Rhubarb Crisp with a crunchy topping made with oats, brown sugar and butter. A healthy, refreshing fruit dessert! O.K. it's basically a bowl of sugar and butter with rhubarb throw in for colour. And to be perfectly honest I'm not even sure that it's a fruit. But still ...
You've gotta love an edible plant that comes up year after year no matter how much attention you do or don't give it.
Rhubarb. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
And giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving. And if you look at it with even half a smile ... it jumps right up in your lap and gives some more. It's the Golden Retriever of the vegetable world.
I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing you could do to discourage Rhubarb. It's the first to pop up in the garden, the last to go away and pretty much puts up with every kind of neglect you can throw at it.
The best way to deal with a mass of anything you don't need is to give it away. That way it appears you're the generous one by giving it away, when in truth ... the real gift is getting rid of this massive, relentless, pathologically prolific plant.
If you don't have this problem with your rhubarb growing like crazy, you might need to split it. Rhubarb plants should be split (like I show you in this post) every few years to keep them invigorated.
My favourite thing to do with Rhubarb is make a Rhubarb Crisp. Otherwise known as a Rhubarb Crumble. Otherwise known as the easiest dessert on earth, unless you consider sucking on an ice cube to be dessert. 'Cause that's pretty easy too.
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For the body of the crisp you mix up some sugar, cinnamon, rhubarb and water. For the top it's some melted butter, quick rolled oats and brown sugar.
What follows is my Rhubarb Crisp recipe. I make it several times in the spring, then I get sick of it. Once I get "crisp sick", ... I'll start gifting it. 'Cause I'm kind and generous and I have a shitload of rhubarb. Only I probably wouldn't use that actual phrase on the gift card.
Rhubarb Crisp Recipe
Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Rhubarb Crisp Filling
- 4 Cups Rhubarb cut into 1 inch lengths
- 1 cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Flour all purpose
- ½ tsp. Cinnamon
- ½ cup Water
Rhubarb Crisp Topping
- 1 cup Flour all purpose
- ½ cup Quick-cooking Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- ½ cup Butter melted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Butter a square 8x8x2 baking dish.
- Combine rhubarb, sugar, ¼ cup flour, and cinnamon in prepared baking dish.
- Pour water over all of it.
For Topping
- Combine 1 cup flour, rolled oats, brown sugar and butter. Mix with fork.
- Sprinkle topping over rhubarb mixturte. Bake 35 minutes.
- Serve warm with cream.
Nutrition
If you plan on giving the gift of Rhubarb Crisp just pack the dry ingredients into mason jars and attach a tag or two with the instructions.
One jar for the filling and one for the crumble topping.
If you decide to make this for yourself as opposed to giving it away, because you're very, very selfish … you might want to consider topping it with some cream. Either regular old coffee cream, like I've used in the photo, or a dollop of whipped cream. Isn't dollop the best word ever?
I find this to be a touch on the sweet side, but as you know I'm more of a potato chip expert. For now.
So … take that as you will. You can add a little less sugar if you like. Or … you can forget the recipe entirely, and just eat a bowl of potato chips.
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Jane Woodward
Best rhubarb recipe ever but haven't tried the others yet! My first time growing rhubarb so am glad you told us about splitting the plant.
Karen
Yes! You definitely need to split it. I seem to need to split mine every few years now. ~ karen!
Ellen
This is my third time attempting to grow Rhubarb, maybe third times the charm! (fingers crossed)
Karen
Once you find the right spot for it you'll be LOADED with it. My house came with this rhubarb patch 25 years ago! It's in a warm area, right near the foundation of my brick house, facing south, and protected by fence on 2 sides. I'm not sure if all rhubarb likes that, but this one obviously does. So if you fail again try searching for an area on your property like that. ~ karen!
Nan
Made this substituting oat flour (a bit scant of recipe) because I'm on a soft diet for dental work. It was and is TERRIFFIC, just perfect as written
Karen
Thanks Nan! I had some myself last night. :) I have to stop that by the way. I have to stop making and eating rhubarb crisp every day. ~ karen!
Angela
My mom made rhubarb shortcake made with old fashioned baking powder biscuits, and whipped cream. mmmmmmmm
Karen
Whipped cream and rhubarb go together ALWAYS. ~ karen!
Sabina
I made your rhubarbablob last week and it was delicious!
Karen
Excellent! (feel free to come back and rate the recipe if you didn't) It's such a quick and easy thing to make. I've been making WAY too many rhubarb crisps this year and eating them all. Maybe as my final rhubarb delight this year I'll make it a Rhubarbablob. ~ karen!
Kat - the other 1
Maybe you could use it as a new chip dip? 😉
Linda
I love your blog!
I have a rhubarb crisp recipe similar to yours but with more fiber and less sugar. Half strawberries is the best. I also freeze the cut up fruit in bags of 4 cups to use over the winter. I make Victorian BBQ sauce which has rhubarb as a base and I also can as much stewed rhubarb as possible to eat over the winter months. My husband and I are trying to eat as locally as possible so I can (with minimal sugar) as much in season fruit as possible. I am hampered somewhat in this goal since we will be moving soon and my 3 rhubarb plants are in pots which severely restricts their production. I do have a neighbour who has generously offered me her rhubarb production so I'm set for now.
Karen
I used to freeze rhubarb for making crisp in the winter, but I never end up making it. So I stopped freezing it to make room in my freezer for more important things like frozen french fries. ~ karen!
Linda
To each his/her/their own! I admire the effort you put into perfecting the perfect French fry. 😁
L
Mary W
You even have the glass tops for the old jars! Great collecting.
Karen
I do! But I have a trick. I silicone the glass tops to the inside of the zinc ring so I never have to worry about them sliding off the jar or counter and breaking. ` karen!
Randy P
the thing I like best about this rhubarb crisp recipe is I can substitute drained canned peaches or apricots....maybe even real apples from the store.
Karen
!! I would never have thought of adding canned peaches!!! That's brilliant, I have to try it. ~ karen!
Jenny Fitzsimmons
Have you ever made rhubarb wine? I judged the wine entries for a county fair last year and had my first ever rhubarb wine, which tasted refreshing and had enough alcohol to give me a buzz...but also smelled like Chinese food. Seems like a fun way to use up all that extra rhubarb though!
Karen
Smelled like Chinese food, lol??? ~ karen!
Carlies Longbottom
Almost single handedly, I have finished the entire pan of rhubarb crisp in two days!
I am in the "less sugar is better" camp, so I reduced both amounts called for by 1/4 cup.
Wunderbar!!!
Carlies
Karen
Well it's practically healthy now that you've reduced the sugar. You could probably use it in place of salad at dinner. ;) That's the way I'm going to look at it anyway. ~ karen!
Kathryn
You can add Angelica, which is an easy perennial to grow, if you want to cut down on the sugar a bit. Love the picture of Philip looking at you like you're out of your mind. He's probably thinking "God, what is she doing now?" That is a huge leaf though. Your garden looks way ahead of mine on the east coast of Vancouver Island. How can that be?
Karen
I can barely answer this comment because my house just got skunked and it stinks. Seriously. It's the 4th time in 2 years. So, that garden photo with Philip was from last year! (maybe even the year before) My rhubarb is currently huge already but nothing else is growing other than tulips and daffodils really. ~ karen!
Sanjoy Das
How perceptive you are Karen, in your analysis of the personality traits of vegetables ! I bring my wife's two entirely novel uses of rhubarb to contribute to the collective wisdom of this channel, I lay them at the feet of the goddess in the hope of attracting her attention, just as a needy retriever might present an old sock or wounded bird.
I should explain I write from the wonderful city of Edinburgh where I have an allotment (20m x 10m ) and do my weeding. I have some rhubarb and so I end up bringing it back to our home and present it to my good wife, Minoo, who deals with it. We are Indians I am Bengali/maharashtrian she is pure punjabi Sikh. I have a type 2 diagnosis and she is trying to lose weight. Use number 1: involves the use of sugar but small amounts , she makes rhubarb chutney and its very good. Use number 2 also involves boiling it up with sugar until it is a solid mass , putting it in a pie dish and leaving it in the fridge, like a deferred crumble. She announces the function with some glee: it is there to make the fridge look less empty. She has hit on the real function of rhubarb, it is both a culinary and gardening backstop, when everything goes wrong - there is always rhubarb.
Karen
Yes. It's very much the sugar coated cockroach of the garden. ~ karen!
Sue B.
For years I made the fam "rhubarb rumble". Similar recipe, but with 4 c. diced rhubarb (more rhubarb! ), cornstarch, and vanilla in addition to the sugar. Topping is the same, with 1/4 c. more oats and 1 tsp. or more cinnamon and is on top and bottom. I guess that makes it a crust! Big disadvantage is having to cook up the thickened syrup for the rhubarb. So I'm definitely giving yours a try.
I thought hubby had managed to kill off 2 of our three plants last year, but they are back more beautiful than ever! His favorite part of the whole rhubarb thing is the flower stems! So I'm not allowed to cut them off {sigh}.
Sue B. in Nebraska.
p.s. - stumbling upon your blog a couple of months ago has been the best thing that has happened to me in a while. Love your "voice." If we lived in the same place I would definitely invite you over for the beverage of your choice!
Karen
That's very nice of you. I mean I probably wouldn't go because I'm basically antisocial due to my enormous hobby habit, lol. ~ karen!
Dennis B.
What do you do with the flower stems? I've always cut them out when they appear and throw them out.In fact, I just finished doing just that yesterday.
Garth
Keep flowers picked and rhubarb grows better. Lay flowers and leaves around plant as fertilizer and mulch.
Karen
Yes! That's exactly what I do. Shove the leaves under the plant and walk away. :) ~ karen!
Jill
Sorry but i abhor rhubarb! I grew up poor with 4 brothers and sisters. When i got hungry i went out to the garden and ate rhubarb and raw veggies. Don't mean to be debbie downer but can't eat it to this day! Lol, but i am also very healthy
Karen
That's O.K., you're allowed to not like rhubarb, lol. ~ karen!
Beverly
My favourite rhubarb story is this (Reader's Digest version):
Neighbour kept offering us rhubarb - they had a shitload of it on the edge of their garden which we could see from our kitchen window. Not only could we see the rhubarb, we could see every stray dog in the neighbourhood taking a leak on it. Ugh. Needless to say, never did take them up on their offer!!!
Yabut
Your rhubarb is ready? I'm not sure why I often have to remind myself that you don't live just down the road from me. I feel like you do, but here, once again is proof that you don't! I expect it will be another couple of weeks before my rhubarb is ready for anything. I should get some new plants as mine have not done well in years!
Karen
Hi Yabut! Your rhubarb probably just needs to be split. It needs that every few years to rejuvenate it. It also likes a LOT of compost. : ~ karen!
Donna Creamer
Rhubarb and strawberries really like horse manure as a fertilizer.
I had a 10x20 foot plot of Sequoia’s where a horse stable had once stood.
Those berries were the size of plums! My girls were thrilled to break them open and like the soft sugar crystals that lined the cores.
That was an amazing berry year!
Karen
You just reminded me to add compost to my strawberries that are just forming! ~ karen
Gary Boutin
Hi Karen,
Another good post. I always wondered were I learn to eat raw rhubarb being born in Montreal, Canada. I now know why. My mother used to fish along many streams when I was a child and we used to stay near an old cabin that had herbs and rhubarb. That is most likely the place I learned to love it. Good post we Linda, my spouse and I loved your humor. Keep up the good work. Gary