Made with fresh fruit, this strawberry rhubarb crumble brings a burst of flavor with every bite, balancing the sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb beautifully. Topped with a crunchy pecan and oatmeal streusel, this dessert is as easy to make as it is delicious to eat. Served warm with ice cream, this is the ultimate summer dessert.
Spring Means Strawberry Rhubarb Desserts
Fresh spring strawberries and rhubarb are topped with a buttery pecan streusel topping that is mixed with oatmeal creating a wonderful topping to absorb the juices of these amazing fruits. When combined, you get sweet, tart and crunchy.
Fruit crisps and crumbles are some of my favorite desserts to make because the flavor of the fresh fruit really shines. It’s always a hit whether you’re serving juicy burgers or a fancier chicken in puff pastry.
And of course, it doesn’t hurt that they’re topped with a buttery streusel and pair perfectly with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. It’s a combination that never gets old. You’ll see it in homemade jam, and sweet streusel muffins.
When it’s Spring in North Carolina, strawberries are showing up everywhere. We have a pretty short growing season but they’re so sweet! Rhubarb is another story, it doesn’t grow that well here so we have to mostly rely on it from cooler climates. With this tart fruit, a slightly sweet topping is a great way to compliment the tartness.
This crumble is so simple to make that you really can’t mess it up. I can assemble the entire thing while my oven preheats. And while the fruit is delicious, the topping is everyone’s favorite part, it’s buttery and crunchy. What’s not to love!
The tart flavor of the rhubarb is offset by the sweetness of the strawberries and crumble. You’ll still need sugar but not as much as if you were just using rhubarb.
You’ll find that rhubarb produces a lot of liquid when it’s cooked and when combined with juicy strawberries, you can end up with fruit soup. There are a couple of things you can do to reduce the liquid in the strawberry rhubarb filling.
First add the sugar to the cut rhubarb and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then drain all the rhubarb juice out. This is a crucial step for this recipe. You’ll also need to add some cornstarch. The final step is the crispy crumble on top. This helps absorb some of the liquid.
More often than not, people use crisp and crumble interchangeably. For some reason I’ve always called this a crumble although it’s technically a strawberry rhubarb crisp because it has oats in the topping.
This is going to be your go-to Spring Dessert
- The spiced oat crumble has pecans for extra crunch
- It has the flavor of a pie but you don’t have to make a pie crust
- The amazing crumble on top creates a delicious dessert
- The flavor of in-season tart rhubarb and strawberries can’t be beat
- It tastes great served cold or warm with vanilla ice cream
Just a Few Ingredients
A full list of ingredients can be found below in the Recipe Card.
Strawberries – use fresh strawberries if you can; if not, substitute frozen ones, let them thaw and drain. You’ll use about 3 ½ to 4 cups of strawberries.
Rhubarb – once chopped, about 3 cups of rhubarb equals 1 pound. When choosing rhubarb try to find rhubarb stalks that are firm, the color doesn’t matter. Remember to discard the leaves which are poisonous.
Lemon juice – citrus adds a tangy flavor. If you’d like, you can substitute orange juice for lemon juice. Or add a bit of lemon zest or orange zest for even more zing.
Cornstarch – needed to thicken the fruit juices .
Rolled oats – I prefer the rolled variety, also called Old Fashioned Oats, rather than quick or instant.
How to make rhubarb crumble with oats
Step 1: Prepare the fruit
For the filling, combine the sugars in a medium bowl. Chop the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces, then place it in a large bowl. Sprinkle it with part of the sugar mixture and toss to combine. Let it sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl toss the chopped strawberries with the remaining sugar and let it sit.
Step 2: Add to baking dish
Use a slotted spoon and remove the rhubarb from its bowl and add it to the strawberries. Discard the rhubarb juice. Combine the cornstarch with the lemon juice and vanilla, then add it to the strawberry-rhubarb mixture. Stir it all together and pour it into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Or, for a more rustic-looking classic crumble, you can bake it in a 12’ cast iron skillet.
Step 3: Make the topping
If you don’t have a food processor, use a pastry cutter. Add the oats and pecans.
Use your hands to form the topping into clumps and sprinkle it over the fruit.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature and bake for another 30 minutes until the fruit is bubbly. If the top starts to get too brown, tent it with aluminum foil.
Pro Tip: If your baking dish is shallow, place a sheet pan lined with foil underneath it to catch any drips that result from the bubbling fruit juice.
Top the warm rhubarb and strawberry crumble with vanilla ice cream or pour cream over it. It’s fantastic eaten warm.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble/Crisp with a Buttery Pecan Topping
Ingredients
FILLING
- 2 lbs rhubarb chopped, fresh/frozen
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 lb strawberries quartered
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamon optional
TOPPING
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º.
- Combine brown and white sugar. Place cut rhubarb in a bowl and add ¾ cup of the sugar mixture. Toss to combine and let sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl add the cut strawberries and toss with the remaining sugar and let sit.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the rhubarb to the bowl of strawberries, and throw out the rhubarb juice. Add cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla to the mixture, stirring and pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
TOPPING:
- Using a food processor or a pastry cutter add butter to flour, sugar and salt and process until you have small pea size pieces of butter. Add oats and combine then add pecans. Use your hands to form the topping into clumps and scatter it over the fruit.
- Bake for 30 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 325º and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the fruit is bubbly. If the top starts to get too brown, tent it with aluminum foil.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Place a cookie sheet under the baking dish to catch any drips as the fruit mixture bubbles.
- You can substitute frozen rhubarb.
- If using frozen strawberries, drain the juice from the strawberries.
- You can make this in individual ramekins.
Nutrition
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