Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

This delicious dessert is the marriage of everything good.

Sweet strawberries paired with tangy rhubarb. A buttery, crisp topping over a tender, sugary-tart filling. A warm comfort food dessert served with cold ice cream.

Most importantly, it's undetectably gluten-free! Your whole family will love this strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe.

It's a simple dessert you can quickly assemble for spring and early summer get-togethers, family time after strawberry picking, or any time you want to enjoy a fresh vegetable & fruit crisp during strawberry and rhubarb season. Yes, rhubarb is a veggie.

Gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crisp is also the perfect pink dessert for Valentine's Day or an all-American treat for the Fourth of July.

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Ingredients

• Rhubarb: is found at the grocery store without the leaves (which are toxic) and resembles a celery stalk. The color of the rhubarb does not matter. Pink, red, or green are all fine, as long as the stalks are firm. It takes approximately 4-5 medium rhubarb stalks to get 2 heaping cups of ½-inch pieces. The tart rhubarb flavor perfectly balances the sweet strawberries in the filling.
• Sliced Strawberries: This easy recipe is best with fresh, in-season strawberries. If you are in peak strawberry season, you can slightly reduce the sugar in the filling to let the sweetness of the strawberries shine. The strawberries and rhubarb should be cut into a similar size for even baking.
• Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: While naturally gluten-free, most oats are cross-contaminated with gluten-containing grains in the fields and factories. For those who can tolerate gluten-free oats, it is important to select oats with a gluten-free claim on the label. Learn more about gluten and oats. I use purity protocol oats: Gluten-Free Prairie Oatmeal or Bakery on Main Rolled Oats.
• Gluten-Free Flour: I use King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, which is a staple in my kitchen. Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
• Brown Sugar
• White Sugar
• Salted Butter: If substituting unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the topping, to bring out the flavor.
• Orange Zest: This is optional, but highly recommended. The citrus tang of orange zest pairs perfectly with rhubarb.
• Vanilla Ice Cream: This is also optional. Although some members of my family consider the ice cream mandatory.

Instructions

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Gather ingredients.

Prepare the topping: My favorite way to mix the topping is in a 1-gallon silicone or Ziploc bag. All of the toppings go in, and the oat and flour mixture gets smashed together by hand. It's so easy and is the perfect kids-in-the-kitchen job. My kids have been mixing my dessert crisp toppings since they were toddlers. You can also mix the topping ingredients in a bowl and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter. Refrigerate the topping while you prepare the filling.

Mix the filling: In a medium bowl, mix the sliced strawberries, rhubarb, white sugar, ¼ cup of gluten-free flour, and optional orange zest until the strawberries and rhubarb are evenly coated.

Assemble: Pour the filling into a 9" pie pan. An 8x8 square baking dish also works well. Gently scoop and spread the oat topping into a roughly even layer over the strawberry rhubarb mixture. There's no need to press it down firmly. The topping should be crumbly.

Bake: If your pie dish is pretty packed, slide a foil-covered baking sheet under the pie dish to avoid a bubbling-over spill in the oven. Bake the strawberry rhubarb crisp for about 45-50 minutes until the topping is a delicious golden brown and the filling is bubbly. For best results and a perfectly set, thick filling, allow the crisp to cool for about 20 minutes.

Serve: Serve warm in small bowls, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Breyer's Vanilla Ice Cream is labeled gluten-free and is an affordable option.

Storing & Reheating

Store leftover Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheat at 350°F for about 15 minutes until warm throughout. (20-30 minutes if reheating from frozen). Or reheat individual servings in the microwave.

Gluten-Free Travel Tip! As gluten-free travelers, we are always on the lookout for simple ways to eat safely on vacation. Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp can easily be prepared in a vacation rental kitchen. I use a disposable gallon bag to combine the topping ingredients, and then mix the filling right in a disposable foil pan. My travel kit also includes a knife and flexible cutting board (although, a properly washed knife from a VRBO kitchen should be safe).

If you're a fan of this easy strawberry rhubarb crisp, you will love the original recipes that inspired it: gluten-free apple crisp and strawberry rhubarb pie with a flaky, gluten-free pie crust.