Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble is bursting with jammy fruit and bright lemon juice. It’s topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar streusel that everyone fights over!

This strawberry rhubarb crumble is a little tart and a little sweet! You can taste the tart rhubarb, you can taste the floral strawberries, and they have thickened together balanced with the brightness of lemon for a super silky filling. And that crumble topping! It certainly doesn’t hurt that I use my Grandmother’s crumble topping recipe that has been in the family for generations. It’s a golden masterpiece!

A crumble is easy, heartwarming and nostalgic–without being fussy. Truly the dessert of the moment at my house! If you’re looking for more ways to use your strawberries, you could keep it wholesome with some strawberry muffins, continue the pop of lemon with these lemon-infused strawberry scones or an individual strawberry shortcake, or enjoy your peak season strawberries all year long with a batch of easy strawberry jam! Happy strawberry season!

Professional Tips

• Think of rhubarb like celery’s baking-friendly cousin. Like celery, rhubarb has strings. No one wants strings in their crumble. Be sure to cut the rhubarb across the middle (not up the stalk) and no thicker than ¼ inch pieces.
• Don’t underbake your crumble. I was a habitual under-baker in my formative years because I was so worried that I would overbake. Allow those juices to get thick and bubbly!
• More is more when it comes to crumble 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!
• Strawberries: Choose in-season strawberries that smell fragrant and are red. Time for a trip to the farmers’ market! Out of season strawberries will have less flavor and more water.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar absorbs moisture as the filling bakes. This results in a thicker fruit filling. For a deeper caramel flavor, swap half the granulated sugar with light brown sugar in the fruit filling.
• Lemon
• 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 in an almond flour pie crust! Some recipes call for baking powder, but this recipe does not require it.
• Cinnamon
• Kosher Salt
• Unsalted Butter: The butter can be substituted with coconut oil if you would like. The texture of the topping will come together differently.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Want to add texture? To get closer to a strawberry-rhubarb crisp, fold a few tablespoons of quick oats or chopped nuts into the topping.
• Make it a rhubarb-only crumble. You might want to increase the sugar a little bit, because rhubarb is pretty tart on its own. You could also substitute the strawberries for raspberries. Check out my raspberry rhubarb crisp for more information! Play around with the fruits, this would also be lovely with orange zest and orange juice, you aren’t married to lemon!
• Infuse your crumble 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 vanilla (which you know is delish from these strawberry filled cupcakes).

Instructions: How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

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.

Step 2: If rhubarb is green, peel it. Chop off any parts containing leaves, those are poisonous. Chop rhubarb in about ¼ inch pieces. If the stalks are large, slice them in half longways before chopping.

Step 3: Wash, hull and dry strawberries. Dice into pieces just slightly larger than the rhubarb.

Step 4: In a medium mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, ⅓ cup sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir to coat fruit evenly. Spoon into a shallow 1 ½ quart casserole dish.

Step 5: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture comes together and is crumbly and homogenous. There should be no visible pieces of butter left. It should be clumpy. You can also do this in a food processor or stand mixer. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit mixture.

Sometimes I make a double batch of the crumb topping, and use any extra for coffee cake muffins or cranberry crumb bars!

Step 6: Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.

For easier cleanup, place your baking dish on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. This will help catch any bubbling fruit!

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed crisps and crumble recipes!