Sweet, juicy strawberries and tangy, vibrant rhubarb bake beneath a crisp, buttery oat topping for an easy spring dessert bursting with bright flavor.
Literally easier than pie and requires minimal prep.
Why this Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Recipe Works
- Quick & Easy: This crisp comes together in about 15 minutes of prep.
- Crisp & Chew Topping: Thanks to brown sugar’s light molasses flavor.
- Make-ahead Friendly: The fruit filling can be prepped in advance and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.
- All the Flavors: The tangy acidity of rhubarb is balanced by sweet strawberries, while the buttery oat topping adds warmth and crunch.
- Versatile. Use this crisp as a base for other fruits too—and playing with the topping - try citrus zest, warm spices, or chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.
Using both strawberries and rhubarb creates a more complex flavor for the fruit filling.
Yep, I’m sharing a strawberry rhubarb recipe in mid-fall. Cause I just moved to LA. And the farmers markets here are still overloaded with marvelous berry bounty and I found a farm that grows rhubarb here year round!
So enjoy your pumpkin-spiced everything recipes elsewhere while I celebrate my new endless summer situation in SoCal with this strawberry rhubarb crisp!
Secret-tip if you’re ever over, my wifi password officially is: endlesssummer.
Seriously though, it’s really surprised me how much produce I think of as seasonal that LA has year round. I’m talking at the farmer’s markets friend. Not flown in from the other side of the world. Beginning of November cherry tomatoes, berries and stone fruit are all still going strong!
When is Rhubarb Season?
Rhubarb is in peak season in California from April through June.
The arrival of rhubarb at the farmers market signals the start of spring.
Buying: Look for firm, crisp stalks with vibrant color. Thinner stalks are often sweeter, more tender and less stringy than thicker ones.
Storing: Keep unwashed rhubarb loosely wrapped in the refrigerator crisper for up to one week.
Prepping: Trim and discard the leaves before using. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid and are not safe to eat.
Food tastes best grown in its own season.
How to Make this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Toss chopped strawberries and rhubarb with sugar, flour, and spices, then spread the fruit into a baking dish or oven-safe skillet.
Mix together the oat topping and sprinkle it evenly over the fruit. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden, crisp and irresistible.
Enjoy these in-process pics for easy cooking.
Cooks Tips
- Quality matters: Buy local, seasonal strawberries and rhubarb when possible.
- For best results, be sure to use old-fashioned oats and not the quick cooking kind.
- Remember to let your butter soften to room temperature so you can easily mix it with the topping ingredients.
- If the topping browns too quickly: Loosely cover the crisp with foil and continue baking.
- This crisp is best served warm, with vanilla ice cream.
- Leftovers can be eaten for breakfast, with yogurt - or another scoop of ice cream.
Stoked on Strawberry & Rhubarb Desserts? I got ya! Check out my Strawberry Snack Cake, Roasted Strawberries, Rhubarb Tart, Vanilla Poached Rhubarb, Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake and Almond Rhubarb Cake!
Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #chefdanielagerson. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!
Let's make waves in the kitchen!
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Strawberry-Rhubarb Filling
- 2 pounds rhubarb cut into small pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1 pound strawberries hulled and halved (about 4 cups)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- zest & juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
Crisp Topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons butter room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Toss well and pour into a baking dish or oven-safe skillet.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the softened butter and mix with your fingers or a pastry cutter until large crumbly clusters form.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the fruit.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving so the filling thickens.
Notes
- Quality matters! Buy local and organic strawberries and rhubarb when possible.
- For best results, be sure to use old-fashioned oats and not the quick cooking kind.
- Remember to let your butter soften to room temperature so you can easily mix it with the other topping ingredients.
- If the topping is starting to get too brown but you want to continue cooking the crisp, simply cover with foil
- This crisp is best served warm, with vanilla ice cream.
- Leftovers can be eaten for breakfast, with yogurt (or ice cream too if that’s your jam).
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