gaxownOkay, Let’s Talk Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp!
Oh my goodness, you guys, this crisp. Every spring, when those first ruby stalks of rhubarb poke through the ground (or, let’s be real, show up at the grocery store!), I get ridiculously excited because it means *this* delicious strawberry rhubarb crisp is back on the menu. My grandpa grew rhubarb in his garden, huge prehistoric looking plants, and Grandma turning it into pies and crumbles was basically the official start of summer. This recipe is my slightly simpler take on that magic, perfect for when you want something amazing without, you know, spending ALL day in the kitchen. It’s tangy, sweet, bubbly, and that crunchy oat topping? Forget about it.
Why You’ll Probably Make This Again and Again
Honestly? I make this whenever I need a guaranteed crowd pleaser dessert that doesn’t require me to be a fancy pastry chef (which I am definitely not!). My family goes absolutely bonkers for this stuff, even the kid who claims to hate rhubarb (spoiler: he eats two servings). It’s just the perfect balance – the tartness form the rhubarb cuts through the sweetness of the strawberries and the sugar, and the buttery, crunchy topping is just *chef’s kiss*. Plus, it makes your house smell incredible while it bakes. Seriously, it’s worth making just for the smell. It’s also pretty forgiving; even if your fruit gets a little juicy, the topping usually stays nice and crisp. (Though one time, I used *really* watery frozen strawberries without thawing enough first… let’s just say it was more of a strawberry rhubarb soup situation. Lesson learned!)
What You’ll Need (Give or Take)
For the Fruity Filling Bit:
- About 4 cups chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen works, see notes!) – that’s maybe 4-5 decent sized stalks?
- About 4 cups sliced strawberries (fresh preferably, but frozen is okay too)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust this! If your strawberries are super sweet, use less. If your rhubarb is making you pucker like crazy, maybe a smidge more)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour (or cornstarch works too, helps thicken the juices)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (My grandma swore by Nielsen-Massey, but honestly, whatever you have is fine!)
- Optional: pinch of cinnamon or a tiny bit of orange zest – sometimes I add this, sometimes I don’t!
For the Crunchy Topping Part (The Best Part!):
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats (not the instant kind, the old fashioned ones give better texture)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed! light or dark, both are good)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into little cubes (Seriously, keep it cold!)
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (adds extra crunch if you like nuts)
Okay Let’s Actually Make It
- Get that oven hot: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grab a baking dish, something like a 9×13 inch pan is pretty standard, but honestly, anything oven safe that holds all the goodness works. I usually just lightly grease it.
- Mix the fruit: In a big bowl, gently toss the chopped rhubarb, sliced strawberries, granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup flour (or cornstarch), and vanilla extract. If you’re adding cinnamon or zest, chuck it in now too. Just mix it enough to coat everything; don’t mash the berries! Pour this mixture into your baking dish and spread it out evenly. Looks kinda weird now, right? It’ll be fine.
- Make the amazing topping: In a separate bowl (yeah, another bowl, sorry!), whisk together the 1 cup flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes. Now, the fun part! Use your fingertips, a pastry blender (if you’re fancy), or even two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You want it to look like coarse crumbs, with some bigger buttery bits still visible. Don’t overmix it into a paste! If you’re adding nuts, stir them in now. This is usually where I sneak a taste of the topping… for quality control, obviously.
- Top it off: Sprinkle that glorious crumb mixture evenly all over the fruit filling. Make sure you get it right to the edges.
- Bake it beautiful: Pop that dish into the preheated oven. Bake for about 40-50 minutes. You’re looking for the fruit filling to be bubbly around the edges and the topping to be golden brown and delicious looking. It might take a bit longer if you used frozen fruit, just keep an eye on it. Your kitchen should be smelling absolutely heavenly right about now!
- Let it chill (just a bit!): Okay, this is HARD, but let the crisp cool on a wire rack for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. It’s molten lava hot straight out of the oven, and letting it sit helps the filling thicken up a bit too. Trust me on this one.
A Few Little Notes From My Kitchen
- Fresh vs. Frozen Fruit: Fresh is generally best, especially for strawberries, as frozen can get a bit mushy. But! If you use frozen, don’t thaw the rhubarb completely (it gets floppy). For strawberries, thawing them *mostly* and draining any excess liquid helps prevent that soup situation I mentioned. You might need to bake it a little longer too.
- Rhubarb Prep: Just wash it, trim the ends, and chop it into bite sized pieces (like 1/2 inch maybe?). You don’t usually need to peel rhubarb unless the stalks are super old and tough looking. Need more rhubarb info? The Old Farmer’s Almanac is always my go to.
- Sugar Levels: Seriously, taste your fruit! Rhubarb especially varies a *lot* in tartness. Adjust the sugar in the filling accordingly. It’s easier to add sweetness later (like with ice cream!) than to take it away.
- Juiciness Control: If you find your crisps often end up too watery, you can try adding an extra tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to the filling. Works like a charm most times.
Fun Twists I’ve Tried (Some Better Than Others)
I love messing around with recipes, sometimes it works, sometimes… not so much. For this crisp, adding about a tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger to the fruit filling is *amazing* if you like a little spicy kick. Orange zest is also lovely. I once tried making a gluten free version using an almond flour blend for the topping; it was okay, a bit denser, but doable if you need it! My biggest fail? Trying to substitute apples for half the rhubarb one time when I was short. It just tasted… confused. Not bad, but definitely not the delicious strawberry rhubarb crisp vibe I was going for. Stick to the classics on this one, I reckon.
Oh, random thought – growing rhubarb is actually pretty easy if you have a bit of garden space! It comes back year after year, it’s quite satisfying. Just don’t eat the leaves, they’re poisonous!
What Gear Do You Need?
Nothing too crazy! You need mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a knife for chopping, and a baking dish. I mentioned a 9×13 inch dish, it’s pretty ideal for this amount, gives you a good ratio of topping to fruit. But listen, if all you have is an 8×8 square pan or some other oven safe casserole dish, just use that! You might need to adjust the baking time slightly (smaller, deeper dishes might take longer). And for the topping, while a pastry blender is nice, your clean hands work just as well, maybe even better. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Storing the Leftovers (If Any!)
You can cover the cooled crisp tightly with plastic wrap or foil, or transfer it to an airtight container. It’ll keep okay on the counter for a day or so, or in the fridge for probably 3-4 days. You can reheat it in the oven or microwave, or honestly, I kinda like eating it cold straight form the fridge sometimes (don’t judge!). Though, let’s be real, in my house, leftovers are a mythical creature; this stuff usually vanishes the same day it’s made!
How We Like To Eat It
The classic way is warm with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream melting into it. That contrast of warm, tangy fruit and cold, creamy ice cream is just heaven. Seriously, don’t skip the ice cream if you can help it! Whipped cream is also good, or even just a drizzle of heavy cream. My dad always liked it with custard, which is also pretty darn tasty.
Pro Tips (Learned the Hard Way!)
- Don’t Melt the Butter! For the topping, make sure your butter is COLD. Like, straight from the fridge. If it’s soft or melted, your topping will be greasy and less crisp. I once tried using slightly softened butter because I was impatient… regretted that greasy mess.
- Don’t Overmix the Topping: Stop mixing the topping when it looks like coarse crumbs. If you keep going until it’s a smooth dough, it won’t be crumbly and crisp after baking.
- Let It Rest After Baking: I know, I said it before, but it bears repeating! Letting it sit for 15-20 minutes allows the filling to set up properly. If you dive right in, it’ll be runnier and also potentially burn your mouth. Patience, grasshopper!
Quick Q&A – Things People Ask Me
Can I use frozen fruit?
Yep! Like I mentioned above, you totally can. Just maybe don’t thaw the rhubarb fully, and drain the thawed strawberries well. You might need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time. Keep an eye on it!
My rhubarb seems really stringy, do I need to peel it?
Usually no. Modern varieties aren’t as stringy as the older ones sometimes were. If a piece looks particularly tough or fibrous, you can peel it, but mostly just chopping it is fine. It softens a lot when baked. You can find good tips on prepping rhubarb online, maybe check out a site like Simply Recipes they usually have solid advice.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Sort of! You can definitely assemble the whole thing (fruit filling in the dish, topping sprinkled over) and keep it covered in the fridge for up to a day before baking. Or, you can bake it completely, let it cool, and then reheat it before serving. The topping might not be *quite* as crisp when reheated, but it’s still delicious!
Help! My topping isn’t crisp! What went wrong?
Hmm, could be a few things. Maybe the butter wasn’t cold enough? Or maybe it got overmixed? Another possibility is if the fruit was super juicy, some of that moisture might have steamed the topping instead of letting it crisp up. Make sure you have enough flour/cornstarch in the filling next time maybe?
There you have it! My absolute favorite way to make a delicious strawberry rhubarb crisp. I really hope you try it, and I hope you love it as much as we do! Let me know how it turns out!
gaxown
