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This raspberry rhubarb crisp is sweet, tart, and topped with the best cinnamon crumble I’ve ever had in my life. It’ll be in the oven in just 10 minutes!

This recipe is an adaptation of my Dad’s mother’s recipe for rhubarb crisp. All I did was throw some raspberries into the mix, because you just don’t mess with perfection. And what happened was pure magic-–raspberries and rhubarb have the best flavors to balance each other. You get a slight bit of sour from the rhubarb and floral sweetness from the raspberries! L’amour!
Grandma Farr knew a little something about crisps because this topping is the best I’ve ever had! It is sweet and crumbly but still tender, and there is the perfect hint of cinnamon. Fair warning: you’re going to want to put it on everything! Easy apple crisp in the autumn, peach crisp in the summer, and berry crumble all year long!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The best crisp topping ever. This recipe uses my grandmother’s cinnamon crumble topping, and I’ve never had a better one.
- Vibrant balance between tart and sweet. The rhubarb brings the mouthwatering tartness and the raspberries offer juicy sweetness. Plus just the right amount of sugar and butter to bring it all together!
- No fancy equipment required, no stressful timing. You can make this entire recipe by hand, and it’ll be ready to bake in 10 minutes! No deep breathing, just a straightforward dessert.
Professional Tips
- Taste your fruit. Or at least taste the raspberries. It is a raspberry rhubarb crisp after all! You might want more or less sugar depending on the ripeness of the berries. I like to mix and then taste to get a real indication of how the flavors will meld.
- Make sure it bakes long enough! Raspberries and rhubarb both release a lot of juice when they are cooked, so this crisp is a tad runny even when cooled. The key to a thicker filling here is to make sure it bakes long enough! Wait to take the crisp out of the oven until after you can see the filling bubbling. If you want it to be even thicker, you could add a teaspoon of cornstarch, but I find the fruit juices to be enough.
- More is more when it comes to crisp topping. The beauty of this recipe is that it allows for some to sink in and absorb some of the fruit juices and some to stay on top and get nice and crispy.
Ingredients
- Rhubarb: Choose rhubarb stalks that are stiff (not limp), and, ideally, are a deep pink to red color. The best, in-season, rhubarb is a dark, almost magenta red. Yes, you can use frozen rhubarb. Don’t worry, it’s all still incredibly tart!
- Fresh or Frozen Raspberries: Fresh or frozen raspberries can be used for this recipe. If making this crisp in the winter, I would go with the frozen raspberries, which have a better flavor and less water content.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar absorbs moisture as the filling bakes, which results in a thicker fruit filling. For a deeper caramel flavor, swap half the granulated sugar with brown sugar in the fruit filling.
- All-Purpose Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipe. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute your favorite 1-to-1 gluten-free flour or experiment with almond flour like I do for my strawberry rhubarb pie!
- Unsalted Butter: The butter can be substituted with coconut oil if you would like. The texture of the topping will come together differently.
- Kosher Salt
- Cinnamon
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Infuse your crisp with other spices. I use my Grandmother’s cinnamon crumble topping, but you could use different spices. Try pumpkin spice, apple pie spice, nutmeg, or even cardamom like I do in my cardamom pear crisp!
- Want to add texture? Fold a few tablespoons of quick oats or chopped nuts into the topping.
- Mix up the fruit! Rhubarb tastes great with more than just raspberries! I like to pair it with other sweet fruits such as blueberries, peaches, or strawberries like I did in this strawberry rhubarb crumble. Depending on the fruit, you might want to add a teaspoon of lemon juice or some lemon zest!
How to Serve
- Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. Or caramel ice cream. Or vanilla ice cream with salted caramel sauce!
- Make some homemade whipped cream to balance the tartness of the raspberries.
- A scoop of greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey would be downright refreshing.
How to Make Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp
Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Place the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
For easier cleanup, place your baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan to catch any bubbling fruit.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, raspberries, 1 cup sugar, and water. Mix to coat fruit evenly. Spoon into a shallow 1 ½ quart casserole dish or a 10-inch pie dish, which is what I did.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Step 4: Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture comes together and is crumbly and homogenous. There will be no visible pieces of butter left. It should be clumpy. You can also do this in a food processor. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit mixture.
Step 5: Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes. The topping should be golden brown and you should see the fruit bubbling up around the edges.
Let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before serving to help the juices thicken slightly.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
You can also use your hands! Squeeze and mash the topping mixture between your palms until it clumps together and only a few visible bits of butter remain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store baked crisp in a covered dish at room temperature or tightly wrapped in the refrigerator or freezer. Baked crumble will keep for 3 days at room temperature, 10 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months tightly wrapped in the freezer. The crisp topping can be made in advance and refrigerated for 7 days or frozen for up to one month.
People mix raspberry and rhubarb because the flavors are complementary but also because rhubarb is very tart and astringent. Raspberries are sweet and almost floral, which balances the rhubarb very nicely. Making an all rhubarb dessert is also possible but requires a considerable amount of sugar to make it palatable.
Yes. You can use frozen rhubarb or raspberries in this recipe without thawing them first. Just add them straight to the mixing bowl and extend the bake time by 5–10 minutes if needed.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced fresh rhubarb
- 2 cups raspberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
Instructions
- Place the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, raspberries, 1 cup sugar, and water. Mix to coat fruit evenly. Spoon into a shallow 1 ½ quart casserole dish or a 10-inch pie dish, which is what I did.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture comes together and is crumbly and homogenous. There will be no visible pieces of butter left. It should be clumpy. You can also do this in a food processor. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit mixture.
- Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes. The topping should be golden brown and you should see the fruit bubbling up around the edges.
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed easy crisp recipes!
I made this yesterday and my family absolutely loved it! A keeper for sure.
Hi. Any suggestions for substituting frozen rhubarb?
Hi Robin! You can use frozen rhubarb in this recipe without thawing it first. Just add them straight to the mixing bowl and extend the bake time by 5โ10 minutes if needed. Happy baking!