do. I love what the hint of cinnamon does to the topping. The recipe in general is less fussy and takes half the time to prepare than my old favorite…at this stage in my life, that gets it lots of bonus points.

Where do you stand on rhubarb desserts? My mom made Rhubarb Pie often when I was a kid, and I HATED IT! Like, I couldn’t stand it. Funny thing, I like it now…as long as it’s served with ice cream, but for a long time, I didn’t think I liked rhubarb. When I was in high school, my mom got a recipe for a Rhubarb Crisp Dessert and started making it. To my surprise, I really liked it. It was the only way I would eat rhubarb for a long time and ended up being my favorite dessert to make for guests when my husband and I were first married. My husband still loves it and usually requests it on Father’s Day.

Polish Pottery Pie Dish with strawberry rhubarb crisp in it. There is a large spoon about to take a scoop out to serve.My parents have always had a large rhubarb plant in their garden, so I grew up watching my mom use it in recipes and also freezing it to use in the off-season. Rhubarb is actually really easy to freeze.

How to Freeze Rhubarb:

  1. Trim edges of stalks.
  2. Wash thoroughly.
  3. Cut stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
  4. Place 2-4 cups in a freezer Ziploc bag. (I like to freeze it in amounts I know I need for specific recipes.)
  5. Write the date and time on the bag with a Sharpie.
  6. When sealing the bag, be sure to squeeze out the extra air.
  7. Place bags flat (for easier stacking) in your freezer.
  8. Pull out and use in your favorite rhubarb recipes all year long.

Certain desserts will just always taste like summer to me. This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is definitely one of them. Here is a list of some of my other favorite desserts that taste like summer.

The Best Summer Desserts

Step-by-Step Photos for How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Step by step pictures fro making strawberry rhubarb crisp, how to sweeten the fruit and also the steps for making the crisp toppingBeautiful strawberry rhubarb crisp in a polish pottery pie dish. you can see the red fruit juices around the edges and the rest of the picture highlights the delicious crisp topping.

Frequently Asked Questions about making The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Can I use Frozen Strawberries?

Yes, you can definitely use frozen strawberries, but they need to thaw before you use them in the recipe. You can do this by letting them sit out on the counter for a few hours or by using the defrost option on your microwave. If there is extra juice that comes off of them as they thaw, do not add that to the crisp, or it will be runny.

Can I use frozen Rhubarb?

Yes. Just like with the frozen strawberries I mentioned above, the frozen rhubarb will need to be thawed before being used in the recipe. You can do this by letting it sit out on your counter for a few hours, using the defrost function on your microwave, or another way I have done it is to let the bag soak in a bowl of cold water. If extra liquid comes off the rhubarb as it defrosts, do not add that liquid to the crisp, or it will be runny.

Should I use Quick Oats or Old-Fashioned Oats in the Crisp Topping?

The recipe calls for old-fashioned oats, but if you don’t have any, quick oats will work fine. I like the way the dessert looks with the old-fashioned, but as far as taste and texture go…it doesn’t matter which type you use.

Can I use a sugar substitute in place of the sugar?

That is a good question. I have never tried to use a sugar substitute, so I can’t say. If you try it, please come back and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out.strawberry rhubarb crisp in a white bowl with a spoon taking a bite out of it. there is also vanilla icecream in the bowl, you can see a small piece of the polish pottery pie dish the rest of the crisp is in, in the background.

If I don’t have strawberries, can I replace them with a different berry?

Strawberries are known for pairing really well with rhubarb. You could try using a different berry, but another thing you could do is use all rhubarb and make this Rhubarb Crisp recipe instead.

Can I make this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp ahead of time?

Yes. I usually make it the night before I need to serve it. Once it cools, I cover it with plastic wrap, and then right before serving, I put it in a 250-degree oven for 15 minutes to warm it up. It is delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Does this need to be refrigerated?

It does not need to be refrigerated, but if you have leftovers and want them to stay good longer than a day or two, I would suggest refrigerating them.

Baker’s Tools for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp:

Pinterest picture of strawberry rhubarb crisp in a bowl with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and a spoon inserted from the right. The text of the title separates the photo and the ingredients list at the bottom.

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4.9 from 16 reviews
The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
 
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Everything you love about summer in one bite. Served with vanilla ice cream, this is The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. Simple Ingredients and AMAZING flavor!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Fruit Filling:
  • 2 cups rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 cups strawberries, cut into halves or quarters
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • Topping:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup old-fashioned oats
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter, melted
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, and ½ cup granulated sugar.
  3. Pour fruit mixture into a deep-dish pie dish or 2.5-quart baking dish.
  4. Make the topping by stirring together the flour, oatmeal, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Once that is well combined, stir in the melted butter. Mixture will look crumbly.
  5. Next, sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the top of the fruit.
  6. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until bubbly and thickened. If it seems liquid-y, allow it to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. The top should be nice and golden with some browned areas.
  7. ***To rewarm before serving, place in a 250-degree oven for 15 minutes.
  8. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

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Pinterest Collage for The best strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. Top picture is of the entire crisp in a polish pottery pie dish, the bottom picture is a bowl with it served in it. there are also two scoops of vanilla ice cream in the bowl

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55 Comments

  2. Sea

    This was delicious and came together so quick! I tossed the fruit right in the baking dish to save on dishwashing lol! Thanks for this recipe that used up some old rhubarb and semi-dried out strawberries in my fridge 🙂

    reply to this comment

  3. AnnS

    This crisp is soooo delicious, especially served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My daughter liked it so much she asked me to make this for her birthday instead of a cake.

    reply to this comment

    • Maria

      Hi Sue, If it was soupy that means more liquid needed to bake out. If that happens next time let it cook for an additional 10 minutes. If the top is already looking browned put a piece of tin foil (lightly, not tucked around the edges) over the top so that the topping won’t get darker while the liquid thickens. I just made this for my mother and she couldn’t stop raving. Another thing that could help is adding a little more cornstarch next time. I am sorry you had a bad experience, I hope you will give it another chance.

      reply to this comment

        • Maria

          Sorry, I meant to say, you could add a little cornstarch next time. This recipe doesn’t have cornstarch. You can either ad 2 tsp to the sugar when you mix it in with the rhubarb and strawberries or you can leave out corn starch and cook it longer until it thickens more…if the top is starting to brown you can lay a piece of loose tinfoil over the top to help it not darken to much while waiting for the filling to thicken.

          reply to this comment

  11. Maria

    Made it. Loved it. So easy. I doubled it because I had a big crowd. I put it in a 9×13 pan. I doubled the topping but didn’t use all of it. I also didn’t double the sugar. This will be my go to recipe. Thank you.

    reply to this comment

  12. Michelle

    Made this dessert according to the instructions exactly and it turned out perfect! The crumble was delicious and the strawberries (fresh) and rhubarb (thawed from frozen) combo was delightful. Will make again and won’t do anything differently. Thank you so much for the recipe! So easy too. I had my 4-year-old son help me and he felt so accomplished that he made a dessert everyone in our family raved about.

    reply to this comment

  14. Michelle

    I made this last night and it came out perfect! I have always struggled finding the right topping, one that would actually get crisp and not soggy…this is it! I did cook mine and extra 5 minutes. I was short on strawberries so instead of 50/50 it was 75/25 and still perfect, just a bit more rhubarb tang but the ice cream took care of that!

    reply to this comment

  17. Pat

    Thank you soooo much for this recipe!! I followed it to a tee and I wouldn’t change a thing. It tasted sweet and tart and just was I was hoping for. Did not have vanilla ice cream so I used vanilla yogurt.

    reply to this comment

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