rhubarb RASPBERRY crisp

Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp is the perfect summer dessert, and one of our family favorites! Tart rhubarb is paired with fresh ripe raspberries, and topped with a buttery sweet oat topping that will remind you of a warm and chewy oatmeal cookie. Serve warm with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream for an extra sweet surprise!

INGREDIENTS:

RHUBARB RASPBERRY FILLING:
2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons cornstarch

TOPPING:
1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter (cold)
Ice cream or whipped cream for serving, optional

HOW I MAKE THIS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the insides of six (6 oz.) oven-safe ramekins with non-stick cooking spray and place on a large baking sheet; set aside.

PREPARE FILLING: In a large bowl, combine rhubarb and raspberries.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and orange zest. Rub together with the back of a spoon or your fingers until fragrant. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the rhubarb and raspberries; sprinkle with cornstarch and stir fruit gently until evenly coated.

Add the orange juice and vanilla; stir gently to combine. Set aside.

PREPARE TOPPING: In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and salt; whisk together until mixture is well-blended, smashing any large brown sugar clumps with the back of your spoon.

Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to bowl. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut butter into oat mixture until it is crumbly and evenly-mixed; set aside.

Stir rhubarb and raspberry mixture, and then divide evenly and spoon into prepared ramekins, about 3/4 full. Crumble oat topping evenly over the fruit mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden and rhubarb raspberry mixture is bubbling.

Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

YIELD: 6 servings

RECIPE NOTES:

To prevent the topping from melting too soon and losing texture, use very cold butter. Like we do with homemade pie crust, take the butter right from the refrigerator and cut it into cubes. Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix it into the flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. You don’t need to over-complicate this step, because the topping mixture should be messy, crumbly, and coarse.

You can make this Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp in a 9-inch baking dish, oven skillet or deep dish pie plate instead of individual oven-safe ramekins. Baking time and yield depends on size - bake until the topping is lightly browned and fruit filling bubbles up on the sides.

You can easily double this recipe and bake in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Increase baking time to 45-50 minutes or until topping is golden and fruit mixture is bubbling.

To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute gluten-free oats and fluten-free flour.

You can substitute frozen fruit for the fresh fruit – but DO NOT THAW before using!

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked crisp freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. I don’t recommend preparing the crisp and storing it, unbaked, in the refrigerator, because the topping will get soggy.

RECIPE VARIATIONS:

Raspberry Rhubarb Pecan Crisp: Add ½ cup chopped pecans to the topping.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp: Substitute fresh strawberries (sliced or chunked) for the raspberries.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp: Substitute fresh blueberries for the raspberries.

Blackberry Rhubarb Crisp: Substitute fresh blackberries for the raspberries.

Peach Rhubarb Crisp: Substitute fresh peaches (peeled and then sliced or chunked) for the raspberries.

Rhubarb Berry Crisp: You can create your favorite “berry” mix using a mixture of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries.

Northwoods Berry Crisp: For something incredibly delicious and different in the fall, create a Northwoods Berry Crisp by using 1 cup chopped rhubarb, 1 cup chopped apples (peeled), 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup fresh blueberries, and 1 cup fresh cranberries. Double the topping recipe. Bake in a 9x13-inch baking pan for 50 to 55 minutes or until top is golden and fruit mixture is bubbling.

Originally posted May 2013; revised and reposted June 2021.

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ALL ABOUT RHUBARB:

Rhubarb is a perennial grown locally in the Midwest and is available in the late Spring. If you are not lucky enough to have rhubarb planted and growing in your garden or yard, you can often find it at farmer’s markets or the grocery store.

If you live in a climate where the ground freezes in winter, chances are that you can grow rhubarb! The hardest part is finding rhubarb plants! Rhubarb needs a cold winter where temperatures dip below freezing in order to grow and thrive, and it is considered hardy in zones 3-8.

Because Rhubarb is a perennial, with very little care it will come back year after year – it’s a very tough and hardy plant! Most rhubarb plants need to be dug up and divided after several years for the best plant health. This is also a great opportunity to expand your rhubarb plot or share your plants with family and friends. Once established, rhubarb is a plant that can produce for more than 20 years.

There are many varieties of rhubarb and many shades, from palest green to deep crimson, but the flavor is the same! Your rhubarb sauces, jams and jelly will vary in color depending on your rhubarb, but the flavor and texture is the same!

The stalks are the only edible part of this early spring plant, while the green parts of the leaves are toxic, which is why you never see rhubarb stalks for sale with the leaves attached.

Stalks of rhubarb look similar to celery, but have a strong and very tart taste if eaten raw.

The bright red stalks of early spring rhubarb give this jam its lovely color as well as its tangy flavor. Rhubarb is a favorite for jams, pies and crisps. The season is both early and short – use your first crops for the best results, as the rhubarb stalks will get tough and “woody” as the season goes on. Young and tender stalks are the best!

Although commonly used for desserts, rhubarb is technically a vegetable. We use rhubarb in jams, sauces, pies and fruit bars, but it is also fabulous in savory dishes.

To freeze fresh rhubarb, first wash and dry it. Slice the stalks into 1-inch pieces and lay out on a baking sheets. Place the pans in the freezer for an hour, or until the rhubarb is frozen solid. Transfer to sturdy zip lock freezer bags (I usually measure out 4 cups into gallon sized freezer bags). Frozen rhubarb will last for up to a year.

Fresh rhubarb is best for all recipes, but you can also use frozen – just be sure to add any liquid that released from the frozen rhubarb to your recipe.

Rhubarb is healthy for you – it’s loaded with calcium, lutein, vitamin K and antioxidants.