Rhubarb crisp is a simple, old-fashioned dessert. This crisp recipe is a perfect balance between sweet and tart with a saucy rhubarb filling and a buttery oat crisp topping.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: The perfect mix of sweet and tart rhubarb with a warm, buttery oat topping.
- Skill Level: Beginner-friendly and very forgiving.
- Time-Saving Tip: Prep it ahead and refrigerate up to 3 days before baking.
- Serving Suggestions: Don’t forget the ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredient Notes
- Rhubarb: You can use frozen or fresh rhubarb for this recipe. If using frozen rhubarb, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour to the filling and do not thaw it first.
- Topping: Flour helps thicken the juices so the filling stays saucy instead of watery. Old-fashioned oats give the best crisp texture. Quick oats can work, but the topping will be softer.
- Variations: Try a strawberry rhubarb crisp by replacing half the rhubarb with strawberries and adding a little extra thickener. For a warm twist, add a pinch of ground ginger to the filling. For a coconut-free version, you can simply leave it out with no other changes needed.
How to Prepare Rhubarb for Crisp
- When picking rhubarb, pull the stalk from the plant close to the root. Cut off the leaves and discard them.
- You do not have to peel rhubarb; however, if the stalk is quite thick, you can peel the tougher exterior if you’d like. I personally don’t usually bother peeling it.
You can eat the green stalk; however, the leaves are poisonous to eat, so discard them (for humans and animals alike).
How to Make Rhubarb Crisp
- Prep the rhubarb and toss it with sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Spread it into the baking dish.
- Mix the oat topping until crumbly and sprinkle it over the fruit.
- Bake (full recipe below).
Leftovers Worth Keeping
Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat single servings in the microwave, or warm larger portions in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
To make ahead, assemble the crisp and refrigerate it for up to 3 days before baking.
Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven before serving.
More Sweet-Tart Fruit Desserts
Did you enjoy this Rhubarb Crisp Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Ingredients
- 6 cups rhubarb
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup coconut flakes or chopped nuts, optional
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Rinse the rhubarb to remove dirt or debris and discard the leaves. Cut into ½-inch pieces. If the stalks are very thin, cut them into ¾-inch pieces.
- In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon. Toss well to coat and transfer to the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, ⅓ cup flour, butter, and cinnamon with a fork or pastry cutter until it is well mixed and it begins to stick together. Sprinkle the topping over the rhubarb mixture.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the rhubarb filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cream.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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What type of coconut do you use (shredded, flaked, sweetened unsweetened) or does it matter? Do I need to thaw and drain the frozen rhubarb before adding to recipe? I am excited to try this recipe.
Any coconut will work Kim. As mentioned in the write up, just add in the frozen rhubarb. You may need to cook a little longer for frozen rhubarb. Enjoy!
This was the tastiest rhubarb crisp l have ever made. I used frozen rhubatb that l thawed and drained. I had never used coconut in a crisp before and am kicking myself that l never thought of using it before. Another keeper recipe from Spend With Pennies! Thanks Holly!
So happy to hear how much you love the crisp Kelly! A little addition can change a lot!
Love new recipes!
Making Rhubarb Crisp, an old family favorite, for my son’s 39th birthday today instead of cake by special request. Bought rhubarb in the spring and froze to make this as a surprise since it was out of season when he made the request last December. Can’t wait to see his face! Recipe looks just like my mom’s minus the coconut.
Happy Birthday to your son! :)
Very good!! Making a second time in 2 weeks. The coconut is a definite addition for me.
Love, Love, Love this recipe!!
I was looking to incorporate rhubarb into some summer desserts and am so thankful to you for this recipe. I did a mixture of organic strawberries and rhubarb to cut the tartness of straight rhubarb. Everyone devoured it and the compliments were flying. The secret ingredient, imho, is the coconut.
Mindi :)
Soooo looking forward to making this!! One question: does it matter if the pats are “quick oats” vs “old fashioned”??
Rolled oats are also known as old fashioned oats, and are a little heartier than quick oats. Quick oats will work, but the texture will be different. Enjoy, Tracey!
Made this twice. I grate 3 tablespoons orange peel & 3 tablespoons of minute tapioca
In filling instead of flour.
Thznk you for the recipe delious
This is a n awesome recipe! I add about 3/4 c walnuts to the topping to add the crunch and it’s definitely a crowd pleaser. Only problem – no leftovers ;-)
I’ve made several crisps over the years and this one is truly the best recipe. Topping is perfect and the sweetness is just right. I often don’t have enough rhubarb so I add canned chopped peaches, strawberries, etc to make six cups of fruit. I’ve never gone wrong. (My personal favorite is rhubarb and peaches…)
My husband is an Iowan farm boy, and he raves about this crisp every time I make it. I just made another one for a family gathering. I’m sure it will disappear!
I made the Rhubarb Crisp for my husband and two of them for our neighbour s who also gave me some rhubarb, Your recipe was absolutely delicios and easy to make and everyone loved it and was huge hit! Thank you sooo much for sharing this recipe! I will use this recipe with other fruits as they come in season. Diane.
Hi Holly , I may be a repeat comment but my husband just passed on this info to lately about “How to harvest rhubarb “. I already knew this from my mom’s training but I appreciated the “why” from the info. Primary though “ DO NOT CUT the stalks off the plant!!” PULL THEM from the base of the plant! The younger the plant the easier! If the stalks get bigger than the circumference of the average thumb or a tad bigger these will take MORE effort to pull! Pulling it encourages NEW GROWTH!! Everyone enjoy this awesome summer”vegetable” , yes it’s NOT A FRUIT!?
Thanks for sharing that with us Brenda!
Absolutely delicious and simple to make. This recipe is destined to become a family favorite.
You should pull the whole rhubarb stalk out – don’t cut it off at the base of the plant because you leave the bottom of the stock in and that’s where rhubarb’s natural thickner is! Plus the plant will grow more stalks quicker!
Please never cut Rhubarb! You have to pull it up so the plant is triggered to grow more.
Just finished eating a serving – it’s amazingly delicious. I ventured out to buy vanilla ice cream because we didn’t have any in the freezer and it would be just wrong to eat it without. I’m considering hiding the remaining crips from my boyfriend to save it for myself :) This is a great recipe. Personal preference – I’ll cut down on the sugar next time and there will absolutely be a next time. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Justyna! :)
Absolutely amazing! Followed your recipe exactly, using half strawberries and half rhubarb My family devoured it.
I am making another as I have leftover rhubarb and strawberries. Can I freeze the crisp prior to baking? If so, how should I adjust baking temperature and time?
That should work well Mari. Just wrap tightly in plastic wrap or an in an airtight freezer-safe container. I would recommend you let it thaw for a few hours or overnight before popping in the oven. If thawed, the cooking time should remain the same.
You Never Ever cut rhubarb from the main plant – You are to just twist the stalk a little and pull up
Cutting stalks from the main plant will result in the plant not growing any more stalks where you cut one off
Thanks for the tip Dianne!
Delicious! I made this once as per recipe turned out great. I have some frozen blueberries from last season I needed to use up, substituted 3 cups of rhubarb for 3 cups blueberries and it turned out great! Easy recipe!
Thank You
I searched all over the internet today for rhubarb crisp recipes, and I picked this one because it was the simplest — which is what a crisp should be, right?
It was delicious. Thank you!
I definitely agree, the easier the recipe the faster I can enjoy it! ;)
I made this for my dads birthday and everyone loved it! I like that it wasn’t overly sweet and that there was lots of crumble. The only thing I changed was I added a pinch of salt in the topping. Thanks for the great recipe!