Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry and rhubarb are an irresistible combo in the spring and early summer. Both sweet and tart with a crisp, buttery topping, it's perfect for dessert or (dare we say) breakfast.

By
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin

Irvin is a critically acclaimed cookbook author and food blogger. His cookbook "Marbled, Swirled, and Layered" was chosen as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016 in the New York Times.

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Published May 02, 2018
Irvin Lin
Rhubarb and strawberry crisp
Irvin Lin

Rhubarb season is here, and I’m excited to make anything and everything with it!

For most folks, strawberry rhubarb pie is the immediate go-to dessert. Although I adore that classic pie, making a crisp is not only significantly easier, but it allows you to serve it to a larger group of people—everyone can scoop out as much as they want!

What Is a Crisp?

People tend to confuse crisps, crumbles, and cobblers—they're all easy rustic desserts with fruit filling on the bottom, after all.

Crisps and crumbles are pretty similar in my mind: both have a streusel-like crumb topping, but the difference is that the topping for a crisp includes rolled oats or other grains. Cobblers, meanwhile, typically have biscuits on top, giving it a cobble-stoned or cobbled-together appearance.

Easy strawberry rhubarb crisp add the strawberries
Irvin Lin

How to Make This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For today's crisp, I used an oat-based crumb topping to give the dessert texture and nutty wholesome flavor as well as a touch of cinnamon spice to help compliment the ginger and rhubarb berry filling.

You'll want to first mix the strawberries with the sugar and cornstarch and let it sit for a bit (called macerating) to pull out the strawberry juices a bit. This also allows the cornstarch to dissolve without adding any more liquid.

Then you cook the rhubarb a bit on the stovetop to help evaporate some of the liquid, which helps thicken up the filling without resorting to using more cornstarch.

Bake in a Cast Iron Skillet

My favorite way to prepare this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is in a cast iron skillet, which makes it look even more homey.

If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can also use an 8x8 baking pan, or a 9x9 baking pan. Just skip the step where you heat the pan on the stovetop first. Instead, cook the filling an additional 5 to 10 minutes before adding the crisp topping.

Irvin Lin

Serve With Ice Cream!

Serve this crisp directly from the warm pan for maximum impact, with a big scoop or two of vanilla ice cream on top for everyone to share. You can also portion it out into individual bowls with smaller scoops of ice cream if you prefer.

More Crisps, Crumbles, and Cobblers

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Cooling 20 mins
Total Time 80 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can also use an 8x8 baking pan, or a 9x9 baking pan. Skip the step where you heat the pan on the stovetop, and instead cook the filling an additional 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to the baking pan and adding the crisp topping.

Ingredients

  • For the topping:
  • 1 1/2 cups (190 g) rolled oats
  • 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons (175 g or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • For the filling:
  • 4 cups (620 g) strawberries, stemmed, hulled and, cut in half if large
  • 3/4 cup (250 g) white granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon chopped candied ginger
  • 2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • Zest from 1 medium orange
  • 4 cups (500 g or a little bit over 1 pound) sliced rhubarb (1-inch chunks) from about 5 to 6 thick stalks or 10 to 12 skinny stalks
  • To serve:
  • Vanilla ice cream, store-bought or homemade

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
  2. Make the topping:

    Combine the oats, flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a balloon whisk until consistent in color and all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Use your fingers to break up any chunks of brown sugar.

    Drizzle the melted butter over the dry ingredients, tossing with a fork until the topping starts to clump together and the dry ingredients are moist. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the fruit.

    Easy strawberry rhubarb crisp add the butter
    Irvin Lin
    Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp make the topping
    Irvin Lin
  3. Macerate the strawberries:

    Combine the strawberries, 1/2 cup of the sugar, candied ginger, cornstarch and orange zest in a large bowl, tossing to make sure the strawberries are coated with the dry ingredients. Set aside.

    Best Strawberry rhubarb crisp macerate the strawberries
    Irvin Lin
    Recipe for strawberry rhubarb crisp add the sugar
    Irvin Lin
  4. Cook the rhubarb:

    Spray a 10-inch cast iron skillet with cooking oil, and add the rhubarb and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb juice starts to thicken. You want to cook off some of the liquid, but you don’t want the rhubarb to get mushy or break down.

    Strawberry and rhubarb crisp add the sugar to rhubarb
    Irvin Lin
    Best strawberry rhubarb crisp cook the rhubarb
    Irvin Lin
  5. Add the strawberries and bake in the oven:

    Add the strawberry mixture to the hot pan with the rhubarb, covering the rhubarb evenly. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

    Easy strawberry rhubarb crisp add the strawberries
    Irvin Lin
  6. Add the topping and continue baking:

    Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the crisp topping over the fruit filling. Return to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top of the crisp is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling hot.

    Recipe for strawberry rhubarb crisp add the topping
    Irvin Lin
    Best Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp bake the crisp
    Irvin Lin
  7. Cool and serve:

    Let the crisp cool at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving, to allow the filling to thicken a bit. Serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

    This crisp is best eaten the same day but you can store it in the fridge after it has completely cooled, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days (the crisp topping will soften, but still be delicious). Warm up in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.