Super Easy Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

If you are looking for any easy, sweet after dinner treat, this rhubarb strawberry crisp is perfect. Topped with a scoop of ice cream and you have a fantastic dessert!

Four years ago, when we moved into our current home the previous owners had set up garden areas. But they were pretty bare. Fast forward to our first spring and the only things that popped up in the garden were mint and a giant patch of rhubarb. My first thoughts were, what the heck does one make with rhubarb. So year after year the rhubarb would appear and we did nothing with it. Well that is, until this year. I decided to finally cut off some stalks and make something. Turns out – it’s pretty delicious! Well, maybe not everything made with rhubarb is yummy – but my rhubarb Strawberry crisp is so good! 

Since I didn’t know much about rhubarb, I decided to do a little research. And I found six little facts that may surprise you!

Fun facts about rhubarb

1. Rhubarb is usually considered a vegetable. In the United States, however, a New York court decided in 1947 that, since it was used in the United States as a fruit, it counted as a fruit for the purposes of regulations and duties. A side effect was a reduction on imported rhubarb tariffs, as tariffs were higher for vegetables than fruits.
2. January 23rd is National Rhubarb Pie Day.
3. June 9th is National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day. 
4. The redder the stalk, the sweeter the taste.
5. The leaves attached to the Rhubarb stalk are poisonous – so don’t eat those!
6. Rhubarb prefers to grow in a cool, damp climate, as it struggles in a dry or hot climates.

Now I’m not totally sure if number 6 is right. We live in Colorado which I would say is often dry and hot in the summer months. And yet our rhubarb grows like a weed. We actually forget to even water it because it’s in the back corner of our yard away from our garden. But yet, it thrives! 

So now that we all know a little more about this vegetable (?), let’s talk about this delish spring crisp!

Spring Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

Rhubarb is in season right now so if you have never tried rhubarb now is the time to go for it! 

This is like the easiest dessert to make with rhubarb – really. There’s only three steps and the longest part is chopping the rhubarb and strawberries.  I made this last night with Britton. He loves to jump in the kitchen and help me cook. I hope he never stops. 🙂

I placed it in the oven and then I made our dinner. Right when we finished eating, the rhubarb strawberry crisp was done baking. So I took it out and let it cool while we took a family walk with Charlie around the neighborhood. We got back home from our walk and it was time for dessert.

I topped the crisp off with a scoop of ice cream and we all proceeded to devour!

This was a huge hit with the whole family! The combination of the rhubarb and the strawberries creates the perfect balance of tart and sweet. And it makes for a vibrant, crave-worthy springtime dessert I’m pretty sure anyone you know will love.

So at this point in time, I’ve never been more grateful for that huge supply of rhubarb in our backyard. Maybe I should try a few more recipes with this fabulous vegetable.

Tell me, what’s your favorite way to eat rhubarb? My yard is stalked full and obviously I need to get to cooking! 

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love for you to leave a comment or rate it. And don’t forget to PIN it for later!

 

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Super Easy Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (about 4-5 stalks)
• 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved if large
• 1 cups granulated sugar 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal  
• 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced 
• vanilla ice cream (to top it off right!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the fruit, toss the rhubarb and strawberries and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8-inch cast iron skillet.
3. For the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 45 min to 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.