Description
This Rhubarb Crisp is a delightful spring dessert featuring a tart and jammy rhubarb filling topped with a buttery oat and walnut crumble. Baked to golden perfection, it offers a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors and is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, tough strings removed, and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup sugar (use ⅓ cup for a sweeter flavor)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (can substitute almond flour for gluten-free)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup whole rolled oats
- ½ cup crushed walnuts
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease an 8×8-inch ceramic baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Mix rhubarb filling: In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb pieces with sugar, cornstarch, fresh orange juice, and orange zest until evenly coated. Spread this mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Make the topping: In a separate medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, crushed walnuts, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter and use your hands to work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes crumbly and holds together when pinched.
- Assemble and bake: Sprinkle the crumbly topping evenly over the rhubarb mixture in the baking dish. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the rhubarb filling is soft and bubbling.
- Cool and serve: Remove the crisp from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving. For the best experience, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Notes
- Make it gluten-free: Replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour and reduce the butter to ¼ cup. If the crumble mixture feels dry, add water ½ teaspoon at a time until it holds together.
- For a sweeter crisp, increase sugar in the filling to ⅓ cup.
- You can substitute walnuts with pecans or almonds based on preference or allergy considerations.
- For added texture, consider adding a tablespoon of chopped crystallized ginger to the topping.
