Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
This simple strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe is made with honey, oats and yogurt. It's just as delicious as the rest and healthier, too!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Tart rhubarb balances sweet, jammy strawberry flavor in this irresistible springtime dessert. If you can find rhubarb, you’re in for a treat!
This simple crisp recipe requires only some chopping and stirring and yields delicious results after a 40-minute bake. I’ve modified my original recipe to call for my favorite oat and almond flour-based topping, which happens to be gluten-free.
This flavor combination was inspired by my friend Stephanie. She makes the best strawberry rhubarb pie, and I’m still daydreaming about the pie that inspired this recipe over ten years ago. Stephanie has her flaky pie dough technique down pat and bakes pies for all occasions. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a master pie maker in your life, too.
I am not Stephanie and I do not bake pies. I barely have the foresight or patience to chill pie dough, though I’ve been working on my technique over the years. Crisps are gloriously easy. No waiting. No fuss.
Bring your strawberries and rhubarb home and turn on the oven. This recipe is ready to go! Make it while you can.
What is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is an interesting vegetable in the buckwheat family. It’s in season from mid-spring to early summer. In its raw state, rhubarb is quite sour (the leaves are poisonous, so never eat them or give them to your dog). However, once cooked or baked with a sweetener, it becomes pleasantly tart and irresistible.
I love to sweeten my rhubarb with strawberries and honey, both of which complement the rhubarb. Fortunately, strawberries are in season at the same time as rhubarb. Sweet, red, ripe strawberries and tart rhubarb are a magical combination.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Tips & Notes
This recipe is simple—you’ll find a short video below and the full recipe at the bottom of the post. Before you get started, here are a couple of notes.
Sweetness level
I’ve offered a range of honey so you can adjust the recipe to the sweetness of your strawberries (and your own preferences). You’ll be happy with the lower amount if you generally like tartness and prefer your desserts on the less sweet side. If your strawberries are not particularly flavorful, you may want to use more honey to counter the rhubarb. Remember that adding vanilla ice cream to your bowl will contribute quite a bit of sweetness and temper the tartness, and the crisp will taste sweeter on day two.
Recipe adjustments
This year, I’ve adjusted the recipe to use my almond and oat topping, which is crisp yet tender and just lovely. You’ll find the original crisp topping details in the recipe notes if you have been making this for years and want to stick with the original. I’ve also added a couple of tablespoons of lemon or orange juice to the filling, which ramps up the rhubarb and strawberry flavors. Lastly, I’ve increased the arrowroot starch to make the filling less soupy than shown in these photos, though it was perfectly nice as-is.
Watch How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Recipes to Make Now
Extra rhubarb? Try one of these recipes on Cookie and Kate.
- Almond Cake with Roasted Strawberries & Rhubarb on Top
- Rhubarb Chia Jam
- Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb and Yogurt Parfaits
5 More Crisps to Bake
Start with this strawberry rhubarb in late spring, then cook these fruity crisps this summer.
- Blueberry Crisp
- Dark Cherry Crisp in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 198)
- Mixed Berry Crisp (Gluten Free)
- Peach Crisp
- Plum Crisp
Please let me know how your dessert turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
This simple crisp recipe is bursting with sweet, juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb. Made with honey, oats and yogurt, this crisp is more healthy than most. That said, please serve it with vanilla ice cream for dessert (or yogurt for breakfast)!
Ingredients
Strawberry-Rhubarb Filling
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 pound rhubarb (4 to 6 stalks), cut into ¼ by ½-inch pieces (slice larger stalks in half lengthwise before slicing them into ¼-inch wide pieces)
- ⅓ to ½ cup honey*
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or orange juice
Gluten-free oat and almond topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free for a gluten-free crisp)
- ½ cup packed almond flour
- ⅓ cup lightly packed coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (Greek or regular) or additional melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a 9-inch square baking dish, mix together the strawberries, rhubarb, honey, arrowroot and lemon juice.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the butter and yogurt. Stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture is moistened throughout.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the oat mixture over the filling and use your fingers to break up the mixture until it is evenly distributed (no need to pack it down).
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the filling is actively bubbling around the edges and the top is lightly golden. Let the crisp rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream (I insist!). Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
*Sweetness level note: The sweetness level of this crisp will depend on your fruit. Since rhubarb gets sweeter during the baking process, you can’t really adjust for your desired sweetness before baking. My first crisp was just right with ⅓ cup honey and my second crisp was more tart. If you know you want your crisp to be on the sweet side, go with ½ cup honey. If your baked crisp is sour, keep in mind that serving with ice cream will temper the tartness. Add a drizzle of honey to the finished product if necessary. It will probably taste sweeter the next day.
Make it nut free: Use ¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup oats instead of the oats and almond meal specified above. It will no longer be gluten free.
Edits: On May 20, 2024, I replaced the topping with my favorite gluten-free topping. See the original provided in the nut-free note above. I also added lemon juice to the filling and increased the amount of arrowroot by one tablespoon.
Wait, what’s arrowroot starch? Arrowroot starch is a great thickener to use in place of corn starch, which is often genetically modified. It’s gluten free, too. Look for it in the baking section of well-stocked grocery stores.
Rhubarb substitute: If you can’t find rhubarb, you can substitute another pound of strawberries (though the flavor is not as interesting). Better yet, make my Mixed Berry Crisp (Gluten Free) or Blueberry Almond Crisp.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I think I’m a crisp girl at heart too, I love how you can just throw it all together and you have something amazingly delicious. This looks so good.
Oh I am sooooo a crisp girl too! I also happen to have a pie expert friend that is named Stephanie… Maybe it is something about the name.
While crisps are simpler to put together for sure, I don’t love things too sweet, so the double pie crust helps tone down the sweetness for me. I’ll be trying the filling part of your recipe with a regular pie crust. I was looking for a recipe for rhubarb pie using honey instead of sugar. Thanks for posting!
Strawberry rhubarb is one of my favorite pies (my 86 year old grandmother is the piemaker of the family!). I’ll stick with crisps – I love that you used honey!
I am allll over this!! LOVE!
I’ve never had strawberry/rhubarb pie. I really need to give it a try! The crisp sounds amazing and easy to put together!
I can’t get enough of both pies and crisps at this time of year…as much fruity dessert as possible, I say! And I would gladly dive headfirst into this bowl!
Also – a potluck wedding reception?! I love it!
The more fruity dessert, the better! My friend’s potluck wedding reception was awesome. We hung out on her father-in-law’s yard and played croquet.
Crisps always makes me so happy! It’s such an easy and satisfying dessert to put together. Love the combo of strawberries and rhubarb :)
I’m an everything girl, so I would take this crisp or the pie version any day! : )
I have tried (on too many occasions) to make a pie crust like my mom. After realizing that I’ll never replicate her crust, I moved on to crumbles and crisps. I just bought a big container of fresh strawberries. Do you think frozen rhubarb will work? I have some of last years bounty in the freezer now.
Yes, I do think frozen rhubarb would work! I just googled it and it sounds like you’ll want to measure it frozen, then defrost it and drain before using. Hope you’ll give it a try.
Ooh, this looks so yummy! I love how simple, but totally delicious it sounds!
Oh my gosh… I’m not even a dessert kind of girl, but I don’t think I could pass this up! Your photos are making me drool!! As for the sips of wine from the red cup.. now THAT is classy! ;) (and I’d do the same!)
a crisp girl here also. though have to say i’m partial to rhubarb on it own in crisp – makes me smile just to think about it. hope the rhubarb gets here soon…
I’ve never tried an all rhubarb crisp, but I’m sure I would love it! Hope your rhubarb arrives soon.
So pretty and so delicious! Strawberries are my favorite thing about summer! I can not wait to make this!
Hooray! It’s both strawberry and rhubarb season simultaneously! This crisp looks fantastic. :)
Imagine, Kate and Stephanie meeting in the middle – so to speak. The middle of a delicious pie crust filled with strawberry rhubarb crisp. Stranger things have happened! Hmm…. I like Stephanie am a pie maker, I’m starting to taste some new inspiration. Thanks for the great post!
In italy rhubarb is not so common and easy to find. I tried it during my period in London, and I loved it. This dessert looks delicious!
Yum! This looks so amazing! :)
This looks amaaaaaaaaaaaazing
Beautiful! I love all fruit desserts and crisps have the advantage of the dreamy topping and a whole lot of bubbly filling. I’m just realizing that I’ve never made anything with the classic combo of rhubarb and strawberry and that’s just wrong. I’ll have to make this and fix that.
Please do, Nicole! Strawberry rhubarb is totally my favorite pie/crisp filling.
Wow, strawberry must be the buzz word this week! I’ve seen so many great recipes with my favorite berry. Appreciate the suggestion to eat with vanilla ice cream- is there any other way?
P.S. Your photos are beautiful!
A friend who bakes perfect pie and bakes happily anytime, aren’t you a lucky girl,Kate :) I love baking pie too but crisp, yes, that’s what I like more. Quick and easy, that my style of cooking too!
Thanks, Kankana. I am lucky to have Stephanie in my life! If only she lived a little closer.
This is one of my favorite flavor combinations ever. I wish I handsome now!
I love strawberry and rhubarb anything! I love that the crispy topping isn’t loaded with butter. This is a great healthier alternative.
Yum- what delightful photos. Using yogurt in the crisp is so creative. Does it change the texture?
Good question! No, I don’t think it changes the texture much at all (the crisp topping still gets nice and crisp, but not at all crunchy). It also reduces the amount of fat.
what a beautiful dish. i love this time of year when fruit is fresh and seasonal. it makes it all the more tastier to bake with. i just made a rhubarb compote, i would have added strawberries but my local farmer’s market won’t have them until later in the month. again, lovely post!
I’m totally a crisp girl too. Pies terrify me. The less time and ingredients, the faster I can get to the eating part! I can’t wait to make a rhubarb dessert, this one is right up my alley.
There are two master pie makers in my life – my mother-in-law and my husband’s cousin. How I wish we lived in the same state as them so we could benefit from their pie-baking prowess. Or maybe I just need to bite the bullet and work on the whole scary crust thing. For now, I’m more than happy to make beautiful crisps like this one.
One of my favorite desserts!
I always manage to forget about rhubarb. I’ve never made the requisite strawberry rhubarb pie, though I’m not such a fan of the crust anyway. This crisp looks so much more my speed, and it is so beautiful!
I got so excited when I saw rhubarb at the store this year since I couldn’t find any anywhere last year! Hope you’ll hunt some down and make this crisp soon, Jodye.
This looked amazing!! I love the combinatoin of rhubab and strawberry! This makes a great dessert for me!!
My fav!!
I am generally a crisps kinda lady as well. Mostly because the inclusion of oats slides that dessert over to breakfast territory almost TOO easily. Also, friends who bake amazing pie = so awesome. This looks so great, Kathryne.
Ahhhh! I had something similar to this for dessert last night at Prune in NYC. Incredible. This looks just like it, but BIGGER! Thank you for the recipe!!!
I’m so excited – we have strawberries and rhubarb in our CSA share this week. As a crisp girl myself, I can’t wait to try this. :)
This time of year I’m always looking for more ways to get the rhubarb in my garden onto on my plate. Preferably with a topping like this! Thanks for the inspiration, Kate. :)
This looks so good. I love strawberries and have actually never had strawberry rhubarb. I need to make this.
Oh, strawberry rhubarb is my favorite combination! Hope you’ll give it a try while rhubarb is in season, Christina. If you appreciate sweet-tart flavor, I think you’ll love it.
Hey Kathryne, I made this for a potluck last night and it was a hit! I love how the rhubarb and strawberries shine through because there’s not too much sweetness added in. I also love that the crisp isn’t too heavily laden with butter! This is a really lovely crisp and so pretty coming out of the oven too, especially when the filling is still gurgling at the sides!
Thanks, Margarita! Have I mentioned how much I love that you make my recipes? I do! I saw some strawberry rhubarb crisp recipes that called for orange juice/zest or lemon but I think simple strawberry and rhubarb is hard to beat.
Nice recipe Kathryne, I love strawberry and rhubarb. The flavours compliment each other nicely.
This looks so pretty! I love how much crumble topping there is – the fruit is great, but we all know the topping is the best part :)
I made this recipe last night and it was SO delicious! I’m going to make it again tomorrow since I ate it all last night and today.
Thank you, Kirsten! I’m so glad you made it and enjoyed it. I think I will have to make another one before the rhubarb goes out of season!
I just made this tonight and it is amazing! I halved the recipe since it’s just the two of us here. I never would have thought to add yogurt to the crisp- what a great idea!
Thanks, Maria! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’ve been going through strawberry-rhubarb crisp withdrawals ever since I polished off the last bite!
A recipe posted in a blog has never made me feel more like I am making excellent choices in life.
I also have not mastered the art of making a good pie crust, but I think there is intrinsic value in it. As Garrisson Keillor has said, it makes you a better person. I doubt there are too many war criminals or death row inmates who know how to make a good pie crust.
Thank you so much for another inspiring recipe. I made this for dessert tonight and it was a huge success! I used coconut oil instead of butter and that worked really well; I otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I served it with a side of Ben & Jerry’s Maple Tree Hugger ice cream – OMG… Thanks again for this recipe and your blog in general!
Thank you, Sarah! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. That ice cream sounds incredible, I’ll have to hunt some down!
Just stumbled upon your site today. Fantastic! I’ll be visiting regularly…
This was delicious – thank you! I’ve never made anything from your blog before. I will definitely be making this again! I used vanilla yogurt instead of plain because that is what I had on hand & it was great. I prepped all of the ingredients the night before (cut the fruit and combined the dry ingredients for the topping) because I was hosting a dinner party and didn’t want to miss out on time with my friends. Next time I think I’ll make 1 1/2 times the topping amount because we loved that part so much (of course!). Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Kari! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. More topping sounds like a good idea to me!
I made this tonight and it turned out great. Not too sweet, so the fruit really shines. I used a combination of rhubarb, blueberries and apples and severed it with plain yogurt sweetened with maple syrup. We’ll be having the leftovers for breakfast ;o)
Thanks, Kim! Blueberries and apples sound like a lovely combination.
This looks easy and yummy. I will be making this today!
Hope you loved the crisp, Patricia!
This was my first time making rhubarb crisp and it was delicious! I used 1/3 cup honey and it was definately sweet enough for me – and seemed even sweeter a day later. I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes – glad to have found your blog!
Thanks, Jessica! I’m glad you found my blog, too. I noticed that my crisp tasted sweeter the next day, too. Funny how that works!
This looks delicious! I just moved to Switzerland, and they have all this rhubarb stuff all over the place. I was determined to do something with it. You’re recipe has now become that “something”. Thanks!
Thanks, Garrett! I didn’t know that rhubarb is common in Sweden. I can’t get enough of it!
Made this as a Father’s Day treat for my husband, and it was delicious! Thank you —
I’m so glad to hear it, Marisa! Thank you for commenting.