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Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb Crisp

Make Rhubarb Crisp now: a warm, skillet-baked dessert with tart rhubarb and crunchy oat topping.

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time60 minutes
Yield6

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat and prepare the skillet

Preheat your oven to 375°F and prepare a 10-inch skillet by coating it lightly with butter or non-stick spray; set the skillet on the painted pine wood surface so it’s ready to receive the layers. Keep a small rubber spatula nearby for pressing the base and transferring the rhubarb — the skillet is your cooking and serving vessel for this crisp, so treat it as the hero of the sequence.

Step 2: Toss the rhubarb with sugar and spices

Place the 5 cups of chopped, washed rhubarb in a matte grey ceramic mixing bowl. Add the ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and stir gently until every piece of rhubarb is evenly coated in the sugar-cinnamon dusting; you want glossy, sugar-edged sticks that will macerate slightly and release syrupy juices when baked. Set the bowl aside, tented with a light cloth if you like, while you make the crisp topping.


Step 3: Make the crisp mixture until pea-sized clumps form

Combine the quick oats, 1 cup flour, 1 cup packed brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in the same matte grey bowl or a shallow mixing bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingertips to work the fat into the dry mix until the butter pieces are pea-sized and each crumb is well-coated — the texture should be a mix of sandy flour, coarse oats, and little glossy butter beads that will melt and bind into crunchy clusters in the oven. Aim for roughly 4 cups of topping total.

Step 4: Assemble, bake, and finish with ice cream

Spread about 2 cups of the crisp mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared skillet and press it flat with the spatula to form a compact base. Pour the coated rhubarb over that base and press gently to even it. Scatter the remaining crisp mixture across the top until the rhubarb is mostly covered, leaving bits of pink poking through. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 35–45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the filling is bubbling; if the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. Let it rest briefly, then serve warm directly from the skillet with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the hot, caramelized rhubarb.


Notes