Strawberry rhubarb crisp: three words that perfectly describe my own personal summertime addiction. Strawberries and rhubarb are such a perfect combination and a warm crisp is just the best way you can have them. Soft and jammy, the tangy cooked fruits are topped with a sweet and buttery maple oat crisp. The contrast between soft and crunchy is really irresistible.
Since I moved to Sweden the beginning of rhubarb season has always meant that summer is finally here. It’s not always so obvious, as rhubarb generally starts out when the nights are still pretty cool, but the promise of summer is just round the corner.
Strawberries are usually peak summer stuff. Strawberry and rhubarb together pretty much sum up Swedish summer in a nutshell. Every café, every household bakes strawberry rhubarb crisps around June. If you love this stuff, this might be the best time to visit Sweden for you, then.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Rhubarb & Strawberries are the main ingredients. You can either use them fresh or thawed. If using frozen thawing is recommended.
- Sugar is needed both in the fruit filling (rhubarb is tart!) and in the crisp. Sub with your favourite alternative for a sugar-free version.
- Potato starch is needed to absorb some of the juice for the fruits and thicken the filling. Sub with corn starch.
- Butter goes in the crisp, this is the only ingredient with animal origin, so choose a plant-based butter to make this crisp vegan.
- Maple syrup can be subbed with golden syrup.
- Vanilla complements the sweet flavours but you can skip it if you don0t have any,
- Rolled oats (oatmeal) are the main ingredient in the crisp.
- Flour thickens the crisp. Use a gluten-free flour if you need to make it without gluten.
How to make strawberry rhubarb crisp
- Clean and cut the rhubarb and strawberries into small pieces about the same size. Add the sugar and potato starch and stir to distribute. Spread fruit mixture over the bottom of a pyrex or ceramic tart pan.
- Melt the butter and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Combine rolled oats, sugar and flour and pour butter mixture in. Stir to combine.
- Transfer crisp batter over the fruits and gently spread all over. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes at 180°C. The butter and sugar will melt, creating a lovely crunchy top.
Recipe FAQs & tips
Do you have to peel rhubarb?
As a general rule, no. Especially if the stalks are young and thin, the filaments around them will be rather soft. Thicker stalks from older plants may be harder so you can choose to peel them. To peel rhubarb just pull the outer “skin” throughout the lengths of each stalk. However, this may mean removing the red parts, which you may want to keep for the sake of colour. Oven time will help break them down quite a bit and the final result does not feel fibrous even if you choose not to peel you stalks.
Why is my rhubarb crisp runny?
This may occur especially if using thawed fruit, but even fresh may be quite watery, especially the strawberries. The filling of your crisp may appear runny as soon as it comes out of the oven. Using potato starch helps turn the juices into jelly, this will occur as the crisp sets. If you notice that you crisp is too runny to serve at once, just let it set and chill. As a general rule a chilled crisp is easier to cut and portion out, while a warm crisp straight out of the oven is more difficult to portion and might be best enjoyed directly from the pan.
How long can I store it?
Keep your strawberry rhubarb crisp in its pan covered with cling film. Store refrigerated for up to 5 days. If you wish to have your rhubarb crisp warm, microwave it in single portions and keep the rest in the fridge.
You may also like
- Strawberry rhubarb Bellini
- Pear ginger crisp
- Rhubarb G&T
- Rhubarb and redcurrant syrup
- Strawberry Limoncello tiramisù
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Strawberry rhubarb crisp
Ingredients
Fruit base
- 275 g rhubarb
- 200 g strawberries
- 55 g sugar
- 1/2 tbsp potato starch
Oat crisp
- 150 g butter
- 50 ml maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 115 g rolled oats
- 165 g sugar
- 90 g flour
Instructions
- Clean and cut the rhubarb and strawberries into small pieces about the same size. Add the sugar and potato starch and stir to distribute. Spread fruit mixture over the bottom of a pyrex or ceramic tart pan.
- Melt the butter and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Combine rolled oats, sugar and flour and pour butter mixture in. Stir to combine.
- Transfer crisp batter over the fruits and gently spread all over. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes at 180°C.
