Vegan and Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

We love this vegan and gluten free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for a delicious and easy spring or summer dessert! It has a tart, sweet, jammy filling and a buttery oat topping that the whole family will love. Don't forget to serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Jump to:

• Why We Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• Ingredient Notes
• Step-by-step Instructions
• Variations
• Expert Tips and FAQs
• More Super Fresh Summer Recipes to Try
• Reviews

Why We Love This Recipe

• Easy to make: No special equipment needed to make this strawberry rhubarb crisp. Just two mixing bowls and a pie tin! It's perfect for any skill level and ready in just under an hour.

• Perfect spring dessert: This crisp is a great option for Easter, Mother's Day and so many other spring entertaining occasions! It's always one of the first things we make every spring as soon as we can get our hands on some rhubarb.

• Gluten free and vegan: We use ingredients like coconut oil and gluten free flour to keep this strawberry rhubarb crisp allergy friendly. The best part? Nobody would ever know! It's still super flavorful, sweet, buttery and delicious.

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this strawberry rhubarb crisp:

Ingredient Notes

• Rhubarb: Be sure to slice the rhubarb thinly – you don't want any huge pieces in the filling.
• Strawberries: Quarter the strawberries so they are small enough for the filling. If you're using very large strawberries, you may want to dice them even smaller.
• Raspberries: Technically optional, but I love the tartness they add to this crisp. Feel free to substitute with an extra cup each of strawberries and rhubarb if preferred.
• Brown sugar: You can also substitute 1:1 with coconut sugar.
• Maple syrup: You can also substitute 1:1 with agave syrup.
• Lemon juice. This adds the perfect amount of tart, bright flavor. Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor!
• Cornstarch: This helps thicken the filling and prevents it from becoming runny. You can also use arrowroot starch.
• Oats: Be sure to use old fashioned whole rolled oats, not quick cooking oats. While oats are naturally gluten free, be sure to purchase certified gluten free oats if you have Celiac disease or a severe allergy.
• Flour: We used gluten free all purpose flour, but if you don't have any issues with gluten, regular all purpose flour works perfectly.
• Pecans: You can also use walnuts or another nut of choice. To keep this recipe nut free, sub in sunflower seeds.
• Coconut oil: You can also sub with regular or vegan melted butter.

Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 350˚F / 180˚C. 

(1) Add all topping ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well until combined.

(2) Add all of the filling ingredients to a separate large bowl and stir until fruit is well coated. 

(3) Transfer the filling to a pie tin or cast iron skillet. Cover filling with crisp topping in an even layer. 

(4) Bake for 40-45 minutes, until topping is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes before serving. 

Variations

• Make it with just strawberries + rhubarb, or just raspberries + rhubarb. While we wouldn't suggest just using rhubarb in this crisp (it needs extra sweetness from the berries), either berry makes for an excellent pairing.
• Apple rhubarb crisp: Replace the strawberries and raspberries with diced, peeled apple. Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples are the best options for a crisp.
• Peach rhubarb crisp: Use 3-4 cups of diced, ripe peaches and 3 cups of rhubarb in the filling.
• Blueberry rhubarb crisp: Use 3-4 cups of blueberries and 3 cups of rhubarb in the filling.
• Cherry rhubarb crisp: Use 3-4 cups of pitted, halved sweet cherries and 3 cups of rhubarb in the filling.
• Substitute lemon juice zest with orange juice + zest.

For more crisp recipes, try our classic apple crisp, and our easy berry crisp topped with granola!

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Best served fresh: This vegan and gluten free strawberry rhubarb crisp is best served just after it comes out of the oven. If you wait too long, the crisp topping will start to get soggy.
• Toppings: the best topping is plain old vanilla ice cream. (Try our no churn vegan recipe – it's easy and so delicious!) For a slightly lighter version (hello, breakfast crisp), serve with some vanilla yogurt. This crisp is also great with whipped cream and/or a drizzle of homemade vegan caramel sauce.
• Make ahead: Mix together all of the ingredients for both the filling and crust, place in pan, then cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. It will last un-baked for several hours, but don't go for too much longer, or the fruit will break down too much.
  • You can also make and freeze the crisp topping for up to 6 months and use whenever you need it. You can even make a mini version for one or two in small ramekins!
• Storage: store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If reheating an individual portion, reheat in microwave. If reheating the entire crisp in the baking dish, heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
• Pair with: This Berry Bourbon Lemonade Cocktail or this Berry Basil Moscow Mule!

More Super Fresh Summer Recipes to Try

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment with a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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