Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb baked underneath a generous layer of buttery, crumbly, brown sugary, Biscoff topping!
Rhubarb is something that took me quite some time to warm up to. The first time I had it was in a pie, which I had THOUGHT was a strawberry pie. Unbeknownst to me, it was a strawberry rhubarb pie, so I was very confused as to why there were pieces of “celery” in it. I’m sure you can imagine just how disappointing this would be to a child. Why ruin a perfectly good berry pie with a vegetable??
Years later, I grew to love the distinct tartness that rhubarb lends to various desserts. Whether its baked in pies, cobblers, coffeecakes, or crumble bars, rhubarb offers a wonderful flavor to all kinds of desserts, and thankfully it doesn’t taste a thing like celery!
So this week, I’m FINALLY breaking the rhubarb streak and introducing my very first rhubarb recipe that’s sure to delight those tastebuds!
This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is perfectly sweet, slightly tart, and generously sprinkled with the most addictive crisp topping! Top it off with a rich and creamy crown of vanilla ice cream, and you have yourself an exquisitely comforting spring OR summer treat!
What is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a long, stalky, and fibrous vegetable that looks a lot like red or bright pink celery. It’s generally in season from April through June, and it belongs to the Polygonaceae family, also known as the buckwheat family.
What does rhubarb taste like?
Rhubarb has a tart, tangy, and slightly sweet flavor, similar to lemons or green apples. The sourness of the plant is mellowed out when cooked with sugar or other fruits, creating a delicious balance of sweet and tart flavors.
How to Pick the Best Rhubarb
Whether you’re in the supermarket or in your own garden, look for stalks that are firm, tender, and less than 2 inches in width. Choose younger, thinner, redder stalks, as they are more tender and sweet. Although color isn’t necessarily an indicator of ripeness, redder varieties result in a more vibrant color when baked. Avoid stalks that are limp, mushy, or have brown/yellow spots.
Most grocery stores remove the leaves from the stalks, but if they are present, cut them off and discard them. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are considered toxic and should never be ingested.
Tips for Making the BEST Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Higher ratio of strawberries: Although most recipes recommend equal amounts of strawberries and rhubarb, I prefer a higher ratio of strawberries. While rhubarb lends a wonderful tartness to desserts, it can be a bit overwhelming, so I like to offset it with more strawberries. This also makes for a more tempting crisp for those who might still be on the fence about rhubarb since the strawberries stand out more.
Add a touch of cinnamon: There’s no spice that enhances fruits and berries quite like cinnamon. The warmth of this spice really enhances the flavor of both the strawberries and the rhubarb.
Add Biscoff cookie crumbs to the crisp topping: This is an absolute game changer, folks. Biscoff cookies are buttery and caramelized in flavor, and they add an extra crispness to the topping. I actually got the idea from my mom since she used to add crushed up graham crackers to her apple crisp topping whenever she didn’t have enough flour. So if you don’t have Biscoff cookies, use graham crackers instead!
Whole oats are “wholier”: When it comes to the crisp topping, I prefer to use whole old-fashioned/rolled oats. As opposed to quick oats which are ground finer, rolled oats have a much more pronounced oat flavor and they lend a nice hearty chew to the crisp.
Get “handsy” with it: This is one of the FEW occasions when it’s acceptable to get handsy with anything–the crisp topping. Once you’ve combined all of your dry ingredients in the bowl, use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the softened butter into the dry ingredients. Once the mixture is about halfway incorporated, lose the fork, and go in with your hands! My method involved squeezing the lose dry ingredients into the buttery clumps until I ended up with a nice evenly moist crumble.
Let it cool: It might be super tempting to dig right into this piping hot beast of deliciousness, but it’s best to allow the crisp to cool for AT LEAST 30 minutes. This not only prevents you from burning your tongue (and ultimately ruining the rest of your day), but it also allows the juices to thicken as the crisp sets up.
Trust me, the wait will be WELL WORTH IT…
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb baked underneath a generous layer of buttery, crumbly, brown sugary, Biscoff topping!
Ingredients
Crisp Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned whole oats
- ½ cup Biscoff cookie crumbs*
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup butter, softened and sliced
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:
- 4 cups sliced strawberries
- 3 cups sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Topping:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, pecans, oats, cookie crumbs, and cinnamon. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the softened butter into the dry ingredients. Once halfway incorporated, use your hands to squeeze the ingredients together, until a moist crumb forms; set aside.
Make the Filling:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and spray a 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together. Stir dry mixture into the fruit mixture. Pour the filling into the baking dish.
Evenly crumble the crisp topping over the filling. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown on top.
Allow the crisp to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Leftover crisp can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
*The Biscoff cookie crumbs can be substituted with 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs or whole oats.
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