This strawberry rhubarb crisp is simple to make and bursting with seasonal flavor. The fruit turns jammy and bubbly in the oven, while the buttery oat topping bakes up golden and crisp. Serve it warm with your favorite ice cream for an irresistible springtime dessert!
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One of my favorite desserts my mom, Noni, used to make was her rhubarb crisp. It was buttery, tangy and best of all, always served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s taken me 17 years to finally try making it for my own family, but with a little twist: fresh, juicy strawberries. The result? A golden, jammy, sweet-tart crisp that’s somehow even better than I remembered. It’s simple, nostalgic and the perfect way to celebrate rhubarb season.
New to rhubarb? Here’s what to know.
If you’ve never had rhubarb before, you’re in for a treat. Rhubarb is a celery-like vegetable from the buckwheat family that’s technically a veggie but usually treated like fruit in desserts (hello, strawberry rhubarb turnovers!). Its ruby-red stalks have a bold, tangy bite that mellows as it bakes, turning soft, juicy and surprisingly sweet, especially when paired with strawberries. It’s a classic spring combo that delivers just the right mix of brightness and depth. Just be sure to skip the leaves—they’re poisonous!
Here’s what you’ll need to make this strawberry rhubarb crisp. I kept the ingredients simple and pantry-friendly so the fresh fruit can really shine.
- Strawberries: I use fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered. The fastest, easiest way I’ve found is with a strawberry huller—it’s one of those little tools that actually makes life easier.
- Rhubarb: You’ll need about 1 pound of rhubarb for this recipe. Look for firm, brightly colored stalks—they should be mostly red with a touch of green.
- Granulated sugar: I like my fruit filling on the less-sweet side, so I use just 3 tablespoons. Feel free to adjust based on how tart your rhubarb is or how sweet you like your desserts.
- All-purpose flour: Helps thicken the fruit juices as the crisp bakes into a jammy consistency.
- Butter: You’ll need butter to grease your baking dish, plus a little melted butter for the crisp topping.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure or homemade vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Topping: This is the buttery, golden oat topping that makes a crisp a crisp! You’ll need old-fashioned oats (also called rolled oats), all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Melted butter brings it all together into a chunky streusel that bakes up crisp yet tender.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
This old-fashioned crisp comes together in just a few simple steps—no fancy equipment or pie crust required. Here’s how to make it:
- Grease your baking dish with butter. A 10-inch oven-safe skillet or deep-dish pie plate works for this recipe.
- Make the filling. Hull and quarter your strawberries, then slice your rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss them together in a big bowl with sugar, flour and vanilla extract. Stir until the fruit is well coated.
- Spoon the sugar-coated fruit mixture into your baking pan. Spread it into an even layer.
- Make the oat topping. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix until you’ve got a crumbly, sandy mixture. Use your hands to clump it together into little clusters—it gives the topping that perfect mix of crunch and chew.
- Add the topping. Sprinkle the crisp topping over the fruit, covering it completely. Place your skillet or pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any bubbly overflow).
- Bake until golden and bubbly. Bake at 350°F for 40–50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
Give it about 10–15 minutes to cool so the filling thickens a bit and the topping crisps up. Just before serving, I like to sprinkle a little large-flake sea salt on top—it gives the whole thing a salty finish that elevates all the other flavors and makes this rhubarb crisp downright irresistible. And don’t forget the big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream!
- Use frozen rhubarb. Just be sure to thaw it first and pat it dry with paper towels. This step helps release extra moisture, so your crisp topping stays golden and, well… crisp (not soggy!).
- Add a citrusy twist. For a subtle boost of brightness, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice or lemon juice into the filling before baking. It adds just enough zing to round out the sweet and tart flavors, especially if your strawberries are extra ripe.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. I like the natural sweet-tart flavors of the fresh berries and rhubarb to shine through, but if you prefer a sweeter filling, feel free to add another tablespoon or two of sugar.
- Try it with apples! One of my favorite spins on this recipe swaps the strawberries for diced apples. Use about 2 cups of a sweet-tart variety like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady. Apples and rhubarb are a match made in dessert heaven.
- Make it gluten-free. It’s super simple to turn this into a gluten-free dessert! Just be sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats and swap the all-purpose flour in both the filling and the topping for your favorite 1:1 gluten-free blend.
Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
Make ahead: Assemble the crisp and refrigerate it unbaked for up to 24 hours. When ready, bake straight from the fridge—just add 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time.
Storing leftovers: Store any leftover rhubarb strawberry crisp in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Warm individual servings in the microwave or pop the whole dish back in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes until heated through.
Ingredients
For the fruit filling:
- Unsalted butter, for greasing skillet
- 3 cups stemmed and quartered strawberries
- 3 cups (1/2-inch-thick) sliced rhubarb stalks (about 1 pound)
- 3 Tablespoons white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Make the fruit filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch skillet or pie plate with butter.
- In a large bowl, stir together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, flour and vanilla extract.
- Pour the fruit filling into the prepared skillet.
Make the topping:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir in the melted butter until combined.
- Using your fingers, clump together the topping and sprinkle it on the fruit.
- Place the pie plate atop a baking sheet and bake the crisp until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Remove the crisp from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
Kelly’s Notes
- You can use frozen rhubarb for this recipe, just be sure to thaw it first and pat it dry with paper towels.
- For a subtle boost of brightness, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice or lemon juice into the filling before baking. It adds just enough zing to round out the sweet and tart flavors, especially if your strawberries are extra ripe.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. I like the natural sweet-tart flavors of the fresh berries and rhubarb to shine through, but if you prefer a sweeter filling, feel free to add another tablespoon or two of sugar.
- Make it gluten-free. It’s super simple to turn this into a gluten-free dessert! Just be sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats and swap the all-purpose flour in both the filling and the topping for your favorite 1:1 gluten-free blend.
- To make ahead: Assemble the crisp and refrigerate it unbaked for up to 24 hours. When ready, bake straight from the fridge—just add 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time.
- To store: Store any leftover rhubarb strawberry crisp in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Warm individual servings in the microwave or pop the whole dish back in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes until heated through.
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