Have you tried a fruit crunch? There’s an extra layer of topping that makes this Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch just a little more special than a fruit crisp.
Fresh fruits tossed together with citrus and cinnamon sugar, then baked in between layers of a brown sugar and oat crust, this is my favorite way to bake fruit desserts.
Almost firm enough to cut into bars and yet just fruity enough to still resemble a crisp, this is simply a fruit crisp with both a top and bottom crust layer.
Don’t be intimidated by the crust layers or the topping, no cutting in cold butter is required. Melted butter is poured into the topping and it forms perfect crumbs to top this dessert. This recipe gets bonus points for being naturally gluten-free too.
I tried rhubarb for the first time at a friend’s house several years ago. (Thanks, Rachael!) I absolutely loved the rhubarb and strawberry combination that she served for dessert.
Remembering Rachael’s delicious dessert, I decided to adapt my favorite fruit crunch recipe to include some fresh rhubarb that I found at my local market this past weekend.
Tangy, sweet and just a tiny bit tart from the rhubarb. I love this dessert so much; I have now added rhubarb to my garden list for next spring.
I like to serve this crisp with our favorite homemade ice cream for an unforgettable dessert, but it’s also amazing the next day for breakfast. (Or for lunch, or let’s be honest, for dinner occasionally.)
To Make this Recipe You’ll Need the following ingredients:
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1 -2 teaspoon cinnamon ( China best)
2 cups diced rhubarb
2 cups diced sliced strawberries
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F
In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
Mix until crumbly then press half of the mixture into a greased 9″x13″ baking pan.
Cover with the rhubarb and strawberries.
In a small saucepan, heat the water, cornstarch, and vanilla over medium-low heat until thick and clear, stirring often. This should take about 5 minutes.
Pour over the rhubarb/strawberry layer.
Top with the remaining crumb mixture and bake for 60 minutes.