Raspberry rhubarb crisp is our favorite summer dessert! I make a mean apple crisp, and my peach crisp recipe is always a hit. We love rhubarb crisp and make it often. But there is just something special about adding raspberries. Rhubarb and raspberry crisp is such a great combo and is one of my most requested recipes!
Nothing feels like it’s summertime like the taste of rhubarb (I LOVE rhubarb!). We get lots of rhubarb from our neighborhood gardens. Our friends and neighbors have an abundant harvest all growing season so we usually get handfuls whenever we want it. Some of our friends brought us a cutting from their yard, and we’re super hopeful we’ll have our own bounty soon!
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Raspberries are abundant in the summertime and are available at the grocery store all year long. Fresh rhubarb is not always available at the grocery store, so we enjoy it while we can, and use frozen the rest of the time.
We make this amazing raspberry rhubarb crisp, along with Rhubarb Bars, over and over for our neighbors, family, and friends as a special thank you. They love it and you will too.
What Do I Do With All My Rhubarb?
Make rhubarb recipes! Most rhubarb recipes are desserts, and there are just so many desserts to make with rhubarb. We make everything from this rhubarb raspberry crisp, to rhubarb applesauce, to rhubarb applesauce muffins, to rhubarb liqueur! We love rhubarb galette, which is a simple version of rhubarb pie.
Rhubarb is very tart and it requires a sweetener to bring out the unique flavors and make it tasty (edible). Sugar, maple syrup, agave, honey and brown sugar are some good sweeteners. Frequently rhubarb is paired with other sweeter fruit such as strawberries and apples. Rhubarb and strawberries is a very classic combination, typically served as strawberry rhubarb pie.
What’s The Difference Between Rhubarb Crisp and Rhubarb Crumble?
Some people use the word crisp and crumble interchangeably. They are very similar but there are subtle differences. Crisp is always prepared without a pie crust which makes it much easier to make. Crisp is all about the topping which usually has oatmeal, flour, and brown sugar. (I love adding coconut too!). Basically, it’s like raspberry rhubarb pie, without the crust.
Crumble is periodically made with a pie crust, but not always. The pie crust gives the crumble some depth, but it’s not really necessary to balance out the dish.
Crumble has a slightly different topping more simple topping, of cold butter cut into chunks and crumbled with flour, with a touch of cinnamon or ginger.
My family loves the topping on this recipe, so I usually double it. It’s an easy topping to make. I use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the sugar, oats, and flour. Press the pastry cutter on the side of the bowl for best results. A fork works, but the pastry cutter will take about a third of the time! Don’t forget to double the topping recipe anyway, and put half in the fridge or freezer for next time!
Is Rhubarb a Fruit or a Vegetable?
Rhubarb is very much like celery, with stalks. Technically, it is a vegetable, but it is mostly treated as a fruit, and often combined with other fruits.
If you’re wondering what fruit goes well with rhubarb, let me tell you, most fruit! The tartness of rhubarb pairs so well with berries, apples, peaches and so many other fruits. Obviously, I love rhubarb and raspberries paired together. Rhubarb berry crisp can be made with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or a combination of berries (but rhubarb raspberry crisp is my favorite, along with plain ol’ rhubarb crisp!).
Rhubarb can stand alone, however will need a fair amount of sweetness to give it a dessert status. Similar to cranberries, rhubarb makes an amazing sauce that can be enjoyed as a very simple dessert topping with vanilla ice cream. Make it zesty by adding some lemon zest or juice to the puree to give it a fresh summer flavor.
Do You Need to Peel Rhubarb?
Personally, I like to peel my rhubarb. I find that removing the stringy part of the stalks makes for a lovely texture of the cooked rhubarb.
One of my favorite memories of making this raspberry rhubarb crisp is when we went camping at the lake and one of the couples invited to the party had never tasted rhubarb crisp before. They lived most of their lives outside of America, so it was not that surprising that they had never tasted rhubarb before.
We had the traditional campsite grub – hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, and corn. Just as the kids were roasting marshmallows around the campfire (one of my very favorite things!), we served the raspberry rhubarb crisp and our out of town friends went crazy for this dessert. Their reaction and love of this dessert, as we watched the constellations appear in the sky, is a memory I will never forget. What is this dessert they asked? I recognize the raspberry flavor but what is this other fruit? Rhubarb? OMG! How can I get more of this?!
Rhubarb is a special treat and this dessert is too! Whipped cream or ice cream will make the crisp stand out.
Eat the leftovers for breakfast (but I skip the ice cream!)!
Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Fruit Mixture
- 3 cups sliced rhubarb
- 2 cups raspberries
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar less if you would like more tart
- 3 Tablespoons flour
Topping
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup quick oats other oats will work as well
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon or ginger or nutmeg if preferred
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup shredded coconut or chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 6 or 8 cup casserole dish and set aside.
- Carefully wash raspberries and put on a paper towel or in a colander to drain. Peel rhubarb, similar to celery, by taking a knife and pulling strings if desired. Slice into ⅛ inch slices (no need to be exact).
- Place rhubarb into baking dish and top with raspberries. Sprinkle with sugar and flour, tossing to coat. Set aside.
- To make topping, using a pastry blender, mix together the butter, oats, flour cinnamon, and sugar. Once fully mixed, use a spoon to stir in coconut or nuts if using. Spoon topping on top of fruit.
- Place baking dish on a baking tray (line with parchment in case of any spills).
- Bake 35 minutes, until bubbling on the edges. Check if rhubarb is done by using a fork or knife in the center. If it starts to brown but the fruit is not ready, cover loosely with foil or parchment and bake for 5 more minutes. If still not ready, check after 3 minutes until it is cooked to your liking.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving to thicken the fruit mixture.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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This was really delicious! I used fresh rhubarb and frozen raspberries and added some lime zest to the fruit filling. Love the coconut in the topping!
So happy to hear that you love this crisp recipe Christine! I love the idea of adding the zest.
I used frozen raspberries and frozen rhubarb it turned out perfect still. My family loves this and it will go in my recipe book!
So happy to hear how much you love this crisp Jamie!
This was honestly one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. I couldn’t believe I made it in my own kitchen! I used frozen raspberries and the recipe turned out perfectly. This is a 10/10!
I’m so happy to hear that Lesley! I love the combination of raspberries and rhubarb so much too.