Rhubarb Crisp is a delicious and easy dessert that takes just minutes to prep! With the perfect balance between sweet and tart, everyone loves this easy recipe.
While I love to make Apple Crisp in the fall, rhubarb crisp (or Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler) are my summertime go-tos! A saucy fruit filling topped with our favorite buttery crumble baked until golden and bubbly.
My friend Val recently shared a big bag of rhubarb with me and as soon as I saw it, I knew I would be making a rhubarb crisp!
If you haven’t made a lot of rhubarb desserts, you may be wondering how to prepare rhubarb for crisp. Can you eat the green part of rhubarb or can you eat the leaves? Are you supposed to peel rhubarb for crisp? Preparation of rhubarb is so simple.
How to Prepare Rhubarb for Crisp
- Remove from the plan and cut off the leaves. Wash thoroughly.
- You do not have to peel rhubarb, however if the stalk is quite thick peeling the tougher exterior may be a good idea.
- The fresh rhubarb can be chopped and refrigerated or frozen for future recipes.
Keep in mind, you can eat the green stalk however the leaves are poisonous to eat so discard them (for humans and animals alike).
How to Cook Rhubarb Crisp
This delicious crumble dessert is easy to make!
- Wash and dice your rhubarb. (And prepare strawberries if you’d like Strawberry Rhubarb crisp)!
- Toss fruit with a flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Prepare the crisp topping.
- Sprinkle topping over fruit layer and bake until golden brown.
This recipe makes a small crisp but it can easily be doubled for a 9×13 pan. This will feed a crowd, or leave you with plenty of leftovers for your family!
How to Store Rhubarb Crisp?
As with other desserts like pie, it can be allowed to sit at room temperature for a short time. If you are leaving it for several days, it would be a good idea to refrigerate any leftovers.
Can You Freeze Rhubarb Crisp?
Rhubarb itself freezes very well, simply wash, slice and place in a freezer bag. To use from frozen, just add directly to the recipe from the freezer (you may need to increase baking time slightly). I love to make rhubarb crisp with frozen rhubarb in the cold winter months! The answer is most definitely yes, you can freeze rhubarb crisp!
Combined with your favorite fruit or used it all by itself, this recipe will make the best rhubarb crisp you have ever tasted!
Simple, tart and delicious this old-fashioned rhubarb crisp recipe is perfect for fall as you harvest your fruit!
More Great Fruit Desserts
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie – Classic combo.
- Easy Fruit Pizza – Fresh berries on a cookie dough crust.
- Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake – Sweet and tart.
- Blackberry Cobbler – Easy summertime classic.
- Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler – Fresh rhubarb & berries baked into a tender cake.
- Strawberry Cheesecake Pie – Easy no bake dessert!
Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
- 6 cups rhubarb
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 6 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup coconut shredded, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Wash and rinse rhubarb and cut into ½" pieces.
- Toss rhubarb with sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Place in a 2 qt baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and topping is golden.
- Cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with 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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!
More Summer Desserts You’ll Love
- Blueberry Pie
- Blueberry Cobbler – Reader favorite
- Berry Fluff Jello Salad
- Peach Cobbler
- Strawberries and Cream Cake
REPIN this Delicious Fruit Crisp Recipe
My husband grew up in the market garden and greenhouse – they always say pull the rhubarb do not cut it. It will grow back stronger if you can pull the stalk cleanly. And it won’t waste energy trying to repair what was cut but shoot forth new stalks.
Hope this helps!! Super excited to try!!
Thanks for the info, Selena! That’s great to know.
I made this and it’s very good, but very tart. Any suggestions on how I could sweeten this up after it’s cooked so I don’t end up wasting it? Pairing it with ice cream helped, but it’s still quite tart. :(
Some rhubarb can be more tart for sure. You could sprinkle with additional sugar, add some other sweet fruit such as strawberries, drizzle with some honey or maple syrup, or try some sweetened coconut to help. Hope that helps Anastacia!
Can this be frozen?
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.
Hi – May I use brown sugar for the filling as well and can I make this in advance – during the day – to serve after dinner?
Does it need to be served warm and if so can it be reaheated?
Thanks for sharing you recipes with us!
Shilpa
While I haven’t tried it Shilpa, I think brown sugar would work, but it may cause a bit more browning on the edges of the pan. I often eat this at room temperature, and even cold. Some may prefer it warm, in which case you could warm it slightly in the microwave (not too much or you lose the crisp).
I was all out of regular sugar so had brown in both the filling and topping. It came out great! Love this recipe! It came out the same as my Mom use to make and everyone who was served a dish enjoyed it. That’s for sharing!
So happy to hear everyone loved this recipe as much as we do, Don!
I love this recipe. I have rhubarb growing in my yard so I make this dessert often. I used to make rhubarb pie but I have a tremor in my right hand now so working with pie dough is impossible. This recipe has totally solved that problem. Thank you.
You’re welcome Judy, enjoy the crisp!
Great recipe – but please note you shouldn’t cut rhubarb from a plant. Grasp it firmly at the bottom and give it a twist and pull. This brings the entire spear up and triggers the plant to grow another one. If you cut rhubarb from the plant, you’ll soon decimate even a large plant.
Thank you for your feedback Susan. Resources that we’ve found indicate that you can either rip it off, or cut it. I was taught to cut it by my grandma! I always appreciate readers letting me know so we can check it out.
I received rhubarb in a CSA box and have never had. This was one of the simpler recipes. It’s AMAZING! I wasn’t sure if the butter was supposed to be melted for the crumble topping. I just cut the butter into small cubes and broke it up in the topping with my fingers – not sure if that was correct, but it tastes good regardless.
Aren’t CSA boxes so fun? I’ve also tried so many new things. How you did it is perfect! So glad you love the crisp!
The sugar is not too much so allows the tartness of the rhubarb to come through. I questioned the addition of the coconut but was glad I went for it, we all agreed it went perfectly and added another level of crunch to the crisp topping. I’ve filed it for next spring’s rhubarb season!
I’ve used this recipe about 100 times and me and my family love it! It’s an amazing recipe and I’m constantly baking it for friends and family. Best rubarb crisp ever!
GREAT
This was delicious! This is my ‘go to’ site for recipes. Never fails!
❤️❤️
This was the best rhubarb crisp recipe I have ever made! Easy and delicious!
Best rhubarb crisp that I’ve ever had in my life! The coconut is a wonderful addition!
Just the right amt. Of sugar .makes a very small amt. though. I would double the recipe.
First pick of my spring rhubarb today and made this recipe. Absolutely perfect and so delicious. I added a bit more cinnamon for my personal taste but otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. Definitely making this one again!
Can’t wait to try this!! Do you think gluten free flour would be an okay substitute? Thanks for posting! :)
I’ve never tried the recipe with gluten free flour, so am not sure if it would thicken the rhubarb. Another reader said they had success, and perhaps some other readers can help you out Laura!
I used all purpose gluten free flour and it worked perfectly. This is a great recipe.
Fresh Rhubarb picked today and this is the recipe I tried. BIG hit – everyone loved it! I will certainly be making this a lot more. It’s going in my recipe book ❤️ Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome Carrie!
I just got some fresh rhubarb from my local farmer’s market today so I will definitely be trying this recipe out at some point this weekend! So excited, my grandma used to make it for me when I was little!
How fun and exciting Brooke! Enjoy the rhubarb crisp!
Does the rhubarb need to be cooked/boiled prior to mixing it into the recipe?
It does not Brooke. Enjoy the crisp!
Delicious! And so easy! The ratio of topping to rhubarb is perfect. Thank you for a keeper recipe
You’re welcome Connie! So glad you love the crisp!
Excellent recipe! I have been making crisps for many years & never thought to add coconut to the topping – definitely took it to the next level. I had to add nutmeg as I cannot have cinnamon without it but that is personal preference – otherwise made as written :) Thank you!