How would we describe our strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe? Well, picture sweet, gooey, bubbling fruit with a crumbly topping of toasty oats and almonds. After that, add a scoop of ice cream to your vision and watch it melt just a little. It looks good, doesn’t it? Well, let’s get that strawberry rhubarb crisp out of your mind’s eye and into the oven!

What’s in a Name?
Wait, are we making a strawberry rhubarb crisp, or crumble? That’s a trick question – we’re basically making both ? Crisps and crumbles are really similar, in that they are both cooked fruit desserts topped with a crumbly flour mixture. A crisp recipe tends to add oats in the topping that go “crispy” when you bake them. However, the terms crisp and crumble have become somewhat interchangeable (unless you’re from somewhere like Australia, where we’re firmly in the “crumble” camp ?).
Sweet, Sour, Strawberry, Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a classic ingredient for a crisp. The edible stems of the rhubarb plant have a lovely tart “smack”, which contrasts beautifully with sweet strawberries. However, we’ve gone one step further and added some orange zest! You’ll love the almost “marmalade-y” hint this adds to the flavor. Orange makes a great complement to the rhubarb, strawberries and sweet crispy topping.
A quick note on safety: if your rhubarb comes with leaves attached, cut them off and get rid of them! While rhubarb stems are healthy and delicious, the leaves are poisonous. Remove the leaves and throw them away (or compost them!), keeping them well out of reach of children and pets.

Keep That Crumble Crispy
You don’t want to cook this crisp only to end up with runny rhubarb and soggy strawberries! Luckily, there is plenty of advice out there for getting your crisp right. A few of the most important steps are:
- Leave the strawberry and rhubarb pieces large so they don’t go completely to mush.
- Include a thickener (we use arrowroot starch) to make sure the fruit juices form a thick sauce.
- Don’t go crazy with the crumble: a good crisp recipe only needs 1 – 1.5 inches (2.5 – 4 cm) of topping. Otherwise, it can get dense and doughy.

Is That Your Stomach Crumbling?
We know – you’ve seen the pictures, read the article and you can’t wait to get cooking! Well, we recommend slowing down, just a bit ?. It’s important not to set the temperature too high when you bake this yummy dish. Cooking this crisp slow and steady will make sure your fruit stews properly, but your topping doesn’t burn ?.
So, now you have all our tips for baking the perfect strawberry rhubarb crisp. Enjoy! And don’t forget the ice cream …
Did you try this recipe? Let us know what you think with a comment and rating! Every bit of feedback helps make the blog even better!
If you have a sweet tooth and you’ve already tried our Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe, why not check out our Easy Banana Bread or fudgy chocolate Black Bean Brownies?
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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe | Gluten-Free
- Author: Rachel Steenland
- Total Time: 60 to 75 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
A delicious strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe that makes the ultimate comfort food! Plus, learn the secret to creating perfect crisp and crumble toppings.
Ingredients
Strawberry & Rhubarb Filling
- 4 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen), trim and cut large strawberries in half*
- 4 cups fresh rhubarb (around 4 to 5 stalks), trim and cut into 2 inch / 5cm lengths*
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- Zest of half an orange
Crisp Topping
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 stick (4oz / 113grams) vegan buttery spread, melted
- 1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- Zest of half an orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
- Into a large bowl, add the strawberry and rhubarb filling ingredients. Stir well to combine.
- Pour mixture into an 12 inches x 9 inches / 30cm x 23 cm overproof dish. Smooth over the mixture and fill in any holes (you want the crisp topping to sit on top of the filling, not wander down the holes/sides).
- Into a medium size bowl, add the crisp topping ingredients. Stir well to combine. Cover the strawberry and rhubarb filling with the crisp topping mixture.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until crumble topping has turned golden brown and the fruit has started to bubble up the side of the dish.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for around 10 minutes (the fruit will be super hot!). Serve warm with a dollop of vegan vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Notes
- *Avoid the temptation to cut the strawberries and rhubarb into smaller pieces. The fruit will break down during the baking process and go jammy and delicious.
- Nutritional information is to be used as a guide only as calories and nutrition vary between products and brands worldwide.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 to 60 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 22.2 g
- Sodium: 100.2 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.6 g
- Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: strawberry rhubarb, rhubarb recipe, crumble topping, crisp recipe, rhubarb recipe, vegan recipes, vegan dessert recipes, gluten-free vegan
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