This rhubarb crisp is naturally gluten-free when you use certified gluten-free oat products, and since it’s made with coconut sugar, it’s also lower-glycemic, when compared to a crisp made with white sugar. (So it shouldn’t spike your blood sugar as much!) Using coconut oil keeps it dairy-free, making this recipe vegan friendly, too.
What’s the Difference Between a Crisp and a Crumble?
Crisp and Crumble desserts both have fruit on the bottom and a buttery pastry-like topping. If the topping contains oats, you call it a crisp, and if it doesn’t contain oats, you call it a crumble. The oats get toasted as the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp bakes in the oven, giving it more of a “crispy” topping than if you were to use only flour.
Tip: If you need a crisp recipe that doesn’t use oats, be sure to try my Healthy Apple Crisp, Blueberry Crisp, or Peach Crisp. Similar to crisps and crumbles, cobbler is typically made with a biscuit topping, and it’s dropped onto the fruit so that it bubbles up around the topping as it cooks– creating a look that is reminiscent of a “cobbled” road.
Do you Have to Peel Rhubarb?
No, you don’t have to peel rhubarb! Sometimes it can be stringy, which you can peel off as you chop, but if you use a sharp knife, it should cut right through the rhubarb, peel and all.
To make this rhubarb crisp, you’ll cut the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces. If the rhubarb stems are very wide, sometimes I’ll cut the stems in half lengthwise first, so they are more manageable to work with.
Is Green Rhubarb Okay to Eat?
There’s no need to be alarmed if your rhubarb is green. Surprisingly, there isn’t much of a flavor difference between red and green rhubarb. (Though, red rhubarb does make for a very pretty look in this crisp.) If your rhubarb is red at the bottom and green towards the top, I find that the flavor can be slightly more tart, but the combination of sweet and tart flavors in this crisp is pretty perfect!
Be sure that you don’t eat any rhubarb leaves, as they may be poisonous.
How to Make It
This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp couldn’t be easier to make. Just add the strawberries and rhubarb to the bottom of a baking dish, and toss them with sugar, arrowroot start (which helps absorb their juices), and vanilla.
Top the fruit with a simple topping of oats, oat flour, sugar, and coconut oil, to help it all stick together. If you don’t need a dairy-free crisp, you can use melted butter instead of the oil. Then it bakes in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the fruit is very tender and the topping is golden. You’ll want to let it cool slightly before serving, then I like to top it with ice cream for a summery treat.
Does Rhubarb Crisp have to be refrigerated?
Since this recipe is made with fresh fruit, you’ll want to keep any leftovers covered and refrigerated for later. Moist desserts like this one (with the fruit on the bottom) will be prone to spoil if you leave them out on the counter too long, so I recommend keeping it chilled if you’re not going to serve it within 2 hours. You can always reheat it again if you need to!
If you try this strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience. – Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite summer dessert? My other favorites include banana ice cream and No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars!
