How to Make Rhubarb Crumble

Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano

Last Updated: December 29, 2022 References

Rhubarb is a crisp, tart vegetable that grows in stalks. It is a spring favorite for desserts and sauces. Once you know how to prepare the rhubarb, you can experiment with a variety of different toppings to complete your rhubarb crumble. It tastes great served warm or chilled, and is nicely complemented by whipped cream or ice cream.

Ingredients

Basic Rhubarb Crumble^{[1]
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Filling

2 pounds (908 grams) rhubarb, chopped
1¼ cups (280 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (25 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon (optional)

Topping

1 cup (100 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (115 grams) butter, cut into cubes

Oatmeal Rhubarb Crumble^{[2]
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Filling

2 pounds (908 grams) rhubarb, chopped
1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar
¼ cup (30 grams) cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping

1 cup (100 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
½ cup (40 grams) quick-cooking oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (115 grams) butter, cut into cubes

Quick-and-Easy Rhubarb Crumble^{[3]
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1 pound (454 grams) rhubarb, chopped
¾ cup (170 grams) granulated sugar
1 package (3 ounces/85 grams) raspberry or strawberry gelatin mix
1 package (18.25/517 grams) white or yellow cake mix
1 cup (240 milliliters)
¼ to ⅓ cup (55 to 75grams) butter, melted

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Basic Rhubarb Crumble

Make sure that the rack is located in the center of the oven.
2
Prepare the rhubarb. If you have not yet done so, chop off the leaves, and discard them promptly in the trash. Then, trim the bottom off of the stalks, and rinse them well, in much the same way as you'd wash celery stalks. Pat the stalks dry. Then chop them into ¼ to ½-inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) long pieces.^{[4]
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- Be sure to cut the leaves off completely. While the stalk is edible, the leaves themselves are not edible. In fact, they are toxic if eaten in large amounts, and can make you very sick.
Place the rhubarb into a medium-sized mixing bowl, then add 1¼ cups (280 grams) of granulated sugar and ¼ cup (25 grams) of all-purpose flour. If you'd like to add a hint of extra flavor to your filling, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and/or ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom or cinnamon. Stir everything together with a rubber spatula until the rhubarb is evenly coated.
Make sure that the mixture gets into the corners of the dish as well. Set the dish aside while you prepare the crumble topping.
In a clean mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup (100 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 grams) of light brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. If you own a food processor, you can save lots of time by pulsing the ingredients in it for a few seconds.
If you are using a food processor to do this, pulse it a few times until you get pea-sized clumps. If you don't own a food processor, you can cut the ingredients together using two knives or a pastry cutter.
Make sure that the topping mixture is spread evenly across the top of the rhubarb. You don't want to see any gaps.
It is ready when the filling turns bubbly and the topping golden brown.
You can serve it as is, or you can garnish it with some whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making an Oatmeal Rhubarb Crumble

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease the inside of an 8 by 8-inch (20.32 by 20.32 centimeters) baking dish. Try to use a glass or ceramic baking dish, if you can. Also, make sure that the rack is in the center of the oven.
2
Prepare the rhubarb. Cut the leaves off, then throw them away. Trim the bottom of the stalks, and wash them well. Pat the stalks dry, then cut them into ¼ to ½-inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) long pieces.
- Be sure to cut the leaves off completely and dispose of them promptly. They are toxic and can make you sick.
Place the chopped rhubarb into a mixing bowl, then add 1 cup (200 grams) of brown sugar, ¼ cup (30 grams) of cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Stir everything together with a rubber spatula.
Use your rubber spatula to spread the mixture evenly across the bottom, making sure to fill out the corners. Set the dish aside when you are done.
5
Combine the rest of the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt. In a clean mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup (100 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 grams) of light brown sugar, ½ cup (40 grams) of quick-cooking oats, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- You can also do this in a food processor. The food processor will also chop the oats up, and give you a finer crumble.
You can do this in a food processor, but you can also do it by hand using a pastry blender or two knives. Keep blending the butter until you get a coarse, crumbly texture, about the size of small peas.
The baking dish will be very full at this point. Don't worry; everything will settle as it bakes.
It is ready when it starts to bubble around the edges, and the top is lightly browned.
This will take about 30 to 60 minutes. Afterwards, you can serve the crumble with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Quick-and-Easy Rhubarb Crumble

Make sure that the baking rack is in the center of the oven.
2
Prepare the rhubarb. Cut the leaves off, and throw them away immediately into the trash. Trim the bottoms of the stalks, then rinse them well. Pat the stalks dry, then cut them into ¼ to ½-inch (0.64 to 1.27 centimeters) long pieces.
- You must cut the leaves off all the way. The leaves are toxic.
Add the rhubarb first, then the sugar, and finally the gelatin mix. Do not stir.^{[5]
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4
Whisk together the cake mix, water, and butter in a large mixing bowl. You can use plain white or yellow cake mix.^{[6]
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- Cut the butter into small cubes first, then melt it in the microwave or in a small saucepan over the stove.
It is ready when the filling starts to bubble, and the top turns a golden-brown color.
Serve it cold with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Community Q&A

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Question

Do you need to peel rhubarb for a crumble?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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No, there’s no need to peel your rhubarb. However, raw rhubarb can be tough and hard to cut, so make sure you use a sharp knife to slice through the fibrous stalks.

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Do you need to precook rhubarb?

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Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

No, you don’t have to. It will cook as you bake the crumble. However, if the rhubarb produces more liquid than you like, then you might find it helpful to precook it a little to release a bit of the juice before baking.

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Why is my rhubarb crumble soggy?

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Staff Answer

Rhubarb releases a lot of juice while it’s cooking, so that could make your crumble a bit soggy. To prevent this, wait until the last minute to mix the rhubarb in with the sugar, since this will cause it to start juicing up right away. You can also toss the rhubarb in a bit of corn flour to soak up excess juice, but this can give your crumble a gummy texture. Finally, cook your crumble at a low temperature (no more than 375° F) so it doesn’t cook too quickly. It will crisp up more if it bakes slowly.

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Tips

If you don't like cinnamon, add 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of fresh lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of finely-grated lemon zest for every 2 pounds (908 grams) of chopped rhubarb.^{[8]
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Consider using the force-grown or hothouse-grown rhubarb. It is sweeter than the field-grown type. It have pink-colored stalks.^{[9]
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If you are using field-grown rhubarb, you might get some stringy fibers. Be sure to pull those off.^{[10]
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Warnings

Use a glass or ceramic baking pan. Rhubarb is highly acidic and can discolor metal pans.^{[12]
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Be sure to cut the leaves off entirely, and to throw them away immediately. Rhubarb leaves are toxic.^{[13]
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