Rhubarb Crumble
Soft, fluffy Rhubarb Scones with bursts of tart rhubarb in every bite. A simple, traditional bake that’s perfect for spring and best enjoyed fresh with a spread butter and a spoonful of jam.
Rhubarb crumble is a proper classic. Simple, comforting, and a perfect way to use up a glut of rhubarb when it’s in season (usually April to June here in the UK).
I’ve always found rhubarb to be a bit underrated (yes, it is technically a vegetable – I did double check that!). Underrated, even though it seems like every other garden in the UK has it growing in abundance. So what do you do with all that extra rhubarb from your garden, or from a well-meaning neighbour? A good old-fashioned rhubarb crumble is always the answer!
The rhubarb used in this recipe was actually gifted to me from the garden of one of the boys’ friends. Like many homes across the UK, they inherited their rhubarb plant when they moved in, and now find themselves with more than they know what to do with each year. And if you’ve ever grown rhubarb yourself, you’ll know just how generous it can be.
We always had rhubarb growing up, too. I remember my Dad tending to it proudly, while my Mum insisted we had far too much of it…though that never stopped her from baking rhubarb crumble after rhubarb crumble. It’s one of those recipes that just became part of our family life, much like Apple Pie.
But as a kid, I wasn’t convinced. Rhubarb can be quite sharp, tart, and I definitely found it too sour at the time – something the boys said as well when they first tried it as well. A bit of a contrast to a lady I know telling me about how when she was a kid, her mother would give her a stick of rhubarb and a brown bag filled with sugar – dip the rhubarb in the sugar, gnaw on the rhubarb, and repeat…job’s a good ‘un!
I can just picture the dentists amongst us cringing at that thought.
These days, I love it. Whether it’s in a Rhubarb Scone or, more often than not, in a warm, comforting crumble covered in custard. And with my Mum still making this recipe regularly, it’s safe to say this Rhubarb Crumble is one that’s been well and truly tried, tested, and perfected over the years, decades.
Not only that, it is undoubtedly delicious, and also incredibly easy and quick to make. The ingredients are few, the effort is minimal, and in times like these, it doesn’t go amiss that it is extremely affordable to make too, particularly when you use a bunch of rhubarb from your own or your kind neighbour’s garden.
Ingredients for Rhubarb Crumble:
Rhubarb
Different rhubarb varieties take on different colours, usually somewhere between a bright pink and an earthy green. The size of your rhubarb stalk can vary massively, too, so in this recipe we’ve specified the quantity of rhubarb in grams. That being said, if you are around the 500g mark and still have half a stick of rhubarb left, don’t waste it; just chuck it in too. The 500g is an approximation. And if you really love rhubarb, you can even add a little extra for that reason, too.
Caster Sugar
Just because this recipe uses vegetables doesn’t mean it’s healthy by any standards! You’ll use a little sugar in the filling and the rest in the crumble. Caster sugar is what Granny uses, but you could always swap it out for golden caster sugar, should you prefer a slightly less sweet, more caramel-y flavour.
Orange Juice
The juice of a fresh orange is what is best here, added to the filling for a little moisture, as well as flavour. If you don’t have any oranges to hand, then some orange juice from a carton works well too. Or in a pinch, you can just swap out the orange juice for water.
Self-raising Flour
When Granny first gave me this recipe, I had to clarify the use of self-raising flour in a crumble. It seems a little counterintuitive to use a flour with a raising agent in a part of a bake that you don’t necessarily want to rise. Granny assured me that self-raising flour is indeed what she uses!
Butter or Margarine
Like many bakes, butter can give you the best flavour in your rhubarb crumble. However, margarine is a great alternative if you are worried about overall cost or using dairy. Just be sure you use a block margarine, as opposed to the spreadable kind.
Tips for homemade Rhubarb Crumble:
• Choose the Right Dish: The shape of your dish comes down to personal preference, but aim for something with at least a 1 litre capacity. I use a round Pyrex dish (about 20cm or 8-inch in diameter), while my Mum tends to use a slightly smaller, deeper square one. A wider dish will give you a shallower crumble, while a smaller dish will create a deeper layer of fruit and topping.
• Cut the Rhubarb Evenly: Cutting your rhubarb into thumb-sized pieces is a good guide, but don’t overthink it. The key is to keep the pieces a similar size so they cook evenly. If your rhubarb stalks are particularly thick, you can slice them in half lengthways as well.
• No Need to Pre-Cook the Rhubarb: There’s no need to cook your rhubarb before adding it to the dish. It will soften perfectly as the crumble bakes in the oven. Pre-cooking can actually make it too soft and a bit mushy, so it’s best to use it raw.
• Adjust the Sweetness: Rhubarb can be quite sharp, so feel free to adjust the sugar slightly to suit your taste, especially if your rhubarb crop is particularly tart.
• Don’t Overwork the Crumble: When making the crumble topping, stop once you have a breadcrumb-like texture. Overmixing can make it dense rather than light and crumbly.
• Add Your Own Twist: This recipe is a great base, so feel free to tweak it to suit your taste. Apples work really well alongside rhubarb if you want to mellow the sharpness, and a little crystallised ginger in the filling or crumble adds a lovely bit of warmth and a classic flavour combo.
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Rhubarb Crumble
INGREDIENTS
For the Filling
- 500 g Rhubarb (approximately)
- 50 ml Orange Juice (approx. half an orange)
- 2 tbsp Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
For the Crumble
- 200 g Self-raising Flour
- 100 g Butter or Block Margarine (cold)
- 100 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
EQUIPMENT
- Baking Dish (see recipe notes below)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 5 or 350°F).
- Chop your rhubarb into thumb-sized pieces. Place your chopped rhubarb in your dish, making sure it covers the bottom and you've no big gapping spaces – you want it fairly well compacted.
- Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of caster sugar over the rhubarb, before pouring your orange juice over it. Set aside while you prepare your crumble mixture.
- In a large bowl, add the flour and butter/margarine, and using your fingertips gently rub them together until you have a rough sandy texture. Stir through the caster sugar.
- Spoon the crumble mixture over your rhubarb, being sure to cover all the lumps and bumps. Using the tips of your fingers, gently press the top of the crumble mixture, to help compact some of it down but whilst leaving a bumpy texture to the top.
- Bake your crumble in your pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden on top.
- Allow your crumble to cool a little before serving. Enjoy with custard or ice cream, or just on it's own.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES:
Storage:
Store any leftover rhubarb crumble covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through, or microwave individual portions.Freezing:
Rhubarb crumble can be frozen before baking. Assemble the crumble in your dish as normal, then cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a little extra time in the oven until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.Dish Size:
The shape of your dish is down to personal preference, but aim for one with at least a 1 litre capacity. A wider dish will give a shallower crumble, while a smaller, deeper dish will result in thicker layers of fruit and topping. I like to use a 20cm (8-inch) Pyrex dish, which is what is pictured here.Substitutions & Variations:
This recipe is easy to adapt to suit your taste. Apples can be added alongside the rhubarb for a slightly sweeter filling, and a little crystallised ginger works well in both the fruit and the crumble topping, adding warmth and giving that classic combo of flavours.Rhubarb crumble is a classic British dessert made with chopped rhubarb, sugar, and a simple buttery crumble topping. As it bakes, the rhubarb softens into a tart fruit filling, topped with a golden, crumbly layer.
To make rhubarb crumble, you simply chop fresh rhubarb and place it in a baking dish with sugar & orange juice. A crumble topping is made by rubbing together flour, butter and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs, then sprinkled over the rhubarb. Bake until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.
No, there’s no need to cook rhubarb before making a crumble. It softens perfectly in the oven as it bakes. Pre-cooking can actually make the rhubarb too soft and a bit mushy – we want it to still have a little bit of bite.
Rhubarb is typically in season in the UK from late winter through to early summer, with forced rhubarb appearing earlier in the year and outdoor rhubarb ready from spring onwards. But it’s often at its best between April and June.
Yes, you can use tinned rhubarb instead of fresh (but fresh is best!). Be sure to drain off any excess liquid before using, as tinned rhubarb is much softer and contains more moisture. You may also want to reduce the sugar slightly, as it is often already sweetened. And keep an eye on your baking time as the rhubarb filling won’t take as long to cook as it would if it was fresh.
Yes, frozen rhubarb works well in crumble. You don’t even need to defrost it first – simply add it straight to the dish with the sugar and orange juice, and bake as normal. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Depending on how long your rhubarb has been frozen, it may release a bit more liquid, so you can reduce the orange juice a little if your rhubarb has been in the freezer for a while.
Yes, apples work really well with rhubarb. They add natural sweetness and help balance the sharpness of the rhubarb. Simply peel and chop the apples and mix them in with the rhubarb before adding the crumble topping.
Absolutely. A little crystallised ginger adds a lovely warmth and pairs beautifully with rhubarb. You can mix it into the fruit filling or add it to the crumble topping for extra flavour.
Free-from & Vegan:
Nut-free: This recipe for Rhubarb Crumble does not contain any nuts. However, be sure to check your flour and butter/margarine for any hidden allergens.
Egg-free: This recipe for Rhubarb Crumbles does not contain any eggs.
Dairy-free: The only ingredient you would need to be cautious of in this recipe is the butter; however, if you swap this for a dairy-free block margarine, you can make this a dairy-free Rhubarb Crumble.
Gluten-free: The crumble mixture of this recipe does call for flour, however, swapping to a gluten-free self-raising flour should work fine in this recipe to make it a gluten-free Rhubarb Crumble.
Vegan: As per the dairy-free instruction, simply swap out the butter for a dairy-free block margarine, and this recipe will make a vegan Rhubarb Crumble.
N.B. Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely that – suggestions. Please be careful to double-check all ingredients individually, taking extra caution when serving to those with allergies & intolerances.
For more info on common food allergies, please see food.gov.uk | For more info on coeliac disease, please see coeliac.org.uk | For more info on a vegan diet, please see vegansociety.com
I make rhubarb crumble regularly, both with fresh and frozen. It’s a favorite dessert for the monthly family dinners for 14, and served with vanilla ice cream and pouring custard. I actually invented the recipe when I was on holiday in a rented cottage in the country about twelve years past, where guests were invited to use the rhubarb from the garden. I mixed equal amounts of oatmeal and flour and as I had ahalf an orange going begging, I sliced it down extremely thinly and mixed it with the rhubarb. It gave a wonderful aromatic taste to the pudding, and the oats gave a more interesting texture and nuttiness – as well as being healthier!
funny that you should talk about eating raw rhubarb.
When I was young( long time ago) we would sneak into the neighbours garden( yes, I know, it’s stealing) combat style. Grab a couple of stocks and someone would have gotten their dad’s tobacco tin full of sugar.
Thank you for the memory of the tartness and sugary mixture in our mouths. Ohhhhh and we would all share the same stock . Not for the germ a phobic among us.
I made it once and it went down so well that this is my now ‘go to’ desert to make.
Easy, bare minimum effort and a 5 star with the family.
Highly recommend if you’re a crumble fan! Thank you :)
I think I asked this question before but I see you have been busy. Here it is again. Can you use frozen rhubarb for this recipe? Mine was all weighed and noted before frozen in bags. Would I use the same 500 gr and would I defrost and drain it before using ?. Any other tips ?
Thank you and good luck with the new website.
I always have loads of rhubarb- we’ve had two crumbles in the last two months!
I add plain chocolate chips- a few scattered over the raw rhubarb and some in the crumble (well quite a lot!), and either chopped root ginger or ground ginger in the rhubarb.
Alpro soya custard is the most amazing accompaniment and can be served hot or cold.
Is there a reason you stir the sugar into the crumble mix after rubbing in? I rub flour, butter and sugar in together…
Hi Scootie. I love the idea of adding chocolate chips – not something I’d ever consider! Alpro custard is my favourite also ;) As for stirring the sugar, it doesn’t make a massive difference either way, but stirring gives a slight more even distribution of the sugar in the crumble, as opposed to it potentially just being rubbed into the lumps.