Meet your new favorite summer dessert: strawberry-rhubarb crisp, a union of sweet-tart jammy fruit and an irresistibly buttery crisp topping. Summery, festive, and delicious — strawberries and rhubarb have never been so happy together!

Just baked strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

Like basil and tomatoes, apples and cinnamon, peanut butter and chocolate, rhubarb and strawberries are meant to be together.

Arguably, they’re better together. At least in their cooked forms.

Here, strawberries and rhubarb bake together beneath a buttery, shortbread-like topping until the fruit softens, becoming jammy in texture, the sweetness of the strawberries balancing the tartness of the rhubarb, the meltingly soft rhubarb buoying the bursts of juicy strawberries.

What I love about a crisp is its simple assembly, and this one is no exception: first, you’ll zest a lemon into the sugar, which releases the oils in the zest, heightening the lemon flavor. Next, you’ll toss this lemony sugar with the fruit before transferring it to its baking dish and crumbling over the topping, which comes together in seconds in a food processor. Into the oven it goes, and 45 minutes later, when the rosy fruit bubbles beneath the golden brown topping, it’s done.

Vanilla ice cream alongside is a must. Find step-by-step instructions below.

PS: Lemon-Blueberry Crisp

Just baked strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

How to Make Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp, Step by Step

First, gather your strawberries and rhubarb: you need about a pound of each.

A bowl of strawberries aside a few stalks of rhubarb.

Stem, hull, and quarter the strawberries:

A cutting board topped with sliced strawberries.

Cut the rhubarb into 1/2-inch thick slices:

A cutting board topped with sliced rhubarb.

In a large bowl, zest a lemon over sugar:

A large bowl filled with 1/2 cup of sugar and the zest of 1 lemon.

Rub the lemon into the sugar:

A bowl filled with 1/2 cup of sugar with lemon zest rubbed into it.

Add the fruit to the bowl, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of cornstarch:

A large bowl filled with strawberries and rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, and cornstarch.

Toss to combine:

A bowl of cut strawberries and rhubarb tossed with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest.

Then transfer to a baking dish: I’m using this 10.5-inch tart pan.

A baking dish filled with strawberries and rhubarb tossed with sugar, lemon zest, and cornstarch.

Next, gather your ingredients for the crisp topping: flour, almond flour (see recipe box if you don’t have almond flour), sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter.

The ingredients to make a crisp topping measured on the countertop: flour, sugar, butter, almond flour, salt, and baking powder.

Place the dry ingredients in a food processor:

A food processor filled with the dry ingredients for a crisp topping.

Run the machine until the ingredients are well blended, then add the butter:

A food processor filled with the dry ingredients for a crisp topping, blended together, with the butter just added.

Purée again, until the mixture begins clumping:

A food processor filled with the crisp topping for strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

Spread the topping over the berries in the baking dish:

An unbaked strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

Then bake for 45-50 minutes or until the topping is browned to your liking and the fruit is bubbling:

Just baked strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

Let cool briefly, then serve with vanilla ice cream:

A plate of strawberry-rhubarb crisp aside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Just baked strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

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Description

This strawberry-rhubarb crisp

Notes:

  • Baking vessel: I’ve been making this in this 10.5-inch tart pan. You can use something similar or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Almond Flour: If you don’t have almond flour, you can grind whole almonds (56 grams) in the food processor prior to adding the remaining dry ingredients. Alternatively, you can simply use 56 grams more flour. 

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 1 pound (453 grams) strawberries
  • 1 pound (453 grams) rhubarb, leaves removed
  • 1/2 cup (1oo grams) sugar
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
  • pinch salt

For the topping:

  • 3/4 cup (96 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
  • 1/2 cup (56 grams) almond flour, see notes above
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For serving:

  • vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. Prepare the fruit: Hull and quarter the strawberries. (Note: To Hull the strawberries, I take a small paring knife and run it around the base of the stem, pointed in at an angle, ultimately removing a cone-shaped area.) Cut the rhubarb into 1/2-inch thick slices.
  3. Make the filling: Place the 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Zest the lemon into the sugar, then rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers. Transfer the fruit to the bowl. Add the cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Using your hands or a large spoon, toss until everything is well combined. Transfer the filling to a 9- or 10-inch baking dish (see notes above) or 9×13-inch baking pan.
  4. Make the crisp topping: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, almond flour, and salt in a food processor. Purée until the dry ingredients are combined. Add the butter and purée again just until the mixture begins to clump — it will be mostly smooth. Crumble the topping over the fruit.
  5. Bake the crisp: If you are using a 9- or 10-inch baking dish, place the dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Transfer to the oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crisp topping is browned and the fruit is bubbling.
  6. Serve: Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American