Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Crisp! Chunks of fresh rhubarb are baked under a brown sugar, oat and almond topping. This is the perfect dessert for casual summer dining.
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
You’ll love this super simple recipe. Rhubarb has a very specific tangy flavor that is perfectly paired with a crisp oat and almond topping. This is comfort food at it’s finest.
The dish can be thrown together in minutes. What could be easier than piling fruit and sugar into a cast iron skillet, covering it with a simple topping and letting it bake?
Much more forgiving than a pie or tart that requires a rolled dough, a crisp (like it’s cousins the crumble and the cobbler) is one of the simplest fruit desserts to bake.
Is it a crisp a crumble or a cobbler?
Often the terms crisp and crumble are used interchangeably. Both are made with a streusel topping baked over fresh fruit.
A crisp will include oats or nuts in the topping. A crumble topping is made with flour, butter and sugar.
A cobbler is made with a biscuit or batter topping that bakes up more cakey than crumbly.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Rhubarb – This recipe can be made using fresh or frozen rhubarb. If you’re a fan of strawberry and rhubarb together, replace up to half the rhubarb with strawberries.
- Corn Starch – This recipe uses just enough starch to slightly thicken the juice. You want the fruit to be nice and saucy under the topping.
- Oats – I like to use old fashioned rolled oats for the topping. You can use quick cooking oats with satisfactory results.
- Almonds – I used sliced almonds in testing this recipe. Chopped pecans or walnuts would also work in the topping.
- Butter – Use cool butter for best crisp texture. If the butter is too soft the topping will spread too much while baking.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Toss the rhubarb with the sugar, salt and cornstarch. Set it aside while you make the topping.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a mixer bowl.
- Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix until the topping begins to clump.
- The topping will be loose, but when you grab a handful it should hold together.
- Pour the rhubarb into a preheated cast iron skillet or a 13×9 baking dish.
- Grab a handful of topping and form it into a big clump. Break it into smaller clumps over the surface of the fruit.
- Distribute the topping evenly over the entire pan.
- Bake the crisp until the juices are bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
How To Serve Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb crisp is best served still warm from the oven, straight from the pan. I highly suggest serving with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or buttermilk ice cream.
Storage
The crisp will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. Reheat left over portions in the microwave or slide the pan back in the oven to warm up. Portions can be stored in a freezer container and frozen for up to a month. The topping will soften after freezing, but it will still be tasty.
More Crisps & Cobblers
More Rhubarb Recipes
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Rhubarb Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds rhubarb (chopped into 1" pieces)
- ¼ tsp table salt
- 12 oz granulated sugar (1 ½ cups)
- 2 tbsp corn starch
Crisp Topping
- 2 ½ oz all purpose flour (½ cup)
- 2 oz old fashioned rolled oats (½ cup)
- 2 oz sliced almonds (½ cup)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 oz brown sugar
- 3 oz granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 6 oz unsalted butter (cool, sliced ½" thick)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Place a 12" cast iron skillet into the oven to preheat (if using a 13" x 9" baking pan you don't need to preheat the pan).
- In a large bowl, combine 2 ½ pounds rhubarb with ¼ tsp table salt 12 oz granulated sugar and 2 tbsp corn starch. Toss to combine. Set the bowl aside while you prepare the topping.
- Combine 2 ½ oz all purpose flour, 2 oz old fashioned rolled oats, 2 oz sliced almonds, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 3 oz brown sugar, 3 oz granulated sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl. Mix to combine the ingredients.
- With the mixer running on low speed, toss in 6 oz unsalted butter slices and mix on until the the dough clumps together. If you are mixing by hand, work the butter in with your fingers until it is broken down into bits smaller than a pea and the mixture clumps together.
- Transfer the rhubarb to the preheated cast iron skillet or a 13"x 9" baking pan.
- Grab a big handful of the topping and squeeze to form a large clump. Break the clump into smaller pieces over the filling. Continue to crumble the rest of the topping over the fruit in an even layer.
- Slide the pan into the oven. Place a sheet of foil on the shelf beneath the crisp in the oven to catch any juice boil over.
- Bake until the topping is golden brown and baked in the middle and the juices are bubbling, about 40 minutes.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
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