Homemade Rhubarb Crunch

Homemade rhubarb crunch is a classic dessert with a sweet, thick rhubarb filling and an extra-crunchy oat topping. You bake until the topping turns deep golden and crisp, then cool briefly for clean, scoopable slices.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

cooling 10

Total Time 1 10

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

For filling

5 cup fresh rhubarb dice into bite-size pieces for even baking
1.25 cup sugar
0.25 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

For topping

1.5 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
0.75 cup butter, melted melted before mixing so the crumble browns evenly
1 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp salt

Equipment

1 sheet pan

Method

Prep and preheat

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish so it’s ready for the filling.

Make the rhubarb filling

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, all-purpose flour, and vanilla extract, then spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.

Mix the oat topping

Mix the oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and salt until the topping looks evenly combined and crumbly.

Assemble

Spread the topping thickly and evenly over the rhubarb so each spoonful bakes up crunchy.

Bake

Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes until the topping is deep golden and crisp, with bubbling edges around the rhubarb.

Cool and serve

Cool for 10 minutes before serving warm, ideally right after the filling sets for easy portions.

Notes

Pro tip: use fresh, diced rhubarb and spread both layers firmly so the oat topping bakes into an extra-thick, crunchy cap. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm in a 325°F oven until the top re-crisps. Freezing is not recommended because the rhubarb texture can soften after thawing. Dietary swap: for a gluten-free version, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in both the filling and topping.