Rhubarb Crumble

Got rhubarb? Bake up this classic dessert.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated March 12, 2024
Elise Bauer
Rhubarb Crumble on a white dish with a spoon

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

When my father was a kid growing up in Minnesota, in the summer he used to love to chew on rhubarb that grew like a weed around there, RAW.

That's right. Raw. (The stalks, not the leaves which are poisonous.)

What Does Rhubarb Taste Like?

Have you ever tried biting into a piece of raw rhubarb stalk? I dare you. It's like a hundred times more sour than a lemon (OK maybe a little exaggeration here). It's screaming tart. It's "what was I thinking?" tart.

Anyway, rhubarb is not safe around this house. The refrigerator half-life for rhubarb is a couple hours at best. This last bunch we put to work into this lovely rhubarb crumble!

Rhubarb Crumble in a white baking dish with a spoon

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Taking a tip from The Flavor Bible, I added a touch of cardamom to the vanilla and rhubarb in the filling, rhubarb+cardamom+vanilla being one of those match-made-in-heaven flavor combinations.

Another favorite combo with rhubarb that I love is ginger and orange zest, which would also work great with this crumble. Feel free to experiment.

How Much Sugar To Add to Rhubarb

The only thing you need to really keep an eye on is making sure you have enough sugar to balance out the tartness of the rhubarb.

The ratio of rhubarb to sugar in this recipe is perfect for us, but if it ends up being too tart for you, add a little more sugar, or just eat with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even straight cream.

Adding Fruit to This Rhubarb Recipe

Strawberry is a classic flavor combination with rhubarb. Adding half strawberry in place of half the rhubarb in this recipe would work really well. Apples, pears, and blackberries can also make up to half the fruit in this crumble. If using a sweet fruit in addition to the rhubarb, consider decreasing the amount of sugar by 1/4 cup.

The Difference Between a Crisp and a Crumble

Crisps and crumbles are similar, and often the terms are used interchangeably. However, traditionally a crisp includes oats or nuts in the topping, and a crumble—like this one—does not.

How To Serve and Store Rhubarb Crumble

Serve this dessert warm, but let it sit for about a half hour after it comes out of the oven so it's not too runny. Serve plain, or serve with fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or yogurt on top. Or serve at room temperature or cold.

Store crumble covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator, tightly covered to preserve moisture, up to one week.

Reader Variations

Over the years, many of you have made this rhubarb crumble your own. Here are just a few ways you've adapted it:

  • Helen: "This was delicious. I also added some pecans to the crumble and scattered some oats on top."
  • Jonathan Perceval Maxwell: "Got given some rhubarb by a colleague at work, and had a stab at a crumble, the first I have ever made, absolutely delicious! (modesty is my middle name). The cardamom addition is just fantastic. I also added a little Tokay, a fortified wine unique to Australia, which just adds a lovely tea leafy and toffee component. All in all very happy with result. Thank you for providing such an easy to follow and delicious recipe."
  • Sandy: "I made this recipe last night and made only one small change, I added a scant 1/4 tsp of salt to the rhubarb mixture. This is a spectacular dessert, my mother has an arsenal of rhubarb recipes due to having a huge rhubarb patch, and as my father dug into this he declared it "a keeper" and that it ought to be put at the top of the pile of recipes for rhubarb. High praise indeed. I ended up using 7 cups of cut up rhubarb with the 1 1/4 cups of sugar and it was perfect."
  • Matt: "Just made this with 1/2 pound of strawberries and 1 1/2 pounds of rhubarb. Minor tweak I know but my dad loves the strawberry rhubarb combo. It was delicious—some pieces of rhubarb were more tart than others but it gave the dish nice contrast."

5 More Rosy Rhubarb Desserts

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Rhubarb Crumble

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Cooling 30 mins
Total Time 100 mins
Servings 8 servings

The weight of the rhubarb should take precedence over the number of cups. The number of cups can vary depending on the size of the cut rhubarb pieces.

Adapted from Catherine Newman's Rhubarb Crumble in Oprah Magazine, May 2009.

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Ingredients

For the filling

  • 2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

For the crumble topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup light brown sugar

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Prepare the filling:

    In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the rhubarb, white sugar, 1/4 cup of flour, vanilla extract, and the cardamom.

    Spoon into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

    raw rhubarb tossed with sugar before baking
    Elise Bauer
  3. Make the topping:

    In a food processor, pulse together 1 cup of flour, salt, and brown sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the pieces of butter are pea-sized. (Alternatively, mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and cut the butter in with 2 knives or a pastry cutter.)

    Spread the topping mixture over the rhubarb mixture.

    how to make crumble topping for rhubarb
    Elise Bauer
  4. Bake:

    Place in oven and bake at 375°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is lightly browned. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

    Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

    finished baked rhubarb crumble
    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
406 Calories
12g Fat
74g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 406
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 235mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 55g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 9mg 45%
Calcium 123mg 9%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 383mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.