I’m going to tell you how to make Rhubarb Crumble—one of my absolute personal favorite, simple recipes for the spring and summer season.
Seriously, it’s just the best! It’s a no-fuss dessert that works every single time. The tartness of the fresh rhubarb paired with a sweet, buttery, chunky oat topping is just heavenly. It honestly so good it serves four!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This
- It’s completely foolproof: We don’t need to overthink the crumble topping. Leaving the butter in rough chunks actually gives you the best, crunchiest texture!
- The perfect balance: Tart fresh rhubarb and a sweet, toasted almond and oat topping are a match made in heaven.
- No soggy bottoms: By par-baking the rhubarb for 20 minutes before adding the topping, we soften the fruit perfectly without ruining that lovely crumbly top.
- It’s cozy and nostalgic: Paired with a hot pour of classic custard, it’s the ultimate comfort dessert.
If you love rhubarb desserts like this, also try my Rhubarb Pie with a Secret Ginger Kick! for zesty pie vibes!
What You’ll Need
Special Equipment Needed
- Oven-safe pie dish (approx. 8-inch or 9-inch)
- Large mixing bowl
- Chopping board and sharp knife
For the Rhubarb Filling
- 1 lovely fresh bunch of rhubarb (approx. 450g / 1 lb), trimmed and chopped
- 1–2 tbsp / 25g Caster sugar (or granulated sugar)
For the Crumble Topping
- 230g Plain (all-purpose) flour
- 180g Chilled butter, cut into cubes
- 50g Porridge oats (rolled oats)
- 50g Ground almonds
- 45g Caster sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 45g Coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 5g (approx. 1 tsp) Salt
To Serve
- Classic warm custard
Let’s Get Baking!
1. Prepping Your Rhubarb
Preheat your fan oven to 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F). First things first, let’s prep that lovely fresh bunch of rhubarb. Wash it well, and then cut it into uniform, one-inch pieces. Be sure to cut off the very ends of the rhubarb and absolutely discard the leaves—pop them straight into your compost bin, as they aren’t edible!
2. Par-Bake the Filling
Simple as that, your rhubarb is ready to go. You’re going to add the chopped pieces directly into your oven-safe pie dish, sprinkle over 1 to 2 tablespoons of caster sugar, and give it a good stir to make sure it’s nicely coated. Then, it goes into the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. This step softens and breaks down the rhubarb beautifully so we don’t end up with a soggy bottom later!
If you love fudgy fruit desserts like this, also try my Gorgeous Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Pie for chocolate heaven!
3. Making That Crumbly Topping
While the rhubarb is baking, make your topping. It could not be simpler!
Add your plain flour and cubed chilled butter into a mixing bowl. Cut through the butter almost as if you’re going to rub it in, and then go in with your hands to combine the butter into the flour into a rough mixture. You don’t need to go full-on with rubbing in the butter here—it’s perfectly fine and encouraged to have some lumps left over!
4. Squeeze Into Chunks
Next, add in your porridge oats, ground almonds, and salt. Lastly, sprinkle in your sugars. I personally love using a mix of caster sugar and coconut sugar for a little twist. All you’re going to do is squeeze the mixture with your hands to bring it together. Squeezing it into chunks is exactly what gives us that lovely, rustic, crumbly topping.
5. Assemble and Bake!
After about 20 minutes, pull your par-baked rhubarb out of the oven. It will still very much be holding its shape, but it’s well on its way to being softened and baked down.
Evenly layer over that lovely chunky crumbly topping, and add your dish back to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes until the top is beautifully golden brown and crisp.
6. Serve With Custard
Let it cool for just a few minutes before serving. And really, the only way to enjoy this is with a classic warm custard. Rhubarb and custard go perfectly together for a reason—it is the perfect balance! Let me know in the comments if you try this out for yourself.
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FAQs
Do I need to peel the rhubarb for this crumble?
Generally, no! You don’t need to peel fresh rhubarb, especially if it’s young and tender. The skin actually softens up beautifully during that first 20-minute par-bake, and it’s what gives the filling that gorgeous pink color. Just trim the ends and toss the leaves!
How do I prevent my rhubarb crumble from getting soggy?
The absolute best trick—and exactly why we do it in this recipe—is the two-stage bake! By popping the rhubarb in the oven on its own for 20 minutes first, we let the fruit release its juices and soften up. Then, we add the topping and bake again. This keeps your crumble topping lovely and crisp on top instead of sinking into a watery filling.
Can I use frozen rhubarb instead of fresh?
You absolutely can! Frozen rhubarb works really well. You can toss it in straight from frozen, but you might just need to add a few extra minutes to that initial par-bake to make sure it breaks down and softens up properly before adding your crumble topping.
How long does this rhubarb crumble last?
If you miraculously have leftovers (I usually eat the whole thing myself!), you can store the crumble in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The topping might soften a little bit over time, so I recommend popping it back into a warm oven for a few minutes to crisp back up before serving!
Simple Fresh Rhubarb Crumble
Course: DessertCuisine: British, IrishDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes45
minutes580
kcal55
minutesA foolproof, comforting fresh rhubarb crumble featuring a perfectly tart par-baked filling and a chunky, buttery oat and almond topping. Best served with warm custard!
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
Oven-safe pie dish
Large mixing bowl
Chopping board
Knife
- Ingredients:
450 g fresh rhubarb (about 1 large bunch)
2 tbsp (25g) caster sugar (for the filling)
230 g plain all-purpose flour
180 g chilled butter (cut into cubes)
50 g porridge oats
50 g ground almonds
45 g caster sugar
45 g coconut sugar
5 g salt
Classic custard (for serving)
Directions
- Preheat your fan oven to 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F).
- Wash the rhubarb, trim the ends, and discard the leaves. Chop the stalks into 1-inch pieces.
- Add the rhubarb to an oven-safe pie dish, sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of caster sugar, and stir to coat.
- Bake the rhubarb for 20 to 25 minutes to soften.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and chilled cubed butter. Roughly rub the butter into the flour with your hands, leaving plenty of lumps.
- Add the oats, ground almonds, salt, caster sugar, and coconut sugar. Use your hands to squeeze the mixture together into rough chunks.
- Remove the rhubarb from the oven and scatter the crumble topping evenly over the hot fruit.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
- Serve warm with classic custard.
Notes
- The Squeeze Method: Don’t rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine sand. Squeezing the dry ingredients and butter together at the end is what gives you those big, crispy crumble chunks!
- Why Par-Bake? Baking the rhubarb by itself for 20 minutes first is the secret to getting perfectly tender fruit without a soggy crumble topping.
- Swaps: If you don’t have coconut sugar, light brown sugar is a fantastic substitute that will still give you a lovely caramel flavor.
- Storage: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven to crisp the topping back up!
