This apple rhubarb crisp recipe with oats dessert is amazing! Using fresh or frozen fruit like our Cranberry Apple Cobbler, we added an Old Fashioned oatmeal crisp to the top. It is great for brunch, breakfast or a light dessert.
Have you made a fresh rhubarb dessert? They’re easier than you think and great with other fresh fruits like apples or strawberries. We found some fresh rhubarb in the store and thought we’d make an apple rhubarb crunch dessert today!
Maybe it was something that was more commonly used “back then”. It must be because I had a hard time finding it in the store myself! SO, this year we are growing fresh rhubarb in our garden!
My Grandmother used it like all the time in pies and in savory dishes too. I will admit it is harder to find it in grocery stores nowadays if you live in rural areas like we do. That is why I was so excited that it grew so well right at home.
Frozen Rhubarb Crisp with Oats
You could use frozen rhubarb if it was out of season, it would just have more liquid and wouldn’t be as firm once it defrosted so the texture would be different than here. Your best bet is to leave in a bowl on the counter for 1.5 hours or so to thaw, drain all the liquid out and measure from there.
Ingredient Notes
For the best results you will want to use fresh rhubarb though you could defrost from frozen but the texture isn’t quite as pleasant in our experience.
Apples should be peeled and diced, we used Fuji but any variety would work. I like this one though because it has a great flavor which is slightly sweet and firm. If you prefer a bit tart then go with granny smith (green) instead.
You will want some white granulated Sugar to sweeten this. You will definitely want some sort of sweetener since rhubarb is quite tart without it.
Butter salted or unsalted works to make the insides creamy. I like salted Kerrygold ifI have my preferences for the ideal flavors.
All Purpose Flour is used for the crumble as well as using some Old Fashioned Oats (not quick style) for more texture and fiber.
And you will want either some arrowroot flour (gluten free choice) or Cornstarch to thicken the sauce inside.
Variations
For a dairy free option you can use a vegan plant based butter product. Other than that it would be fine for those who need lactose free options. If you need a sugar free option, use Splenda brown sugar instead.
You could use another fruit with it instead of apples if you wanted to. I think the texture is best with Fuji or Granny Smith but it’s your choice. Like our huckleberry cobbler which is quite versatile too.
Do you have to peel rhubarb before you cook it?
No. I didn’t. Some do use a peeler to remove some of the outside as you would with celery but it isn’t necessary. When I make this crunch recipe I don’t bother.
How Long to Bake Rhubarb Crisp
Once prepared you will want to put pan into the oven for about 40 minutes, or until fruit is as tender as you’d like it to be and top is golden brown. You can test with a fork and pull one piece out to see if it is for your liking near the end. Always allow to cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving to solidify.
Served warm with ice cream with any remaining crumbs or oats is how we serve this or if you want to know how to bake whole apples with a bit of rhubarb inside we have tips for that too.. Once it’s lightly browned take it out and allow to cool a bit to solidify. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top when serving if you dare!
Apple Rhubarb Crisp Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8×8 pan or 9×9
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 3.5 cup rhubarb, we used fresh, diced, if frozen defrost and drain liquid in bowl before measuring
- 3/4 – 1 cup sugar, 1 cup if you want it on the sweeter side
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cup apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix together your rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch and diced apples gently so all fruit is coated well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 8×8 pan with non stick spray.
- Pour fruit mixture into pan.
- Mix together melted butter, oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl until everything is combined well. Sprinkle this on top of your fruit mixture in your pan so it is spread evenly across.
- Put in oven for about 40-45 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown. Allow to sit to thicken up a bit. Serve with ice cream on top if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other easy desserts with fresh fruit
Once you’ve enjoyed our fresh rhubarb recipe you could use a few more green apples and make our Bisquick apple cobbler. If you only have canned fruit pie filling, this dump peach cobbler is amazing.
- Fresh blueberry pie is one of my favorites
- This Instant Pot apple crisp takes just 1 minute to cook.
FAQ
Personally I think fresh is always best BUT I do live in an area that snows so it is rarely actually in season and available. So…..YES, it can be substituted with rhubarb from the freezer. You can do this two ways. When it is fresh, buy extra, slice it as you’d want to use it, and freeze in freezer bags. OR buy frozen from the get go.
Green rhubarb isn’t as sweet as it is unripe. It is safe though you would want to add more sugar into the mix or recipe. It just means that it hasn’t had as much time to ripen as other stalks which is why people prefer red.
My dessert is not out of the oven yet so I can’t say anything about the finished product. I will say something about the recipe,though! I made this exactly as the recipe said…….up to putting it in the oven. The topping just didn’t seem right to me but I had done everything like the recipe said. OK, maybe I’d better check again, maybe??? Then I noticed 1/3 cup of flour was called for in the recipe ingredients but not included in the instructions. A new baker might not have wondered about the topping. I think you had better edit your recipe and include the flour in the topping ingredients
Fixed, sorry about that. Must have had a “mommy moment” when I was writing it down