Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Printable)
Sweet-tart strawberry and rhubarb topped with a crisp oat-butter crumble, best served warm with ice cream.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fruit Filling
01 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
02 - 2 cups rhubarb, diced (about 2–3 stalks)
03 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
05 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
06 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
→ Crisp Topping
07 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
08 - ¾ cup all-purpose flour
09 - ½ cup packed light brown sugar
10 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
11 - ¼ tsp kosher salt
12 - ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square or round baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced strawberries and diced rhubarb with granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Toss gently until the fruit is evenly coated, then spread the mixture in a uniform layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold diced butter and cut it in using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs with no dry flour remaining.
04 - Scatter the oat topping evenly over the fruit filling, covering the entire surface. Avoid pressing the topping down to maintain a light, crisp texture.
05 - Place the dish on the center rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges and the topping has turned a deep golden brown.
06 - Remove from the oven and let the crisp rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This allows the fruit filling to set slightly. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast of jammy, bubbling fruit against that shattering, buttery oat crown is the kind of texture drama that makes people close their eyes on the first bite.
- It forgives you freely, use a little more of this, a little less of that, and it still emerges from the oven looking like a magazine cover.
02 -
- Warm fruit straight from the oven looks like soup, give it ten to fifteen minutes and the juices thicken into glossy perfection.
- Cold butter truly matters here, I once used room temperature butter and the topping spread into a flat, sad blanket instead of craggy, golden rubble.
03 -
- Taste your fruit before measuring the sugar, early season strawberries and rhubarb sometimes need an extra tablespoon or two to reach that perfect sweet tart balance.
- Resist overmixing the topping, those irregular lumps of butter are what create the irresistible mix of crunchy and chewy bits.