Easy Rhubarb Crumble Recipe with Classic Tart Flavor

If you’re looking for a tart and comforting dessert, you’ll love this Easy Rhubarb Crumble recipe! Whether you’re using fresh or frozen rhubarb, this easy-to-make crumble delivers a perfect balance between sweet and tangy flavors.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and everyone will be coming back for seconds. Visit our From Scratch Desserts page for more treats that you’ll want to make again and again. Grab your favorites and get to baking!

You can’t go wrong with classic rhubarb desserts, especially when topped with a sweet homemade crumble and paired with ice cream.

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If you’re looking for an easy-to-prepare rhubarb dessert recipe that has a more tart flavor, this is your new go-to recipe.

It quickly became a family favorite at my house and brings back a lot of childhood memories of eating sour rhubarb picked fresh out of the ground.

Ingredients & Supplies Needed for Crumble:

• Baking Dish – I used a 9×13 dish, but have used a 7×11 before as well. This recipe is very flexible with the size of the baking dish you use. If you use a smaller dish your filling layer will be thicker and you may have some crumble to save for another recipe. I like to use a glass dish to bake in.
• Pastry Blender – This simple tool makes combining your crumble ingredients a breeze! Instead of using forks to cut in the butter, grab this simple and inexpensive tool to use.
• Rhubarb – The star of the show in the rhubarb crumble recipe. I’ve used fresh and frozen rhubarb for this recipe, and they are both delicious. Nothing beats grabbing fresh rhubarb out of your garden and putting it directly into a pie. Using frozen rhubarb in the dead of winter for a quick summery treat is a close second, though.
• Sugar – You’ll need sugar for the filling and for the crumble. This recipe doesn’t use too much sugar, so you’ll end up with a tart dessert. I like to use organic sugar when possible.
• Flour – Flour is used to thicken your crumble, making it the perfect consistency. I like to use unbleached and organic flour when possible.
• Baking Powder – This helps to make the crumble light and airy, adding a bit of rise when it’s baking!
• Vanilla – You can always count on vanilla to add a bit of flavor to your recipes. We’ll use this in the filling and in the crumble.
• Cornstarch – Used to keep the rhubarb juices in check when baking. Without it, you might have a juicy mess, and your crumble wouldn’t stay together quite as nicely.
• Salt, egg, & butter – Staple ingredients to help the crumble come together nicely. Your want your butter to be room temperature so you can cut it into your other ingredients, making a perfectly textured crumble.

I love that this recipe is made up of staple ingredients that I can make all year long! Planning ahead and tossing extra rhubarb in the freezer makes for enjoyable desserts any time of year. Add some strawberries for a sweet version with this Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble recipe.

I love the mix of reds and greens that some types of rhubarb offer; it makes the pies and crumbles look so pretty!

This recipe comes together so easily, and it’s perfect if you have kids who like to help in the kitchen.

How to Make this Easy Rhubarb Crumble

Preheat the oven to 350º and prepare a 9×13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tsp of baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix in the egg and 1 tsp of vanilla. With a pastry blender, cut in 1 cup of room temperature butter until the mixture is crumbly. Cut the recipe in half if you want a thinner crust or if you’re using a smaller baking dish.

Press about half of the crumble to the bottom of a 9×13 dish. The thicker the crust, the more like a bar your dessert will be.

In a medium bowl, combine 6 cups of rhubarb with 1-1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until all the fruit is coated with the sugar mixture.

Add the fruit mixture to the crust and top with crumble. Refrigerate any unused crumble for another recipe.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the rhubarb is bubbly and the top is golden.

If you enjoy the tartness of rhubarb, you’re going to love this crumble. It really brings out the natural tartness of rhubarb, with a hint of sweetness in the crumble.

Freezing and Storage Tips for Rhubarb Crumble

Rhubarb crumble can easily be frozen before or after baking if you want to make it ahead of time or want it to last longer. Storing it in the fridge will work to for easy and quick storage if you plan on eating it soon.

Freezing Before Baking

• Prepare the crumble as usual and assemble it into a freezer-safe dish.
• Cover with foil or in put a large freezer-safe bag (if making smaller crumbles)
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Do not thaw. Bake an extra 15-20 minutes, covering the top for the first 20 minutes so it doesn’t get too brown.

Freezing After Baking

• Allow the crumble to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in smaller pieces or as a whole and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat at 350º for 20 minutes.
• Reheat from frozen at 350º for about 40 minutes.

Storing in the Fridge

• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Reheat at 350º for 10-15 minutes.

More Rhubarb Recipes

• Rhubarb Coffee Cake
• Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler from Heart’s Content Farmhouse
• Canned Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
• Low Sugar Rhubarb Jelly
• More Rhubarb Dessert & Brunch Recipes

We look forward to making all of our favorite rhubarb recipes in the spring when the beautiful rhubarb leaves start popping out of the ground!

We hope you’ll try this recipe and love it as much as we do. Cut it into bars and take it to your next family picnic, or make it for your next weeknight dinner. Either way, you’ll be wanting to make it again soon.

Rhubarb FAQs

Rhubarb Crumble

This rhubarb crumble recipe is the perfect balance of tart and sweet, featuring tender, tangy rhubarb topped with a buttery, golden crumble. It's a simple, comforting dessert that celebrates the bold, mouth-puckering flavor of fresh rhubarb—ideal for spring and early summer. Whether served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or enjoyed on its own, this classic treat brings nostalgic flavor with every bite.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 15 squares

Equipment

• 9 x 13 baking dish
• pastry blender

Ingredients

  

Crumble

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup butter room temperature

Filling

• 6 cups rhubarb cut into bite sized pieces
• 1-1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350º and prepare a baking dish.
• To make the crumble, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the egg and vanilla. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Cut the recipe in half if you want a thinner crust or if you're using a smaller baking dish.
• Press some of the crumble to the bottom of a 9×13 dish. The thicker the crust, the more like a bar your dessert will be.
• In a medium bowl, combine 6 cups of rhubarb with 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until all the fruit is coated with the sugar mixture.
• Add the fruit mixture to the crust and top with crumble. Refrigerate any unused crumble for another recipe.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the rhubarb is bubbly and the top is golden.