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Some desserts are painfully sweet and call it a day. This strawberry rhubarb crisp has better manners. The strawberries bring the sweetness, the rhubarb brings the tang, and the buttery topping gives you the kind of crisp texture that makes the whole thing worth baking in the first place. Add toasted pecans and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and nobody will care if dinner was average.
Strawberry rhubarb crisp has a jammy fruit filling and a buttery oat-pecan topping that stays crisp. Tangy, sweet, and summer-ready.
If you love this flavor combination, be sure to try my strawberry rhubarb pie or my blueberry rhubarb pie, both packed with that same sweet-tart fruit filling.
Here’s Why This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe Works
Balanced fruit-to-sugar ratio: A short sugar soak takes the sharp edge off the rhubarb without flattening its flavor.
Thick, jammy filling: Cornstarch and a splash of reserved rhubarb juice thicken the filling so it sets up nicely without turning gluey.
A topping that stays crisp: Oats, flour, brown sugar, and butter bake into a crumbly topping that holds its texture instead of sinking into the fruit.
Extra crunch from toasted pecans: Toasted pecans add texture and a deeper flavor than a plain oat topping can deliver.
If you enjoy fruit crisps, you might also like my apple crisp or pear crisp recipe, both topped with the same kind of buttery oat crumble.
Key Ingredients
Rhubarb: Use fresh rhubarb stalks that are firm and brightly colored. The color can range from pale green to deep red, and both work well. If the stalks are thick, slice them a little thinner so they soften evenly while baking.
Strawberries: Fresh strawberries add sweetness and balance rhubarb’s tart bite. Quarter large berries so they soften at about the same rate as the rhubarb.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the fruit juices and creates a sweet and tart jammy filling.
Lemon Juice: A small of lemon juice amount brightens the flavor and balances the sweetness of the fruit and topping.
Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Rolled oats give the topping its classic crisp texture. Avoid quick oats, which tend to soften too much.
Butter: Softened butter mixes into the topping more easily and helps create crumbly clusters.
Toasted Pecans: Toasted pecans add extra crunch and a deeper flavor to the crisp topping.
Recipe Tips
Soak the fruit separately: Let the rhubarb and strawberries sit with sugar in separate bowls first. This draws out excess liquid and gives the fruit a head start before baking.
Reserve just ¼ cup of juice: Keep only ¼ cup of the rhubarb liquid to mix with the cornstarch. It’s enough to help thicken the filling without making it runny.
Cut in the butter well: Use a fork or pastry blender to work the butter into the topping until it looks crumbly. That gives you a crisp topping instead of greasy clumps.
Use a metal baking dish if you have one: Metal pans brown more evenly and can help the filling and topping bake up better than glass.
Let it cool before serving: Give the crisp at least 20 minutes to rest after baking so the filling can set and the topping stays crisp.
Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Crisp
This strawberry rhubarb crisp leans into that classic sweet-tart balance that makes the combination so good in the first place. The fruit bakes down into a saucy filling while the oat topping turns golden and crisp with plenty of texture from the pecans.
Serve it warm from the oven, plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and don’t be surprised if people go back for seconds.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
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Ingredients
Fruit Filling
- 12 to 15 stalks fresh rhubarb, sliced; (about 7½ cups sliced)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, (250 grams) divided
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 3½ cups)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crisp Topping
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, 300 grams
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 150 grams
- 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 90 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, 113 grams softened and cut into pieces
- 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with oil spray and reserve
Prepare the Fruit:
- Place the sliced rhubarb to a medium size bowl and sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the sugar, stirring to distribute throughout. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to withdraw some of the liquid in the slices.
- In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the Topping:
- Combine the sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or fork, working to a crumbly consistency. Stir in the chopped pecans, then set the topping aside.
- Pour off and discard all but 1/4 cup of the accumulate liquid from the rhubarb.
- Add the drained rhubarb to the bowl of strawberries and toss to combine.
- In a small dish, mix the cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla together with the 1/4 cup of reserved rhubarb juice. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the strawberry-rhubarb mixture, combining well.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and distribute the reserved topping evenly over the strawberry-rhubarb mixture.
- Transfer the dish to the middle of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, reduce the oven to 325°F and bake an additional 25-30 minutes longer until the filling is bubbling at the edges and golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I made this yesterday – I had less Rhubarb and more Strawberries – both frozen and a soft apple. I let the sugar sit on both the frozen fuits a little longer to release more liquid and I did boost the corn starch just a little. I chopped the apple and drizzled some lemon juice on it to keep while doing the rest of the prep. I didn’t have all Old Fashion oats – about 1/2 so also used quick oats. I had some left over apple pie spice from another recipe so added this along with 1/2 tsp of straight cinnamon. This made a super yummy big crispy crunch crisp that I had been craving. Vanilla bean ice cream to top it off.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It sounds like you made some amazing adjustments to suit what you had on hand. Thanks for the comment.
Strawberries and rhubarb play together SO nicely, don’t they? Love that combo! And love crisps — such a tasty desserts. Really nice recipe — thanks. And Happy 4th!
Thank you, John…And a Happy 4th to you! 🙂