Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Updated May 09, 2026
This strawberry rhubarb crisp has a jammy fruit filling and a crispy golden topping. Ready in under an hour and no pie crust required.
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Summer’s Sweet & Sour Crisp Strawberry Rhubarb!
During the summer, this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp has me turning my oven on even on the hottest of days. It’s such a great way to use extra strawberries and rhubarb when they’re in season! As someone who’s not much of a baker, I love crisps because they’re so forgiving and adaptable based on what you like and what you have.
The prep is minimal. The baking time is relatively short. And the result is a sweet, saucy strawberry rhubarb filling topped with a buttery golden crisp topping. It’s so good and so hard to resist especially topped with vanilla ice cream or my homemade mason jar ice cream!
Happy Baking!
– Yumna
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Ingredients
- Strawberries: Fresh or frozen berries both work! If you’re using frozen, don’t thaw them first, just add them directly from the bag or else the filling will get soggy (and if it starts to look watery, add a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch). If you’re using fresh, look for bright red, ripe berries. Be sure to remove the green bit before halving or quartering, and try to keep your slices uniform for even baking. For help, see my tips on how to cut strawberries.
- Rhubarb: Both frozen and fresh work here, too! With fresh, go for the younger, redder, thinner stalks of rhubarb. Chop the rhubarb into roughly 1/4-inch thick pieces so everything breaks down at the same rate. If the stalks are very thick, slice them in half lengthwise first. No need to peel them before slicing, just make sure to wash them thoroughly and remove stems if there are any. Frozen rhubarb may release some extra liquid, so thaw it completely, then drain any liquid before adding it to the recipe.
- Filling Ingredients: You’ll just need granulated white sugar and cinnamon to sweeten up your strawberry rhubarb crisp filling. If you’re using fresh, extra ripe berries, you may need less sugar, but if your berries are tart or off-season, I’d recommend using the full amount.
- Streusel topping: For the streusel topping, I use butter, packed brown sugar, old fashioned rolled oats, baking powder, and salt. Make sure your butter is cold and sliced (not softened) as this is what will give you the crumbly texture that makes this streusel topping so delicious. If it’s too warm, the topping will become greasy and flat. And be careful not to sub in a different type of oats! Quick oats turn soft and mushy in the oven, and steel cut oats won’t soften enough.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
These step-by-step photos walk you through the whole process. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the → Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe.
1. Add the Strawberries and Rhubarb to the Dish
Grease the 8-inch baking dish first, then add the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cinnamon directly to it.
2. Run a spoon through everything to Combine
Evenly coat the rhubarb and strawberries in the sugar and cinnamon. Set the dish aside while you make the streusel.
3. Add Cold Butter to Crisp Mixture
Cut the butter into small cubes and add them to the bowl with the dry crisp mixture. Work quickly from here so the butter stays cold.
4. Use your fingertips to Work In the Butter
Press and break the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms loose, shaggy clumps. It should look uneven, not smooth. If it starts to feel greasy or warm, refrigerate the bowl for a few minutes before finishing.
5. Top the Strawberries and Rhubarb
Cover the fruit filling with the streusel and spread it out so the fruit is mostly underneath. It does not need to be perfectly even.
6. Bake the Crisp Until Golden and Bubbly
The oven does the rest. Look for the topping to be lightly golden brown and the filling to be bubbling actively around the edges before pulling it out. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Full Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped rhubarb fresh or frozen
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup light dark brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter cold
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
- Place the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and cinnamon into the prepared baking dish. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and use your hands to mix in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs to make the streusel topping. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the rhubarb mixture.
- Bake until the crisp topping is lightly brown and the filling is bubbly, 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add lemon zest. Stir 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest into the fruit before adding the sugar. It adds a brighter, sharper note to the rhubarb without changing anything else.
- Add vanilla extract. Mix ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract into the fruit filling along with the cinnamon. It rounds out the sweetness a bit.
- Add chopped pecans. Stir ¼ cup of roughly chopped pecans into the streusel before spreading it over the fruit. They add a crunch that holds up through baking.
Recipe Tips
- Adjust the rhubarb to strawberry ratio to your liking. I use 3 cups rhubarb and 2 cups strawberries, so this strawberry rhubarb crumble will be more tart than sweet. If you’re looking for a sweeter version, you can use more strawberries and less rhubarb.
- Allow the crisp to sit for a few minutes before serving. Like most baked desserts, this rhubarb crumble needs a few minutes to cool and set when it comes out of the oven. This way the fruit won’t be runny.
- Don’t burn the topping. If the streusel starts to brown too much before the rhubarb crisp finishes baking, just tent the baking dish with foil.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with cream. This warm rhubarb crumble tastes so good with homemade vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream on top!
FAQs
Just like celery, you wash and slice rhubarb first. You can eat the green parts, but make sure to remove the leaves and discard them since they are poisonous (at most grocery stores, rhubarb is sold without the leaves). It’s not necessary to peel rhubarb before cutting it, but if you notice some fibrous outer strings or a tough exterior, you can peel off some of the skin to get rid of them.
This usually comes down to the butter being too warm going in. Warm butter blends into the dry ingredients instead of staying in separate pieces, and the topping comes out more like a solid crust than a crumble. Make sure the butter is cold and work quickly. If the mixture felt warm or sticky while you were mixing it, that is most likely the reason.
Rhubarb and strawberries both release liquid as they bake, so some runniness right out of the oven is normal. The filling thickens as the crisp rests and cools. If it is still very thin after 10 minutes, it likely needed a few more minutes in the oven. The filling should look bubbling and slightly reduced when it comes out, not just warm and loose.
Comments
As we like to say here at Feelgoodfoodie- SO good! First time purchasing rhubarb and this recipe did not disappoint. My husband couldn’t get enough! Going to make it for his family next week when we head to our cottage for the fourth. Love all your recipes!!! Thank you!!!
Love that!! So happy it was a hit with you and your husband! Thanks, Jenna!
I love your recipes 😋 so easy to follow and love trying all 👍🏻
Aww, thank you so much! I’m glad to hear it!
Very good 👍
Thank you so much!
Even though I have eaten it before, today was the first time I ever purchased rhubarb and used this recipe. Sooo Good!
Such an easy and delicious dessert to make! 🙂 I’m looking forward to making it again this long weekend for my family.
It really is! Aww, hope they all enjoy!
Really great recipe and super simple. I used amount of fruit called for in recipe but added almost 1/2 cup of sugar. Just right for us!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and adjusted the sugar! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I have to admit. I made it yesterday. And Made it back today. So easy to prepare, so delicious to taste that you want to smell it baking everyday.
Thanks.