Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Print View)
Juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb baked beneath a crisp oat topping—ideal warm with vanilla ice cream.
# What You Need:
→ Fruit Filling
01 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
02 - 2 cups rhubarb, diced (about 2-3 stalks)
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
05 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
→ Crisp Topping
07 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
08 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
09 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat 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, toss the sliced strawberries and diced rhubarb with granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until evenly coated. Spread the mixture in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
04 - Sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the fruit filling, covering the surface completely.
05 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown and crisp.
06 - Allow the crisp to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The contrast of jammy, tart fruit against a shattering, buttery oat lid is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes at the table.
- It forgives almost every mistake you could throw at it, which means you can relax and actually enjoy your own dinner party.
02 -
- Underbaking is the most common pitfall because the topping looks done before the fruit juices have properly thickened, so always wait for thick bubbles at the edges.
- Cornstarch needs heat to activate, so if you pull it out too early you will have a thin watery filling no matter how much you used.
03 -
- Toss the fruit filling right before assembling because rhubarb releases water fast and you do not want a puddle before it even hits the oven.
- Keep one or two larger butter clumps in the topping because those melt into crisp islands that everyone fights over.