STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRUMBLE

Read Time: 5 minutes
by Karen
15 comments

Strawberries and rhubarb are just one of those classic combinations that never fail to please. During the spring-summer season, this recipe is on repeat for dessert in my house. It’s sweet with just a little bit of tart and delicious served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This crumble is similar to a rhubarb crisp but without the oatmeal in the topping.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s delicious, easy & quick to make.
It requires only a few simple ingredients.
The filling and topping can be made separately a few days in advance and assembled when ready to bake.

A serving plate with strawberry rhubarb crumble and 2 scoops of ice cream in it.

What Ingredients Do I Need

I love this recipe for its simplicity. Aside from the strawberries and rhubarb the rest of the ingredients are all things you probably have in your pantry.

For the filling;

Fresh rhubarb – Thin stalks are better as they are usually more tender.
Fresh strawberries – Cut them in half or quarters depending on their size.
Granulated sugar
All-purpose flour
Vanilla extract – I always recommend pure as opposed to artificial as the flavor will be truer.
Ground cardamom – This is optional but I find it adds a lovely flavor.

For the crumble topping;

All-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Dark brown sugar – You can also use light brown sugar if that’s all you have on hand but I find the dark gives a deeper flavor.
Butter – Unsalted is recommended but if you only have salted butter just leave out the extra salt in the recipe.

Small bowls filled with sugar, rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract.

How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

This is an extremely easy recipe to make. The filling and the topping are made separately and assembled when ready to bake.

For the filling;

Preheat oven to 375 – if baking right away.
Wash and cut the strawberries and rhubarb.
Combine all filling ingredients. Mix the strawberries and rhubarb together with the white sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and cardamom until they are well coated with the sugar mixture.
Pour into a baking dish.

A baking dish filled with uncooked strawberries and rhubarb coated in sugar and flour.

For the topping;

Mix together dry ingredients. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt until well combined.
Cube butter and cut into flour mixture with a pastry cutter. Cut in until the butter pieces are pea-sized. If you don’t have a pastry cutter you can rub the butter together with the flour using your fingers until the pieces are finely distributed. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to mix the butter in but I find it a little harder to control the butter size.
Spread the topping over the filling mixture evenly.

A baking dish filled with uncooked strawberry rhubarb crumble ready to go in the oven.

Bake;

Bake in a 190 Celsius (375-degree) oven for 35 – 40 minutes. The crumble is done when the filling is bubbling and the topping has browned and crisped. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

A baking dish filled with strawberry rhubarb crumble that just came out of the oven.

Yield

Served alone this recipe will make enough for 6 generous servings but can be stretched to 8 if you are serving it with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Tips and Tricks For Success

Try to use younger, thinner stalks of rhubarb as older, thicker stalks can be tough and more fibrous.
Don’t cut the rhubarb pieces larger than 1″ or they won’t cook in the time allotted.
Make sure to bake for the recommended time or the rhubarb may not cook through.

A baking dish of strawberry rhubarb crumble and a smaller bowl with the same crumble and a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside a dish of strawberries.

Variations

Feel free to leave out the cardamom if you don’t like it or don’t have any. You can also swap out the cardamom for ginger if desired.

Light brown sugar can also be used for the topping if that’s what you have on hand.

Storage Tips

If you are making the crumble in advance you can store the filling and the topping separately in covered containers or zippered bags in the refrigerator for a few days until you are ready to bake it.

Once the crumble is baked it is best served while it is still warm but after it has cooled it can be stored covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Make sure to take it out of the fridge a couple of hours in advance so it can come to room temperature before serving.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS;

Is cobbler the same as crumble? The two are very similar but a cobbler has the added adition of oats whereas a crumble's topping is just flour, sugar, and butter.

Do you need to cook rhubarb before baking? No. The rhubarb will soften when baked.

Do you need to peel rhubarb? If you're using rhubarb harvested in the spring or early summer it does not need to be peeled. However rhubarb harvested later in the summer may have tougher stalks and may benefit from peeling before use.

Why is my crumble always soggy? Using too much butter can cause your topping to be greasy and soggy. Make sure to stick to the amount stated in the recipe and cut the butter into your dry ingredients until it's in pea sized pieces.

Can you make crumble in advance? You can make the filling and the crumble separately up to a few days ahead of time. Store both, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use then assemble the crumble and bake. Alternatively the crumble topping can be stored in an air tight plastic bag in the freezer for up to a month and then added, frozen, to the filling and baked.

Why doesn't my crumble go brown? Your oven may not be hot enough or you may not have used enough sugar or butter. The crumble turns brown from the caremlization of the sugar so make sure to follow the recipe instructions completely.