Have you tried a fruit crunch? There’s an extra layer of topping that makes this Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch just a little more special than a fruit crisp.
Fresh fruits tossed together with citrus and cinnamon sugar, then baked in between layers of a brown sugar and oat crust, this is my favorite way to bake fruit desserts.
Rhubarb Crunch
Almost firm enough to cut into bars and yet just fruity enough to still resemble a crisp, a crunch is simply a fruit crisp with both a top and bottom crust layer.
Don’t be intimidated by the crust layers or the topping, no cutting in cold butter is required. Melted butter is poured into the topping and it forms perfect crumbs to top this dessert. This recipe gets bonus points for being naturally gluten-free too.
(Watch the video to see just how easy it is to make this Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch!)
Strawberry Rhubarb
I tried rhubarb for the first time at a friend’s house several years ago. (Thanks, Rachael!) I absolutely loved the rhubarb and strawberry combination that she served for dessert.
Remembering Rachael’s delicious dessert, I decided to adapt my favorite fruit crunch recipe to include some fresh rhubarb that I found at my local market this past weekend.
Tangy, sweet and just a tiny bit tart from the rhubarb. I love this dessert so much; I have now added rhubarb to my garden list for next spring.
I like to serve this crisp warm from the oven, scooped into bowls with our favorite homemade ice cream for an unforgettable dessert, but it’s also amazing sliced into bars the next day for breakfast. (Or for lunch, or let’s be honest, I’d happily eat this for dinner as well.)
Strawberry Rhubarb Recipes
Want a few more rhubarb dessert ideas? Rhubarb Crumb Bars are a light summer treat that you’re going to love having on hand. This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie recipe is a classic that you’ll want to save for strawberry season.
Rhubarb Cream Cheese Muffins are a breakfast and snacking favorite with kids and adults. Do you have a favorite rhubarb recipe? I’d love to hear about it if you do.
If you have an abundance of strawberries in the house, I highly recommend you try this Summer Berry Brulee. It is an unforgettable treat.
Check out all of the great berry recipes that we love, along with this awesome tip for how to hull strawberries with just a plastic straw.
Have you tried an herb sugar? I made this Sweet Basil Sugar with Fresh Strawberries a few years ago and it’s almost too good to be true. It’s a perfectly light and sweet treat that is pure summertime heaven.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the fruit in a mixing bowl. Add the white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. Stir to coat and add the orange juice. Stir again and set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and then add the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press half of this mixture into a buttered 9×13 pan. Pour the fruit over the bottom crust and then sprinkle the rest of the dry mixture on top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust turns golden brown. Scoop into bowls warm from the oven or let cool completely and slice into servings.
Tangy, sweet strawberries and rhubarb are layered in between a brown sugar and oat topping to make this Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch.
- FRUIT FILLING INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 2 cups thinly sliced and chopped fresh rhubarb frozen can be substituted if fresh is not available
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- CRUST INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup butter melted
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the fruit in a mixing bowl. Add the white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. Stir to coat and add the orange juice. Stir again and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and then add the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press half of this mixture into a buttered 9x13 pan. Pour the fruit over the bottom crust and then sprinkle the rest of the dry mixture on top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust turns golden brown. Serve warm from the oven or let cool completely and slice into servings. Enjoy!
To make this recipe gluten-free: Substitute 1 1/3 cups brown rice flour and 2/3 cup tapioca starch for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
{originally posted 6/15/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/28/19}
Jason says
Ice Cream in Strawberry flavors best flavors.Strawberry fruits adjust many dishes like some make ice cream, chat, powder, slash, crunch etc.The crunch of strawberry is a very delicious sweet dish.
Joanne Matthees says
Here is a recipe that might be what you need.
Strawberry, rhubarb crunch.
Debbie Keel says
I remember my Grandma going out to e garden to get fresh rhubarb and strawberries and make a pie, how I miss her so.
Laura Young says
I made this today. It is wonderful!
Suzanne says
Hi Mary
This recipe looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it. I do have a question…can I substitute a jar of blackberry or cherry pie filling for the rhubarb/strawberry mixture – do I need to change anything? I have a pie filling with Door County WI cherries and I think that would also be delicious here. i just wasn’t sure if I needed to adjust anything. Thank you in advance!
Eve says
Made this recipe and it is delicious ..it’s now in my favourite recipe stash.
Anna says
i made this desert . it was amazing , very tasty . did not last long , i had this with yogurt. it was also very good less calories than ice cream. WE are lactose free , me and my son , so had to have lactose free yogurt. I am making that again using rhubarb from my garden , fresh. substituting lemon juice for orange juice.
I have to put parchment paper in the glass baking dish to make it better for serving and clean up of the pan. Thank you for sharing this recipe with me and my family.
Barb says
My sister-in-law made this last week. It was so good I could not get enough of it. I have had a lot of strawberry rhubarb crisp but this one is by far the best . I think it has to do with the crust on the bottom it just adds an extra crunch.
Jerri says
Just made this tonite..Sooooo good! This will be in my dessert rotation for sure! I substituted gluten free all purpose flour. It turned out perfect!!!
Janet says
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious! A friend gave me some rhubarb and I already had the rest of the ingredients on hand. Fantastic!
Karen Reddy says
Yum! Going to make this this weekend. Thanks for the recipe
Carol says
Wow, what a delicious sounding recipe. I bet it would be great with apples and raspberries, too, my other favourite fruit combination. I’ll have to try it both ways. In any case, it’s easier than our!
Felicia says
Could this recipe be made ahead of time and put in the freezer and then baked at a later date?
Mary says
I don’t recall whether I’ve frozen this exact recipe, but I’ve frozen many crisps and cobblers without any issues at all. Happy baking!