Featuring tart and orange-essenced rhubarb and a crunchy and buttery oat topping, this Rhubarb Crisp is nostalgic, comforting, and delicious. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a memorable and quickly disappearing springtime dessert!
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Rhubarb season is short, so let's make the most of it with this rhubarb crisp recipe!
If your local grocers are anything like mine, the rhubarb appears in the store as quickly as it disappears. So, as soon as I spot it each year, I grab an armload or two.
This year, I rushed home with my loot and immediately got to work mixing up a batch of this rhubarb crisp. Crisps and cobblers hold a special part of my summertime dessert heart, so I grabbed all my usual fixins' (oats, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and coconut oil or butter!) plus a few special rhubarb specific add-ins, like orange zest and orange juice.
The result is a sweet and tangy, warm and buttery dessert that I — if I do say so myself — knocked out of the park. Topped with creamy vanilla ice cream, we all scraped our dishes clean. And (conveniently) I was in the middle of a half-marathon carb load so I went in for seconds. Don't you just love it when the stars align like that?
Wild about rhubarb? I am too! For more rhubarb recipes, check out my Rhubarb Jam and Rhubarb Muffins.
Ingredients
Let's get ready to bake! Here's what you'll need to make this rhubarb crisp recipe.
Rhubarb Filling
Rhubarb - Choose fresh stalks with a deep redish-green color. Trim off the leaves before chopping the stalks — they are toxic!
Light Brown & White Sugar - Though many rhubarb crisp recipes call only for white sugar, I like adding brown for a touch of caramel flavor. It's the perfect match to tart rhubarb!
Cornstarch - Three tablespoons of cornstarch (also known as corn flour) thicken the rhubarb filling juices as they cook.
Orange Zest & Juice - An essence of sweet citrus takes this rhubarb dessert to a new level!
Oatmeal Crisp Topping
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal - Use old-fashioned oats (also known as rolled oats) for the best, crispy and nutty texture.
Flour - When mixed with a fat like butter or coconut oil, this helps to thicken the topping and makes it crunchy when baked.
Light Brown Sugar - To sweeten the deal!
Cinnamon - This sweet spice complements the sour rhubarb, adding warmth.
Coconut Oil or Butter - Choose the fat of your preference. Let it soften to room temperature before adding. If using butter, you can use salted or unsalted.
Nuts - Chopped almonds or pecans add a toasted flavor and crunch (yum!).
Oh, and let's not forget vanilla ice cream to serve!
How to Make Rhubarb Crisp
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 2-quart baking dish (such as an 8x8-inch baking pan) with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped rhubarb, brown sugar, sugar, salt, cornstarch, orange zest, and orange juice until just combined.
Step 3: Pour the rhubarb mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Step 4: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, flour, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined.
Step 5: Add the softened coconut oil or butter to the oat mixture. Massage in with your fingertips until you can pinch the crisp and it holds its shape.
Step 6: Stir the almonds or pecans into the crisp topping mixture until combined.
Step 7: Pour the crisp mixture over the rhubarb mixture.
Step 8: Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the fruit bubbles around the edges and the crisp topping is golden brown.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Add sweetener to taste. For a sweet-tart pucker, sweeten the rhubarb as written. For a sweeter dessert, add additional white or light brown sugar to filling by the tablespoon to taste.
- Bake until bubbling. You will know the crisp is ready when the rhubarb juices bubble consistently around the edges and the topping is golden brown. This should take 40-45 minutes. If the topping gets too brown toward the end of the baking time, cover the crisp loosely with aluminum foil.
- Serve warm with ice cream! Cool the crisp for 15-30 minutes at room temperature before serving. The sweet, cool creaminess is a dreamy contrast to the tangy and warm filling. For a twist, you can also serve the crisp with cinnamon ice cream.
For more fruit crisp recipes, check out my Apple Crisp and Pear Crisp!
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating: Leftover crisp keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, you can freeze the crisp. Cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil or transfer it to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the crisp in the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
- Reheating: Heat the covered crisp in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes until hot. Individual servings can be warmed on gentle heat in the microwave.
FAQs
Yes! Frozen rhubarb works well in this recipe, making it accessible year-round. There is no need to defrost it; just swap it for fresh and follow the recipes as directed, adding up to 5 minutes of extra baking time if needed.
You can prep the rhubarb filling and oatmeal crisp topping up to a day ahead of time. Store them separately in airtight containers, refrigerating the rhubarb. Assemble and bake the crisp before serving.
Certainly! To make it without dairy, use coconut oil instead of butter. Swap 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for all-purpose and use certified gluten-free oats to make it gluten-free.
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Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Silicone Spatula
- 2-Quart Baking Dish (or 8x8-Inch Baking Pan)
More Summer Dessert Recipes
- Blueberry Peach Crisp
- Plum Crisp
- Stovetop Peach Cobbler
- Strawberry Cobbler
- Raspberry Cobbler
- Apricot Cobbler
Recipe Card
Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Rhubarb Filling
- 2 lbs chopped rhubarb stalks or about 8 cups chopped
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ white sugar
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice
Oatmeal Crisp Topping
- ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- Large pinch salt
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut oil or butter softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup sliced or slivered almonds or chopped pecans
- Vanilla ice cream to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 2-quart baking dish (such as an 8x8-inch baking pan) with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped rhubarb, brown sugar, sugar, salt, cornstarch, orange zest, and orange juice until just combined.
- Pour the rhubarb mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, flour, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined.
- Add the softened coconut oil or butter to the oat mixture. Massage in with your fingertips until you can pinch the crisp and it holds its shape.
- Stir the almonds or pecans into the crisp topping mixture until combined.
- Pour the crisp mixture over the rhubarb mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the fruit bubbles around the edges and the crisp topping is golden brown.
Notes
- Refrigerating: Leftover crisp keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, you can freeze the crisp. Cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil or transfer it to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the crisp in the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
- Reheating: Heat the covered crisp in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes until hot. Individual servings can be warmed on gentle heat in the microwave.
- Add sweetener to taste. For a sweet-tart pucker, sweeten the rhubarb as written. For a sweeter dessert, add additional white or light brown sugar to filling by the tablespoon to taste.
- Bake until bubbling. You will know the crisp is ready when the rhubarb juices bubble consistently around the edges and the topping is golden brown. This should take 40-45 minutes. If the topping gets too brown toward the end of the baking time, cover the crisp loosely with aluminum foil.
- Serve warm with ice cream! Cool the crisp for 15-30 minutes at room temperature before serving. The sweet, cool creaminess is a dreamy contrast to the tangy and warm filling. For a twist, you can also serve the crisp with cinnamon ice cream.
