This easy cherry rhubarb crisp recipe features the perfect combination of sweet, tart, and buttery flavors. Pair with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer dessert!
Young Rhubarbarians
I’ve talked before about the big rhubarb plant in our backyard when I was growing up. I loved that plant. I would wait patiently every year for my grandmother to deem it large enough to pick and cook. In the post I’m referring to, I talk about my folks always warning us NOT to eat the rhubarb leaves, as they are poisonous.
Um, …like, yeah. My sisters and I were prone to running out in the backyard and nibbling any greens we could latch our teeth onto. Weren’t you?
😉
What is the difference between cobblers and crisps?
A cobbler has a crust on the bottom and some batter dropped on top. A crisp doesn’t have a bottom crust, just a loose, crispy layer on top.
To crust or to crisp
My grandmother used to make two different pies with our backyard rhubarb. A delicious rhubarb pie and a delightful strawberry rhubarb. I love both of those pies, but sometimes I just want a simpler dessert. And by simpler, I really mean: Lainey doesn’t make crust.
So, I make a lot of crisps. Like this delicious cherry rhubarb crisp. I love the two flavors together, even more than I love strawberries paired with rhubarb. Why?
Because cherries have a deeper flavor and are sweeter than strawberries, so they complement better the the milder, sour taste of rhubarb.
I have a both cherry and rhubarb recipes on the Dishes Delish blog:
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Helpful tips
- Use firm but ripe plump sweet cherries.
- Find the best rhubarb you can; farmer’s markets and home gardens are an excellent source.
- Use less sugar to sweeten this delicious crisp than you think you need, as cherries are naturally sweet.
- Crisps are best served warm (although I’ve savored my share of cold ones) and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Use rolled oats as instant oats are too delicate.
How to make cherry rhubarb crisp
Pre-step
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step one
Gather the ingredients: cherries and three stalks of rhubarb.
Step two
Wash the cherries, pit them with this lovely gadget and cut them in half.
Step three
Wash the stalks of rhubarb and cut them into thinnish slices. Final quantities of each ingredient should measure 3 cups and place the fruit into a large mixing bowl.
Step four
Gather the brown sugar and cornstarch.
Step five
In a large bowl, add brown sugar and corn starch to the fruit and mix until combined and transfer to a large baking dish. (B)
Step six
In a smaller mixing bowl, add flour, oatmeal, and butter and mix with a pastry blender until the topping is crumbly and sprinkle the coarse crumbs on the cherry rhubarb. (C) I lightly press down on the crisp topping.
Step seven
Bake for 30 minutes. The crumble topping should be lightly browned and the fruit juices bubbling.
Step eight
Let the cherry rhubarb crisp rest for 10 minutes before serving it. (D)
It is the longest 10 minutes of my life.
Serve.
Let’s look at another view!
So delicious! Christopher and I aren’t the type to put ice cream on our desserts – at least not at home – but feel welcome to dollop ice cream on yours. You have my permission.
I hope you enjoyed this cherry rhubarb crisp recipe!
Other popular fruit recipes
Please let me know whether you prefer cobbler or crisp in the Comments below. And what would you pair with rhubarb? I’d love to know.
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Cherry Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Fruit
- 3 cups bing cherries pitted and cut in half
- 3 cups rhubarb (3 large stalks) cut in slices
- ½ cup brown sugar not packed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Crisp layer
- ½ cup brown sugar not packed
- ⅔ cup flour
- ⅔ cup rolled oats not instant
- 6 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Place the cherries, rhubarb, ½ cup brown sugar and cornstarch in the mixing bowl and stir until completely mixed. Transfer fruit mixture in baking dish.
- Wash and dry mixing bowl or use a new one and place ½ cup brown sugar, oats, flour, and butter into the bowl. Use either your hands or a dough cutter to mix the ingredients together. You want the butter to form into little balls and the mix to be crumbly.
- Sprinkle topping and press it on top of the fruit. Place the baking dish with the cherry rhubarb crisp in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The topping should be slightly browned and the fruit juices bubbling.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve
- Eat
- Enjoy
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- Use firm but ripe plump cherries.
- I find the best rhubarb can be found at farmer’s markets.
- You don’t need as much sugar to sweeten this delicious crisp as cherries are naturally sweet
- Crisps are best served warm but I’ve been known to eat it cold and it’s still delicious
- Use rolled oats as instant oats are too delicate
Jamie Young
I just bought a huge clamshell of cherries at Costco the other day, now this recipe is calling my name! Delicious!
Elaine
Thanks Jamie!! I love this dessert!!
Cookilicious
My husband got cherries from Farmer’s market this weekend and this is a perfect way to use them! I am so glad that I came across this recipe of yours. 🙂
Elaine
Thanks so much Cookilicious! I appreciate it!
Britt | Sweet Tea and Thyme
This crisp looks beautiful! Now, I need to find some rhubarb around here…
Elaine
Hi Britt, thanks. I find farmers markets are great suppliers of rhubarb!!
Jenni LeBaron
I grew up eating crisps and love them. I still have yet to try baking with rhubarb, but I really want to give it a try. This recipe looks divine.
Elaine
Thanks Jenni! I look forward every year for rhubarb to come in season as this is one of my favorite things to make with it!
Gloria
The classic flavour combo never goes out of style. My husband LOVES crisps. What a great way to use the fresh berries and rhubarb from the market. Simple, delicious and a true crowd pleaser. Great for BBQ parties.
Elaine
Thanks Gloria!! I absolutely love this combination too! Thank you for your comment!
Jyothi (Jo)
Rhubarb and cherries are wonderful together. Love this combo. And this is perfect dessert for summer just to sit down on my comfy chair and enjoy it
Elaine
Thanks Jo! I agree. I can always go for rhubarb and cherries!
Amanda Mason
Love how you broke down this recipe and article for me! So easy to read! i’ve never had rhubarb before….I know, I KNOW! But this looks divine so I’m definately going to try it!! Thanks for posting!!
Elaine
Thank you Amanda! I can’t imagine life without rhubarb. Though now that I say that, I live without it most of the year.
Jenni
I love a good crisp recipe! That crunchy topping is the best! I am super intrigued by combining the rhubarb with cherries instead of the traditional strawberry! What a fun flavor combination! So trying this!
Elaine
Thanks Jenni!! It’s a lovely combination. I almost prefer it over strawberry/rhubarb! Who am I kidding, I do prefer it! 😉
Beth
I love crisps! I love the idea of the cherries and rhubarb too! That’s a different twist!
Elaine
It’s my favorite twist! Thanks Beth!
Kitty
I love rhubarb and am patiently waiting for mine to get big enough to harvest. In the meantime, I’m hoarding delicious ways to use it. This just made the list 🙂 I can see myself pulling it out for breakfast too…I mean oats and fruit are breakfast food, right?
Elaine
Hehe. So true, Kitty! 🙂 Thank you. I wish I had a rhubarb plant in my yard!!
Leslie
I do strawberry and rhubarb all the time, but I’ve never tried to do a recipe with cherry and rhubarb – I love it!
Elaine
Thanks Leslie! It’s one of my favorite pairings!
Stacey
This sounds absolutely delicious, I love that you use cherry with the rhubarb. I’ve usually had it with strawberries, but I’m going to have to give this a try soon!
Elaine
Thanks Stacey! You won’t regret it, that’s for sure!
Kim @ Berly's Kitchen
Cherry crisp is hands down one of my favorite desserts! I seriously can’t get enough when we make it. I’m not sure why I’ve never considered adding rhubarb to the mix, but it sounds great. We’ll give that a try the next time we make crisp. 🙂
Elaine
Thanks Kim! I love the combo so much that I wish rhubarb season would last longer!
Anne Murphy
I’ve never used cherries with rhubarb, but what a great idea! You’re right, I think they’ll be a much better balance with the sweeter, deeper flavor. Don’t think I ever saw them at the same time in NY – I’ll have to see what happens next spring here in NC!
Elaine
It’s such a nice combo! 🙂 Thank you Anne!
Lorie
Never knew there was a difference between a crisp and a crumble! But I wouldn’t deny any that happened to be given the wrong name!!!
Elaine
Hehe. Thanks Lorie!
Sara
I think this sounds wonderful! In my area people usually mix strawberry and rhubarb, but I think cherry sounds even better!
Elaine
Thanks Sara, I think strawberry/rhubarb is the norm but I love my cherries! 🙂
Christopher Benoit
It’s probably just as well that both cherries and rhubarb are seasonal. Otherwise, we’d have to eat this dessert all the time!! It’s soooooooo good! Great photos, too.
Elaine
Thanks Christopher!! I would too as you know!
Sue Waldmann
Question: by looking at the photos… the baking dish is a 9 x 13??
Elaine
Oops. I should put that in the recipe card. Yes, it is 13 x 9! Thanks for the question Sue!
Mary Beth Einerson
I’m usually a rhubarb purist but I had an excess of both bing cherries and rhubarb from from my CSA and this was the perfect use for both. 1/2 cup “not packed” brown sugar is a pretty loose measurement even for a forgiving recipe like a crisp. I settled for 74 g after doing a bit of research and it was perfect.
Elaine
Thanks Mary Beth. I get it about not being precise with the measurement. I don’t like to pack my brown sugar because I find things too sweet if I do, so I just scoop the measuring cup in it and that’s it, and I didn’t know how to notate it. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Karen
Weird. Three years in and no one posting a comment has actually cooked or eaten this? Was this intended to be eaten or just to discuss the merits?
Elaine
Hi Karen, truly, I can’t control what people write in the comments. It is a family favorite and we make it whenever rhubarb comes available.