Try this easy rhuabrb crisp recipe if you need a simple and quick dessert for spring. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate treat - and it's perfect for Easter, too!
1stick cold buttercubed (1 stick = 8 tablespoons or ½ cup)
Instructions
Prep: Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a ~2 quart casserole dish.
Make rhubarb filling: Combine all ingredients for the rhubarb filling in a large bowl. Evenly spread in the prepared casserole dish.
Make topping: Combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until crumbs form.
Finish and bake: Evenly scatter the crumb topping over the rhubarb filling. Bake in the hot oven for around 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Allow to sit on the counter for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes
Rhubarb: You can use frozen rhubarb in place of the fresh. Measure while frozen, then thaw completely! I recommend carefully draining the thawed rhubarb, but do not squeeze it. Be very careful when tossing with the other ingredients. If the thawed rhubarb feels very wet, add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.
Oats: I always use quick oats because I like the texture in a crisp better vs old fashioned oats. If you only have old fashioned oats, the crisp topping will have a coarser texture and won’t come together as nicely. You can pulse old fashioned oats in a food processor 2-3 times to chop them up a little.
Butter: Make sure your butter is fridge-cold when using it in this recipe for best results. If you need to use margarine in place of the butter, please only use stick margarine and not a buttery spread. The crumble topping will not work with a spread.
Cornstarch: I prefer cornstarch in the filling over flour, because it mixes better with the juices. If you only have flour on hand, feel free to use it in the filling, but make sure it sticks to the rhubarb and doesn’t all drop to the bottom of the dish – else you will have a thick coating of flour on the bottom of your crisp.
Recipe tips
Make sure to thoroughly cut the butter into the dry ingredients for the topping. The final texture should resemble a thicker, crumbly oatmeal cookie dough. Otherwise, the topping will be sandy/taste of plain flour.
Depending on the water content of your rhubarb, you may need to add more cornstarch to the filling. If you have very overgrown garden rhubarb, I recommend adding an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.
Do not skip the 10 minute rest before serving, even if it's tempting to dig right in. This will help the rhubarb filling to thicken as it slightly cools.
Do not cut back on the sugar in this recipe. Rhubarb is tart and really does need the sweetness.
Store leftover crisp covered on the counter for 1-2 days.