Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Gluten Free)

This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is naturally gluten free with dairy free options as well. It’s an egg free dessert that’s easily made vegan for an overall winner. You can’t go wrong with the dynamite combo of strawberry and rhubarb. Then add a crisp topping plus some ice cream, and you have a dessert everyone loves. It’s simple to make and you can even prep the crisp topping ahead to have in the fridge or freezer too.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is one of the first things I make every year with produce from our garden. Rhubarb is hardy enough to make an early appearance before almost everything else around here. And since our local strawberries come in later around the end of June, I like to use frozen strawberries to make this recipe even easier.

If you have a rhubarb plant at your house, you’ll know that it’s kinda like zucchini. Once it gets going, there’s so much of it that it’s a total overload! I just learned that you can freeze it, so that’s going to be my main strategy in keeping up with the supply.

You can also find rhubarb at your local grocery stores when it’s in season. And you’ll definitely see it at most farmer’s market. If you find you just love it’s unique tangy flavor, try looking for a plant to buy. It can be planted right into your landscape/flower beds, and it pretty much takes care of itself. That way you’ll be loaded up with rhubarb for months every spring into early summer!

Let’s get started by talking about the ingredients for this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp!

• Rhubarb – is from the Buckwheat family and is a tangy/string stalk sort of like celery. The leaves aren’t edible, so be sure to trim them off first. It’s hard to describe rhubarb if you haven’t had it, but definitely pick some up and try it out in a dessert. It’s tangy nature is so perfect with berries, and you might find yourself addicted to it’s unique tangy-ness.
• Strawberries – I use thawed frozen strawberries in this recipe because strawberries aren’t in season here when rhubarb is in the early months. If you have fresh strawberries, the fresher the better. Store bought strawberries have way less juices than frozen, so that could make your crisp slightly thicker.
• Maple syrup – or honey both work in this recipe and both have unique flavor profiles that are very tasty. I tend to use whatever I have, but honey is really nice with the rhubarb strawberry combo.
• Orange zest – or lemon juice add the perfect bright note to this recipe that makes it stand out in combination with the cinnamon.
• Cinnamon – in both the filling and the topping make this crisp perfectly flavorful and works together with the orange zest for a great combo.
• Tapioca starch – thickens up the filling, but you can use cornstarch or arrowroot too.
• Oats – are used to make a homemade oat flour and stirred in at the end as well for the classic crisp topping, only gluten free.
• Butter – or coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegan butter all work as dairy free options as well.
• Coconut Sugar – makes an extra crispy topping. I have used maple syrup or honey, but the crisp topping comes out much softer so I don’t recommend it.
• Nuts – chopped and added to the crisp topping add a lot of crunch and flavor. But if you can’t have nuts, just leave them out, or you might even try pumpkin seeds.

Now let’s jump in and make this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe step by step!

Step 1:

Start by washing and trimming your rhubarb. Measure out your cinnamon, zest your orange or lemon and defrost the frozen strawberries. I like to use defrosted strawberries because the fruit filling bakes more evenly with the crisp topping this way.

Step 2:

Then, slice the rhubarb in 1/4-1/2″ slices – don’t worry about being too accurate because rhubarb cooks best when it’s a bit uneven in my opinion. (The smaller pieces melt into the sauce, and a few of the bigger pieces keep their shape.)

Mix a little of the juices from the thawed strawberries together with the tapioca, this is an important step so that you don’t end up with any lumps. Then add the maple syrup and cinnamon, and mix again.

Step 3:

Next we’ll make the crisp topping. Start by roughly chopping the nuts.

Step 4:

For the oat crisp topping, grind the oats (make sure they’re certified gluten free if needed) into a coarse flour in a food processor – this takes 2-3 minutes. (You can also use oat flour and make the crisp by hand by working the butter in until it clumps, and then stirring in the oats and nuts.)

Next pulse in the coconut sugar, cinnamon, and butter until the mixture begins to clump. Finally, you add your reserved oats and pulse just to combine – you’ll want them to be mostly whole, (you can stir them in by hand as well so as not to over process).

Step 5:

Add the rhubarb to an 11″x7″ baking dish along with the strawberries. Pour the sauce over the top and mix to combine.

Step 6:

Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the top of the strawberry rhubarb mixture.

Step 7:

Bake until golden browned and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.

Step 8:

Serve with your favorite ice cream, our favorites are my Homemade Coconut Ice Cream or The Best Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Best Toppings for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp:

1. Homemade Maple Ice Cream
2. The Best Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
3. Homemade Coconut Ice Cream, (dairy free & vegan)
4. Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream, (dairy free & vegan)
5. The Ultimate Whipped Cream

And now some FAQ’s:

I really hope you enjoy this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp! And if you do get a chance to make it, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here! If you’re crazy about strawberry and rhubarb, try my Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce or my Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Tart. Also for lots more healthy dessert recipes, head over to the recipe index.

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This post was originally published in 2014, but has been updated in 2021 to include new photos, prep photos, nutritional facts, more information and tips.