Tart rhubarb balances sweet, jammy strawberry flavor in this irresistible springtime dessert. If you can find rhubarb, you’re in for a treat! This simple crisp recipe requires only some chopping and stirring and yields delicious results after a 40-minute bake. I’ve modified my original recipe to call for my favorite oat and almond flour-based topping, which happens to be gluten-free.
This flavor combination was inspired by my friend Stephanie. She makes the best strawberry rhubarb pie, and I’m still daydreaming about the pie that inspired this recipe over ten years ago. Stephanie has her flaky pie dough technique down pat and bakes pies for all occasions. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a master pie maker in your life, too. I am not Stephanie and I do not bake pies. I barely have the foresight or patience to chill pie dough, though I’ve been working on my technique over the years. Crisps are gloriously easy. No waiting. No fuss. Bring your strawberries and rhubarb home and turn on the oven. This recipe is ready to go! Make it while you can.
What is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is an interesting vegetable in the buckwheat family. It’s in season from mid-spring to early summer. In its raw state, rhubarb is quite sour (the leaves are poisonous, so never eat them or give them to your dog). However, once cooked or baked with a sweetener, it becomes pleasantly tart and irresistible. I love to sweeten my rhubarb with strawberries and honey, both of which complement the rhubarb. Fortunately, strawberries are in season at the same time as rhubarb. Sweet, red, ripe strawberries and tart rhubarb are a magical combination.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Tips & Notes
This recipe is simple—you’ll find a short video below and the full recipe at the bottom of the post. Before you get started, here are a couple of notes.
Sweetness level
I’ve offered a range of honey so you can adjust the recipe to the sweetness of your strawberries (and your own preferences). You’ll be happy with the lower amount if you generally like tartness and prefer your desserts on the less sweet side. If your strawberries are not particularly flavorful, you may want to use more honey to counter the rhubarb. Remember that adding vanilla ice cream to your bowl will contribute quite a bit of sweetness and temper the tartness, and the crisp will taste sweeter on day two.
Recipe adjustments
This year, I’ve adjusted the recipe to use my almond and oat topping, which is crisp yet tender and just lovely. You’ll find the original crisp topping details in the recipe notes if you have been making this for years and want to stick with the original. I’ve also added a couple of tablespoons of lemon or orange juice to the filling, which ramps up the rhubarb and strawberry flavors. Lastly, I’ve increased the arrowroot starch to make the filling less soupy than shown in these photos, though it was perfectly nice as-is.
Watch How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Recipes to Make Now
Extra rhubarb? Try one of these recipes on Cookie and Kate.
Almond Cake with Roasted Strawberries & Rhubarb on Top Rhubarb Chia Jam Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb and Yogurt Parfaits
5 More Crisps to Bake
Start with this strawberry rhubarb in late spring, then cook these fruity crisps this summer.
Blueberry Crisp Dark Cherry Crisp in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 198) Mixed Berry Crisp (Gluten Free) Peach Crisp Plum Crisp
Please let me know how your dessert turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Make it nut free: Use ¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup oats instead of the oats and almond meal specified above. It will no longer be gluten free. Edits: On May 20, 2024, I replaced the topping with my favorite gluten-free topping. See the original provided in the nut-free note above. I also added lemon juice to the filling and increased the amount of arrowroot by one tablespoon. Wait, what’s arrowroot starch? Arrowroot starch is a great thickener to use in place of corn starch, which is often genetically modified. It’s gluten free, too. Look for it in the baking section of well-stocked grocery stores. Rhubarb substitute: If you can’t find rhubarb, you can substitute another pound of strawberries (though the flavor is not as interesting). Better yet, make my Mixed Berry Crisp (Gluten Free) or Blueberry Almond Crisp.
