When rhubarb is in season, embrace the tang in a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp! A fruit crisp is the simplest summer dessert, and irresistible when served warm with a scoop of ice cream. It can also be easily made vegan.

As soon as summer rolls around, one of the first things I have to make is a fruit crisp — it’s one of those old-fashioned, homey desserts that appeal to my desire for sensible ease, and one that can easily satisfy a crowd. Who can resist warm fruit filling mingled with a crumb topping in a pool of melting ice cream?

I dare you to try!

Plus, there’s no crust to crimp, and you don’t even need an appliance — one bowl and my hands (or a pastry cutter aka dough blender!) is all you need to whip up a crisp. You can even make it in advance, making it ideal for entertaining.

You can make a crisp out of virtually any fruit, but there’s something extra special about strawberry rhubarb crisp, its sweet and tangy jeweled fruit peeking underneath a crunchy topping! One bite and you’ll try to convince yourself to plant rhubarb in the garden, just so you can have rhubarb at the ready…at least that’s what I do.

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISP

Fruit crisps like Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp are one of the easiest summer desserts you can make, and one of my favorites to whip up. It’s easier than a pie, but equally delicious when served a la mode.

1. To make the crisp, you simply toss the strawberry and rhubarb in a bowl with some sugar and cornstarch. The sugar will sweeten the fruit, much like a jam, and the cornstarch will help thicken the juices so the filling is not too runny.

2. Make the topping by combining the flour, sugar, and butter — I like to use a pastry cutter or even my fingers, but you can also use a food processor if you wish. Simply cut the butter into the flour until you have coarse crumbs. Then add the oats and cinnamon and sprinkle over the fruit. If you want to make the crisp vegan-friendly, simply swap out the butter for your favorite vegan butter (mine is from Miyoko’s!).

3. Bake the crisp until the topping is browned and the fruit underneath is bubbling. Serve warm with ice cream!

IS RHUBARB A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE?

Rhubarb is a stalky vegetable but is most often used in desserts and treated like a fruit. However, it can be used in savory dishes, as well, its tangy flavor lending itself well to either kind of dish!

MORE RHUBARB RECIPES TO TRY

Rhubarb is such a versatile vegetable, its sour flavor tamed with sugar and when combined with other fruit. Here are some more rhubarb recipes to try!

Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Rhubarb Empanadas
Rhubarb-Wine BBQ Sauce
Rhubarb Cake

MORE SUMMER RECIPES TO TRY

For more summer recipe inspiration, consider these recipes:

Blueberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Blueberry Crisp
Grilled Halloumi Blueberry Salad
Blueberry Goat Cheese Scones
Avocado Corn Tomato Salad

• Spring Chef Dough Blender, Top Professional Pastry Cutter with Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Blades (Black-Medium)
• Emile Henry Made In France 9 Inch Pie Dish, Flour
• Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Vegan-friendly)

When rhubarb is in season, embrace the tang in a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp! A fruit crisp is the simplest summer dessert, and irresistible when served warm with a scoop of ice cream. It can also be easily made vegan.

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 358kcal

Author Liren Baker

Ingredients

Filling

• ▢ 3 cups rhubarb fresh or frozen, chopped in 1 inch pieces
• ▢ 2 cups strawberries hulled and sliced in half
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Topping

• ▢ 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter if vegan, use vegan butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup rolled oats (regular oatmeal)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

COOK MODEPrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven. Butter a shallow baking dish (pie pan or 8x8 brownie pan) and set aside.
• Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch, and toss to mix. Put in prepared baking dish.
• Make the topping by combining flour, sugar and (vegan) butter and mix with pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until it looks like course crumbs.
• Add oats and cinnamon and mix. Spread topping evenly over fruit and pat down gently with your fingertips.
• Bake until the top is light brown and crisp and the fruit it bubbling, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream (non-dairy, if desired).

Notes

Make ahead:

You can easily assemble the topping or the whole crisp in advance. Cover tightly and place in the freezer until you are ready to bake. That makes one less thing to worry about when you’re entertaining!

Make it vegan:

Fruit crisps are one of the easiest desserts to make vegan. Simply substitute the butter for your favorite vegan butter (I especially love using Miyoko's vegan butter, which is available at most major grocery stores). Serve with non-dairy ice cream.

Can I use frozen rhubarb and strawberries?

Yes, absolutely. This can come in handy when rhubarb is not in season and you are craving rhubarb. Frozen strawberries can be used, however, it is challenging to slice frozen strawberries in half, so you may have to settle for large fruit in your crisp. For this reason, I recommend sticking with froze strawberries as much as possible.

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 33.1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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