Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Crisp is sweet and tangy with a hint of mandarin orange and buttery oat crumb topping. It’s an easy summer dessert sure to please!
Rhubarb is so old school, that I think it had gone completely out of fashion by my youth. But a little while ago I discovered it at my favorite garden center and wanted to try growing it (and eating it). We planted two well-established rhubarb plants and began experimenting with recipes.
The first thing I made was this strawberry rhubarb pudding and it started a love affair with rhubarb’s tart flavor.
I loved it so much that we planted 4 more plants so I could make ALL THE RHUBARB! Sadly, it has not thrived in our garden and just one, abundant plant has survived. Luckily, rhubarb is making a comeback so I can easily find it in grocery stores in my area now. (Although I am determined to find the perfect location in my yard to try growing it again!)
Rhubarb is a very humble vegetable that works best in recipes that use sugar, such as jams and dessert recipes, but it also makes a nice addition to strawberry lemonade and quick bread. It’s that little pop of tart flavor that can keep sweet foods balanced and not cloyingly sweet.
One of the most popular ways to use rhubarb is in a crisp, so I decided to put my stamp on this classic dessert. It’s easier than pie and perfect with homemade vanilla ice cream, so it’s a natural treat for the long days of summer.
There’s something very homey and romantic about this rhubarb crisp recipe. I’ve added a little mandarin orange to bring some natural sweetness to the dessert, but overall it’s a recipe that you can imagine your great grandmother serving. It has a simple filling sweetened with brown sugar and thickened with flour and the crunchy topping is made with oats, almonds and butter.
But as easy as this recipe is to bake, it’s two years in the making.
One of the downfalls of rhubarb is that it contains a lot of moisture, so achieving a thick filling with the perfect crisp took some trial and error. The rhubarb has to cook into a syrupy sauce that doesn’t ruin the crunch of the oat topping.
I played around with the ratio of ingredients and the type of baking dish. In the end, I learned that a smaller, deep dish bakes better than a wide shallow baker. Even better if it’s ceramic like this Williams Sonoma pie plate. Rather than a shallow amount of filling and crisp, the two thick layers make the bottom bubbly and the top crumbly.
Nothing too showy here, just classic home style baking… but I guarantee there won’t be leftovers!!!! It’s sweet and tangy and the crunch holds up nicely against melty ice cream!
Tips for baking the perfect rhubarb crisp:
- Smaller, newer rhubarb stalks are more tender. However, I’ve never purchased rhubarb at the grocery store that wasn’t amazingly tender despite the size. However my homegrown rhubarb can be a little chewy later in the season.
- Although red rhubarb is more popular, you can use the green parts too. They taste the same!
- You don’t need to peel the rhubarb despite many old recipes calling for this method.
- I like to bake my rhubarb crisp until the rhubarb has nearly cooked to mush..this takes about 40 minutes. However, many people like their rhubarb as pictured here with a little tooth. That only takes about 30-35 minutes of baking.
- Rhubarb crisp can be stored on the counter for a short amount of time, but it will keep 3 to 5 days if stored in the refrigerator. It also reheats very well in a toaster oven!
- Do not eat the leaves which contain oxalic acid and are poisonous.
- Although you can make the crisp with a food processor, I prefer to make this recipe the old fashioned way (like I do with my fool proof pie crust) by hand with a pastry cutter. It’s less dishes to wash!
- I keep seeing the question “can I use frozen rhubarb” on Google. I’ve never encountered it frozen in a store so I’m not sure where this frozen rhubarb is coming from. But like any other fruit/veggie, frozen rhubarb would be much more watery than fresh. Maybe add a little more flour? But in general, I suggest using fresh fruit for baking due to the moisture issue.
- On that subject, I can imagine an overzealous gardener picking all their fresh rhubarb and freezing it for later. You can kill a rhubarb plant by over picking the stalks! This is especially true of young plants.
Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Filling
- 6 cups rhubarb , diced
- 1 mandarin orange (either clementine or tangerine will work!)
- 1 tablespoon butter , cut into small pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
Crumble
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1-1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 7 tablespoons butter , cut into small cubes and kept very cold
Instructions
Filling
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Place the diced rhubarb into a bowl, then zest mandarin into the bowl. Peel the mandarin and chop the segments.
- Add the mandarin, butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar and flour to the rhubarb and toss to combine. Set aside.
Crumble
- In a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, almonds, flour, and salt then mix thoroughly.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until a pea sized crumble forms.
- Place the filling in a 9 inch pie plate then top with crumble.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, then let cool for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Smaller, newer rhubarb stalks are more tender. However, I've never purchased rhubarb at the grocery store that wasn't amazingly tender despite the size. However my homegrown rhubarb can be a little chewy later in the season.
- Although red rhubarb is more popular, you can use the green parts too. They taste the same!
- You don't need to peel the rhubarb despite many old recipes calling for this method.
- I like to bake my rhubarb crisp until the rhubarb has nearly cooked to mush..this takes about 40 minutes. However, many people like their rhubarb as pictured here with a little tooth. That only takes about 30-35 minutes of baking.
- Rhubarb crisp can be stored on the counter for a short amount of time, but it will keep 3 to 5 days if stored in the refrigerator. It also reheats very well in a toaster oven!
- Do not eat the leaves which contain oxalic acid and are poisonous.
- Although you can make the crisp with a food processor, I prefer to make this recipe the old fashioned way (like I do with my fool proof pie crust) by hand with a pastry cutter. It's less dishes to wash!
- I keep seeing the question "can I use frozen rhubarb" on Google. I've never encountered it frozen in a store so I'm not sure where this frozen rhubarb is coming from. But like any other fruit/veggie, frozen rhubarb would be much more watery than fresh. Maybe add a little more flour? But in general, I suggest using fresh fruit for baking due to the moisture issue.
- On that subject, I can imagine an overzealous gardener picking all their fresh rhubarb and freezing it for later. You can kill a rhubarb plant by over picking the stalks! This is especially true of young plants.
- See in process photos within the blog post!
Nutrition
Love this recipe? Leave a comment below!
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Michelle says
I don’t know if there is anything better than a good rhubarb crisp! It’s one of my favourite desserts. This one looks lovely, and I love that you added some clementine too. Can’t wait to make this x
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Michelle!
Tatiana says
Gorgeous crisp lady! And stunning photos, per usual! This might become THE Rhubarb recipe for me. So thank you :)
Vintage Kitty says
You’re so sweet Tatiana. Hope you love the recipe!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Yum! I should try this Rhubarb Crisp. That Mandarin Orange you added surely gave a heavenly taste. Thanks for sharing!
Vintage Kitty says
You’re welcome Maggie!
Chef Dennis says
I am so loving this one! It’s a marvelous idea to pair this in Vanilla Ice cream. Can’t wait to try it.
Vintage Kitty says
Can you eat a crisp without ice cream? Enjoy Chef!
Michelle says
Adding the mandarin to this is brilliant! What a great flavor combo. I love rhubarb crisp. Two thumbs up on this recipe.
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Michelle. Strawberry is the standard addition but any sweet fruit will bring dimension to the tang of the rhubarb.
Anna says
Rhubarb and citrus, one of these super-tasty combos I will never get tired of! This crisp looks so delicious, especially when topped with some ice cream! I can almost smell it from here! It would disappear very quickly in our house!
Vintage Kitty says
The scent is so good Anna. I could bake just for the way it makes the house smell. I don’t think anyone has ever said that about cauliflower lol!
Kate says
What a beautiful dessert! I didn’t realize the red and green part of rhubarb taste the same so I was happy to learn I can use both parts when cooking. Thanks for the great rhubarb tips!
Vintage Kitty says
Kate, I think rhubarb recipe pictures online are somewhat misleading. I’m guessing many of the photographed recipes contain strawberry whether or not it’s in the recipe.
Even the most red varieties are usually green at the top. If you grow it or buy fresh stalks at a farm market, the tops will be green and the inside is green. The rhubarb I find in my local grocery stores is packaged and only contains the reddest parts of the stalk. But even that won’t produce a vibrant red filling.
Jacqueline Debono says
You are so lucky having homegrown rhubarb. I have tried to grow it but without success, plus it’s not so widely available here in Italy! But, next time I find some def trying your rhubarb crisp recipe. It looks divine! Pinning for later!
Vintage Kitty says
Jacqueline, I too have had trouble growing rhubarb. From what I’ve learned, it takes very fertile soil and lots of water. It doesn’t like overcrowding and despite the oxalic acid, beatles love to chew up the leaves. My one surviving plant is in full sun, but I feel like it would do better in partial shade.
If you try planting rhubarb again, choose an area that gets lots of water (like near a downspout) and dig a big hole and add compost and maybe peat to make the soil lighter. That’s what I plan to do next time I give it another try.
Leanne says
I made my first rhubarb crisp this summer and it was a huge hit. I love that you added a mandarin orange to the rhubarb filling! Such a unique and delicious combo! Can’t wait to give this one a try!
Vintage Kitty says
Once you have it, you’re hooked!
Jenna says
Love the mandarin orange with the rhubarb! What a unique twist on a rhubarb recipe. I hope you can find a better spot to grow your own next season!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Jenna! Me too!
lauren says
I am drooling over here! That crunchy almond crumble is everything! This is the perfect summer dessert, especially while rhubarb season is happening!
Vintage Kitty says
Ah yes, you’re up north so you have a bit more time! Enjoy it while it lasts Lauren!
Natalie says
I have a fridge full of rhubarb from my mothers garden. I didn’t quite know how to use it till now. This is perfect recipe to make and to enjoy with my afternoon tea. Delicious!
Vintage Kitty says
A fridge full of riches! Enjoy Natalie!
Jewel says
I would have given this recipe 4-5 stars but I (and the family) found it way too salty! I think half the salt in both the filling and the topping would suffice, along with using unsalted butter as called for. But the texture and flavours and proportions seemed lovely otherwise.
Vintage Kitty says
Hi Jewel. Thank you for your comment. Salt is a very personal preference…but I’ll admit I like more rather than less. Just curious, did you use sea salt or iodized table salt? Because iodized salt is more salty than sea salt.
Cole Anderson says
This Rhubarb Crisp with ice cream touch looks amazing, it’s definitely going on my list of desserts to make! It was so nice stumbling across your blog this morning, I enjoyed all the wonderful treats you shared with us!
Vintage Kitty says
You’re welcome Cole!