Rhubarb Crisp

5 from 4 votes

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This Easy Rhubarb Crisp recipe is made with no other fruit and topped with an oatmeal topping. Baked to perfection, this is one of my favorite rhubarb recipes! It’s perfect with ice cream on top.

closeup of homemade rhubarb crisp on white plate with scoop of vanilla ice cream
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Rhubarb Crisp

It’s not too sweet yet hits the spot on a warm evening when you want something crunchy and a little fruity with some vanilla bean ice cream.

I love that this recipe uses no other fruit but rhubarb, and that really helps to highlight all that rhubarb goodness. You are going to love this recipe.

collage image of how to make homemade rhubarb crisp

Is Rhubarb Poisonous?

Fun fact… rhubarb leaves are poisonous. While it would take ingesting roughly 10 pounds of leaves to kill an average-size adult, small amounts will make you sick. Be sure to keep livestock and chickens out of your rhubarb patch, too — it’s not good for them either. Have no fear; the stalks are just fine.

chopped rhubarb in clear glass bowl

Recipe Ingredients:

  • Rhubarb crisp is so simple. For the fruit part, you’ll need:
  • Chopped rhubarb: Of course, this is the star of the show! You can use any type you have available to you (red or green) and frozen rhubarb works great too.
  • Sugar: Sugars sweetens the tart fruit.
  • Cornstarch: This will thicken the fruit mixture so it’s more gooey than runny, in the most delicious way!
  • And for the topping, you’ll need:
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar allows the crisp to almost caramelize and get really pretty and golden.
  • White sugar: White sugar adds another element of sweet.
  • Flour: Flour holds everything together and thickens the topping like a crunchy crust.
  • Oats: The oats will add a nice textured element.
  • Pecans: Pecans are optional, or you can use another favorite nut like walnuts.
  • Vanilla: Vanilla brings a soothing warmth to the sweet and tart flavors.
  • Melted butter: Melted butter acts as the liquid that turns the crust into a batter that crisps up nicely as it bakes.
mixing bowl with chopped pecans brown sugar and oats

How to Make Rhubarb Crisp:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 8×8-inch baking dish or 4-6 individual ramekins with cooking spray.
  2. Combine chopped rhubarb, sugar, and cornstarch, and stir to combine.
  3. Combine the sugars, flour, oats, and pecans in another bowl; stir with fork to combine.
  4. Add vanilla and melted butter; stir until no dry powder is left.
  5. Place rhubarb mixture in your baking dish. Place the crisp topping on top of the rhubarb in the dish.
  6. Cook for 18 to 24 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Let the crisp cool for 5 minutes before serving hot.
rhubarb crisp in baking pan with serving spoon on white towel and white countertop with pecans

Tips for the Best Rhubarb Crisp:

  • Melt the butter: My trick to making the best crisp on the block is to melt the butter and then stir it into the oat mixture. This means that you’ll never have any dry pockets of oats and flour and it bakes up extra crispy.
  • Use any kind of rhubarb: Rhubarb comes in lots of varieties. You’ll generally see red rhubarb, but it also comes in green. All of them taste pretty similar, so just use what you can find.
  • Search for rhubarb in spring: New to the rhubarb scene? Look for it at the farmers marker in mid to late spring. It’s normally one of the first bits of produce you’ll find.
  • Bake in individual ramekins or an 8×8 baking dish: I love serving rhubarb crisp in individual ramekins with a scoop of ice cream on top, but you can also make this recipe in an 8×8 baking dish. Do what you have! Individual is just fun, though, right?
  • Leave out pecans or sub another nut: Not a fan of pecans? Leave them out or sub another nut. I think they are SO good in this crisp.
closeup shot of rhubarb crisp on round white plate with scoop of vanilla ice cream

What is Rhubarb?

It’s tart, like a tart cherry (which is so good in baking) but it cooks down a lot. It’s one of my favorite easy go-to perennials on our farm, and I look forward to it every spring. And fun fact, it’s super high in vitamin C. We like to eat it raw like celery with a bit of salt on it when we aren’t turning it into our favorite rhubarb desserts.

Serving Suggestions:

This is a delicious dessert on its own, or to take it up a notch, pair with fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream!

How to Store a Crisp:

Rhubarb crisp is best served the day it’s made. If you want to store any leftovers, let it cool completely, cover tightly with an airtight lid or plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes.

rhubarb crisp white bowl

More great recipes:

If you’ve tried this oatmeal rhubarb crisp recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories AND add your photo to your comment so that other can see your creation.

rhubarb crisp with scoop of vanilla ice cream and fork
5 from 4 votes

Rhubarb Crisp Recipe (Without Any Other Fruit)

Homemade rhubarb crisp with oatmeal topping. Baked to perfection, this is one of my favorite rhubarb recipes! It’s perfect with ice cream on top.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 24 minutes
Total: 39 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

For the Fruit:

  • 2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Crisp Topping:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup salted butter, melted

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8×8-inch square baking dish or individual ramekins (4 to 6 of them, depending on how big of a serving you want in each) with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the chopped rhubarb, sugar, and cornstarch, and stir to combine.
  • In a second medium bowl, combine the sugars, flour, oats, and pecans. Stir with a fork to combine.
  • Add the vanilla and melted butter, and stir until no dry powder is left.
  • Stir the rhubarb and sugar again and then place it in your baking dish, or divide it evenly among the ramekins. Place the crisp topping on top of the rhubarb in the dish. If you used ramekins, place them on a baking sheet and then transfer them to the hot oven, or put the baking dish straight into the oven. Cook for 18 to 24 minutes, until the crisp is lightly browned and the rhubarb is bubbling around the edges.
  • Let the crisp cool for 5 minutes before serving hot with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Notes

  • This crisp is best enjoyed the same day.
  • You can use red or green rhubarb for this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 6 servings, Calories: 418kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 128mg, Potassium: 255mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 529IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Home cooks agree that quick, easy, and homemade desserts are their favorite and this recipe checks all the boxes. I can’t wait for you to whip up some rhubarb crisp tonight. Don’t forget the ice cream!

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Recipe Rating




16 Comments

  1. I made this with gluten-free flour. It is still in the oven. I added a bit of cinnamon because if it is true the cinnamon helps balance blood sugars than that is a bonus. No pecans in my house right now so did half and and of sliced almonds and walnut pieces. Just doing the dishes now.

  2. 5 stars
    I’m excited to make this! I will have to use frozen rhubarb…hoping it turns out just as yummy! Do I defrost the rhubarb first? Do you have any other suggestions for making this with frozen rhubarb? Thanks so much!!

    1. I thaw mine enough so that I can stir it (so it’s not one giant frozen clump) but it’s still icy, you can do thawed or a little icy, if it’s icy, just let it cook 10 minutes longer or so.