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Rhubarb Crisp Recipe

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This tangy rhubarb crisp recipe is the perfect way to enjoy fresh rhubarb stalks. Rhubarb is in season from April through June, so get some when you can!

Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but it tastes like a fruit when added to a crumble or a pie. While it's a little too tart raw, it's delightful when baked with some sugar.

A bowl of rhubarb crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Why You'll Love This Rhubarb Dessert

If you like crisps and crumbles, you'll love this tangy and tart dessert. Its crispy, nutty topping is offset by a citrusy and flavorful rhubarb center.

It pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream.

Ingredients for a rhubarb crumble on a marble backdrop.

Ingredients You'll Need

Because rhubarb has such a tart flavor, we've increased the amount of toppings we typically use per cup of fruit. This is an almost 1 to 1 ratio of fruit filling to crisp topping. Here's what you'll need.

Rhubarb - You'll need 1 pound of fresh rhubarb stalks for this recipe. Remove any leaves from the stalks as they are toxic to humans.

Mix-ins - To mix with the rhubarb, you'll need 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 2 teaspoons of orange zest, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. You'll also add in a teaspoon of cardamom (or cinnamon if you don't have cardamom). Finally, you'll want ½ tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken up the fruit filling.

Crisp Topping - You'll need 1 cup of rolled oats, 6 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup of flour, a ½ cup of pecans, ¼ cup of pistachios, and 2 tablespoons of honey (or granulated sugar).

Ingredients for the crisp topping in a metal bowl.
Four photos showing a rhubarb crisp being made.

Choosing the Best Rhubarb

Rhubarb stalks should be firm and not floppy. They'll also have a nice shine to them when they've been recently harvested.

Some varieties are harvested when they are green and pink, and some are better when they're all bright pink - the color doesn't affect the flavor too much (although the bright pink is very pretty)!

More Delicious Dessert Recipes

I adore fruit forward desserts, if you do too, check out some of our other favorites!

A closeup shot of the edge of a pan of rhubarb crisp, with scoops of vanilla ice cream and a large serving spoon.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Cooking Tips - You want a crispy crust, so keep an eye on this for the last 5 minutes of bake time. Don't let it burn, but if it's not getting golden brown, let it bake an additional 5 minutes.

Storing Tips - Store leftover crisp in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It freezes well - you can save it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Diet/Allergy Alternatives - If you'd like to make this recipe vegan, sub the butter for vegan butter and the honey for granulated sugar.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos or leave us a rating.

Yield: 6 servings

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb crisp in a baking dish topped with vanilla ice cream.

This tangy rhubarb crisp is a delightful dessert recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rhubarb stalks, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ½ tablespoon corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup pistachios, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Combine the orange juice and the corn starch in a small bowl and whisk to combine until the corn starch is incorporated.
  3. Mix together the rhubarb pieces, brown sugar, corn starch slurry, orange zest, lemon zest, and cardamom in a 9x9 or 11x7-inch pan.
  4. Combine the oats, butter, flour, pecans, pistachios, and honey in a mixing bowl. Cut with a pastry blender or forks till the mixture is combined and the butter is in pea-sized pieces.
  5. Top the rhubarb mixture with the oat mixture and spread it out to make sure all the rhubarb is covered.
  6. Bake for 50 minutes or until the oat crust is golden brown.
  7. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with an optional scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 440Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 126mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 5gSugar: 37gProtein: 6g

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