Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
This vegan strawberry rhubarb crisp is super easy to make in under an hour and absolutely perfect for Summer!
Recipe Features
- vegan and can be gluten-free – works for those with dietary restrictions!
- freezes well – bake in advance and freeze for a delicious dessert ready for you at any time
- adjustable – swap out the fruits for other berries, apple or stone fruits
- extra-thick topping – we all know the topping is the best part, right?
Quick Note: While absolutely delicious, this is not my healthiest crisp recipe. It uses a cup of sugar and half a cup of butter. For lighter versions, try my oil-free blueberry crisp or grain-free vegan apple crisp.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- strawberries – fresh strawberries are best here
- rhubarb – rhubarb is the star of this recipe! Pick some from your garden or find it in stores during the Summer months.
- flour – use all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, spelt flour or a gluten-free flour blend
- rolled oats – rolled, old fashioned or large flake oats are best
- vegan butter – vegan butter works best in this recipe but it can be subbed with coconut oil if that’s all you have
- sugar – for a refined sugar-free recipe, use coconut sugar, otherwise any dry granulated sweetened works
- cornstarch – cornstarch thickens the rhubarb filling, it can be subbed with arrowroot powder if needed
- chia seeds – optional but they help thicken up the strawberry filling, which can be on the runny side without them
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Make the filling by roughly chopping the strawberries and rhubard and adding to your baking dish. Add the cornstarch and sugar and mix until everything is coated. If you’re using the chia seeds, add them as well.
Step 2. Make the crisp topping by adding the ingredients to a bowl and using your hands or a pasty cutter to combine into a crumbly mixture.
Step 3. Add the topping mixture over top of the fruit in the baking dish and use your hands to spread and gently press down.
Bake for 45 minutes then let cool for 15 before serving warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You can use all rhubarb if you prefer. No need for chia seeds if you’re using all rhubarb.
- Rhubarb can be swapped for apple.
- Strawberries can be swapped for peaches, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, or a combo of any of these, up to 2 cups.
- The all-purpose flour can be subbed with spelt flour, whole-wheat flour or a gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill. I have not tested this recipe with oat flour, almond flour or coconut flour, although oat flour or almond flour should work.
Do I have to use chia seeds?
No. The crisp will still be delicious without them, however, strawberries release a lot of moisture when cooked, which can make the crisp filling quite mushy.
Chia seeds, much like in this blueberry chia jam, help to absorb the excess moisture from the strawberries and thicken the filling. They’re optional but they help make the filling thick and jammy rather than soupy.
Can I use frozen fruit?
I prefer fresh fruit in crisps and crumbles but frozen will work if needed. There’s nothing special you need to do if using frozen fruit, just proceed with the recipe as written using frozen instead of fresh fruit.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Let cool completely then cover with foil or saran wrap and refrigerate up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let cool completely then cover well with foil and freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat from the fridge in the microwave or oven until warmed to your preference. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat in the oven at 350 F for 20-25 minutes until heated through.
Related Recipes
- Grain-Free Vegan Apple Crisp
- Oil-Free Healthy Blueberry Crisp
- No-Bake Mango Cheesecake
- Raw Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Banana Oatmeal Bars
- Easy Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Crisp
Extra strawberries and rhubarb? Try this yummy strawberry rhubarb oatmeal!
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
An easy, vegan strawberry rhubarb crisp that’s ready in 1-hour and wonderful served warm with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream. The perfect Summer dessert!
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 2 cups (300 g) quartered fresh strawberries
- 3 cups (450 g) chopped fresh rhubarb
- 1 tbsp cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp chia seeds, optional, see notes
For the Oat Crisp Topping
- 1 cup (100 g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (120 g) whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (215 g) organic cane or coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 g) vegan butter
- 1/4 tsp salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Cut the strawberries into quarters and the rhubarb into roughly 1/4 inch pieces. Add the chopped fruit to a 7-9 inch baking dish.
- Add the sugar, cornstarch and chia seeds, if using, to the fruit and mix well until all the fruit is coated.
- Add the oat crisp ingredients to a bowl and use your hands or a pastry cutter to mix well until it forms a uniform, crumbly mixture and all the flour is wetted. Alternatively, add the ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
- Evenly spread the oat mixture over the fruit in the baking dish. Gently press it down over the fruit.
- Bake for 45 minutes then let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm topped with coconut whipped cream or your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Notes
This crisp has quite a thick topping but it’s how my mom always made apple crisp and it’s my favorite. You can reduce the topping by as much as half to lighten up the recipe.
With a full cup of sugar and half a cup of butter, this is not my healthiest crisp recipe. If you’re looking for a lightened-up topping, try my oil-free blueberry crisp or grain-free apple crisp.
I’ve made this recipe with vegan butter and coconut oil and much prefer butter. The result with butter is firmer and crispier. You can, however, sub coconut oil if needed. If you’re not vegan, you can use regular butter.
You can use a 7-9 inch square, round or oval glass, metal or ceramic baking dish.
To store leftovers, let cool completely then cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed to your preference.
To make in advance and freeze, let cool completely after baking, then cover well with foil and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge then heat in the oven for about 20 minutes until heated through. It can be heated from frozen in a pinch, it will just take longer.
Strawberries release a lot of moisture when cooked so strawberry crisp is mushier than say, apple crisp. Using chia seeds helps to absorb some of that moisture and thicken the filling. They’re optional but help make the filling thick and jammy rather than soupy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 303
- Sugar: 38.9 g
- Sodium: 151 mg
- Fat: 7.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 68.8 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
Am I allowed to comment again?? Made this with just apple….. hot damn so delicious. I could eat it every day. 💯 my favorite crumble recipe.
Haha, of course you can comment again! I’m so glad you love this one.
I followed the topping recipe exactly! It looked weird the first time so I remade it. Same thing. It does nottttt look like this I think there’s an error in the flour to oat ratio. Tastes good but the topping is dry and floury and weird.
Did you happen to use a scale to measure the ingredients? All I can think of is there was accidentally too much flour added. I’ve made this dozens of time and never had that issue! Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
The perfect ratio of rhubarb to strawberries. Not too sweet, not too tart! I added a bit of orange zest to the fruits, but otherwise made it as-is to rave reviews from a crowd.
Glad to hear it, Carla! Thanks for the review.
SO GOOD!! I made this with rhubarb & apples… wish I could say it lasted to six serves 🤣🤣
So glad you enjoyed it, Miriam! Thanks for letting me know!
Holy smokes – delicious!! I acquired 3 stalks of rhubarb before finding this recipe and for that – I’m so glad you offered substitutions for rhubarb. I used my 3 stalks, and added a peach AND an apple. I sprinkled in some cardamom, ground ginger, a bit of lemon and lime juice and cinnamon & shredded coconut into the topping. This is to die for!! I LOVE the tart rhubarb and using chia seeds is brilliant.
I desperately need to find another mouth to feed so I don’t eat the whole thing myself! Thank you for this winner that was so easily put together.