Hello there! Slightly tart and sweet, wonderfully crunchy and utterly delicious: this easy rhubarb crumble tastes like spring.
Taste and Occasion
This crumble is dangerously addictive. I discovered that when I left it uncovered in the kitchen and came back to an empty dish. The mix of textures—soft, fruity rhubarb beneath crisp, buttery crumbles—creates a dessert that feels bright and summery from the first bite. It’s also quick to prepare, making it a perfect last-minute dessert or a way to use leftover rhubarb.
Ingredients
The crumble is flexible: you can swap some dry ingredients or change proportions slightly. I recommend about 100 g all-purpose flour (you can replace up to 30 g with ground almonds), 30 g oats, and 30 g chopped almonds or other nuts. For sweetness use cane sugar, brown sugar or coconut sugar for a nice caramel note. I prefer using less sugar than many recipes call for—adjust to taste.
In these photos I added raspberries for color and a complementary tartness. They’re optional but make the crumble more visually appealing, especially if your rhubarb isn’t deeply red.
How to Make the Rhubarb Crumble
This recipe is very simple. For the crumble, combine the dry ingredients with cold butter cut into small pieces. Use a food processor, dough hook, or rub the butter in with your fingers until you have coarse crumbs. Chill the crumble mixture while you prepare the fruit.
Preheat the oven to 360°F / 180°C. Trim and peel the rhubarb if needed, then cut it into 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) pieces. Toss the rhubarb with sugar and cornstarch (or custard powder) and add frozen or fresh berries if you like. Transfer to a lightly greased ovenproof dish.
Scatter the chilled crumble evenly over the fruit and bake for about 30–35 minutes, until the topping is golden and crisp and the fruit is bubbling at the edges.
Top Tip
To make this crumble vegan, substitute cold margarine or solid coconut oil for the butter. The texture and flavor differ slightly, but it still makes a very tasty vegan alternative.
Recipe Card
Rhubarb Crumble
Ingredients
For the crumble
- 100 grams all-purpose flour
- 30 grams oats
- 30 grams almonds or other chopped nuts
- 80 grams butter, cold (or margarine / coconut oil)
- 90 grams cane or brown sugar
- 1 pinch salt
For the fruit layer
- 400 grams rhubarb, cleaned and cut into pieces
- 30 grams sugar
- 10 grams cornstarch, or custard powder
- 100 grams raspberries (optional)
Instructions
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Combine the flour, oats, chopped nuts, sugar and a pinch of salt. Add cold butter cubes and pulse in a food processor or rub in with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Chill the crumble while you prepare the fruit.
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Preheat the oven to 360°F / 180°C. Trim and cut the rhubarb into 1–2 cm pieces. Toss with sugar and cornstarch and fold in raspberries or other berries if using. Place the fruit mixture in a lightly greased baking dish.
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Evenly cover the fruit with the crumble topping. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling. Serve warm or cooled.
Notes
- You can vary the dry ingredients. Keep the total weight of the crumble around 160 g, with about 100 g as flour. Up to 30 g of the flour can be replaced with ground almonds.
- The crumble is excellent warm, lukewarm or cooled. Serve with vanilla sauce, whipped cream or ice cream if you like.
Variations
If you have an abundance of rhubarb, there are many delicious options: rhubarb cake with meringue topping, a crumble sheet cake, rhubarb muffins, or a classic apple crumble-inspired version with oats. Swap nuts (hazelnuts or walnuts) to change the flavor and texture.
