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    Home / Recipes

    Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

    Published May 25, 2012

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This gluten free strawberry rhubarb crumble (aka gluten free strawberry rhubarb crisp) combines a luscious tangy fruit filling with a sturdy crumble topping that everyone can enjoy. Add a scoop of homemade fresh ginger ice cream if you want to be extra fancy!

    gluten free rhubarb crumble

    Upon tasting strawberry-rhubarb anything, it becomes evident why this fruit and veg duo are a classic pair. Strawberries soften rhubarb's tart edge, and rhubarb lends complexity to the sweet berries. While strawberries cook down into juicy mush, rhubarb holds its shape – sometimes too much. The strawberries' juices help break down the rhubarb, which in turn lends body to fillings that might otherwise turn soupy. Strawberry's vermillion hue adds color to the sometimes green-red stalks, taking the color of the final dish from drab to rosy red.They are truly a match made in culinary heaven.

    bunch of rhubarb

    With these odds stacked in my favor, I thought that making a strawberry-rhubarb crisp worthy of sharing on this site would be a cakewalk. I wanted it to be gluten-free, not overly sweet, with a well-cooked but thick filling, and with a topping that lived up to its name.

    sliced rhubarb

    Instead, this is the sixth rhubarb crisp I've made this month. Granted, I've had a lot of rhubarb to work with (many thanks to Jay's folks for the continued abundance!), and eating rhubarb baked into my favorite fruit dessert is hardly a chore. Crisps come together quickly, keep well, and make a superb breakfast, snack or post-prandial treat. But finding a topping that would stand up to the copious juices of the fruit/veg dream-team proved challenging.

    rhubarb and strawberries

    I first tried pre-cooking the rhubarb, as recipes by Nancy Silverton (for a cobbler) and Cook's Illustrated (for a pie) directed. But when made into crisps, these were the soupiest of all, needing well over an hour in the oven, the topping dissolving into the filling and leaving only small patches of streusely bits in its wake, the fruit disintegrating into a shapeless (though tasty) compote.

    My favorite filling turned out to be the simplest: raw rhubarb cut fairly small and strawberries in larger chunks tossed with sugar (brown for depth) and a small amount of cornstarch. This filling baked into a thick and chunky compote. I took a cue from Heidi Swanson and used a bit more rhubarb than berries, rather than the 50/50 ratio called for in most recipes, which keeps the tart complexity from getting obscured.

    chopped rhubarb

    After a couple of dissatisfying tries with a typical streusel topping, I turned to the plum crumble that I posted about last September. Marion Burros' recipe contains egg and baking powder in the topping as well as the usual streusel subjects, and employs the curious mixing technique of combining the dry ingredients with egg to make a fluffy crumble, then drizzling melted butter over the top. My friend Amelia discovered that the original recipe could easily be made gluten-free (thanks, A!), so I swapped out the wheat flour for oat and rice flours, and added some rolled oats as well.

    crumble topping

    The resulting topping stood up to the bubbling fury below with aplomb, staying crunchy on top even several days post-baking, and tasting like a lightly spiced oatmeal cookie. The fruit-to-topping ratio is spot-on, with some of each in every bite.

    crumble and ice cream

    What makes this dessert really pop is a scoop of Fresh Ginger Ice Cream melting over the top, the cream smoothing the flavors of fruit and spice, the ginger turning the fruit duet into a lively ménage à trois. If I were serving this with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream instead, I would add 2 tablespoons minced candied ginger to the filling along with the fruit so as not to miss out on this stellar threesome.

    bowls of gluten free rhubarb crumble

    More Rhubarb Recipes:

    • Rhubarb Buckle
    • Apple-Rhubarb Pandowdy
    • Rhubarb Chutney
    • Hibiscus, Rhubarb + Yogurt Ice Pops

    More Crisps and Crumbles:

    • Vegan Gluten Free Apple Crisp
    • Gluten Free Apricot Pie with Crumble Crust
    • Apple Rhubarb Crisp (gluten-free + vegan options)
    • Rhubarb Crisp with Almond and Cardamon

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this strawberry rhubarb crumble recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    rhubarb crumble
    5 from 3 votes

    (Gluten-Free) Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    A delicious gluten-free take on the classic dessert, this easy fruit crumble boasts a crisp lid atop sweet-tart roasted fruit. Serve with a scoop of fresh ginger ice cream if you want to take it over the top.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 6 to 8 servings

    Ingredients

    The filling:

    • 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
    • pinch salt
    • 1 pound trimmed rhubarb, sliced 1/4" thick (about 4 cups)
    • 3/4 pound strawberries, hulled, quartered if large, halved if small (about 3 cups)

    The crunchy topping:

    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic granulated cane sugar
    • 3/4 cup GF oat flour
    • 1/4 cup sweet white rice flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
    • 1 egg, beaten well
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling (such as "sugar in the raw")

    Instructions

    • Position a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 375°Place an ungreased 10" tart or pie pan (or a 10" oven-proof skilleon a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the rhubarb and strawberries, and gently toss to coat. Spread the fruit in the prepared pan and set aside.
    • In another medium bowl (or the same one, scraped fairly clean), sift together the granulated sugar, flours, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the oats. Add the egg and, using your hands, mix thoroughly, squeezing, tossing and pinching handfuls of the mixture, to produce moist little particles. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the plums.
    • Use a spoon to drizzle the melted butter evenly all over the topping, and sprinkle evenly with the coarse sugar.
    • Place the crumble in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and the fruit is bubbling thickly. Cool slightly.
    • Serve the crumble warm or at room temperature (preferably with fresh ginger ice cream!).
    • The crumble will keep in the fridge for a few days. Re-warm in a 300º oven before serving.

    Notes

    Adapted from Marion Burros' Plum Crumble via The Wednesday Chef and Orangette.
    Serve this with Fresh Ginger Ice Cream, or add 2 tablespoons minced candied ginger to the fruit and serve the crisp with Vanilla, Black Pepper, or Honey Yogurt ice cream instead.
    If gluten isn't an issue for you, you can use all-purpose or whole wheat flour in place of the cornstarch, rice and oat flours. If gluten IS an issue for you or your guests, make sure that your flours and oats are certified gluten-free.
    Nutritional values are based on one of six servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 414kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 125mgPotassium: 478mgFiber: 4gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 585IUVitamin C: 39.4mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 1.5mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    bowl of gluten fre crumble

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Evie says

      May 29, 2012 at 4:14 am

      I made this crisp for my family for our BBQ today. It was fantastic and i received many compliments on it. It had the perfect balance of sweet and tart. I didn't have an ginger or ginger ice cream on hand but I look forward to trying that next time i make this, and there WILL be a next time. Its also the best crisp topping I've ever made. I plan to hold onto this topping recipe for all of my future crisps. Thank you for sharing this!

      Reply
    2. Alanna says

      May 29, 2012 at 5:30 am

      Thanks for giving the recipe a go, and thanks for the glowing review! I'm thrilled that you like the crisp topping - let me know what else you use it for. : )

      Ps. I like your blog - so fun!

      Reply
    3. Elisa says

      June 01, 2012 at 12:23 am

      I made this for my family today. It was wonderful! I did use almond flour instead of oat flour (didn't have any on hand) and I cut down the butter to only 4 tbspns. It was wonderful... and just enough leftovers for me to indulge in tomorrow!! =) Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 01, 2012 at 1:27 am

        I'm so glad you liked it! Almond flour sounds like a delicious substitute- so good to know it can be used in place of the oat flour. Enjoy the leftovers!

        Reply
    4. vanessa says

      June 02, 2012 at 2:02 am

      Super yummy! Definitely a keeper.

      I also made this vegan by substituting 1/2 mashed banana for the egg and leaving off the butter drizzled on top. AMAZING!

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 02, 2012 at 3:26 am

        That's fantastic - thanks for commenting! I'm impressed that those substitutions worked out! I'd imagine one could also substitute Earth Balance Buttery Spread for the butter, (I'd leave out the salt), or a lesser amount of melted coconut oil (maybe 6 tablespoons).

        Reply
      • Deb Baverstock says

        May 12, 2014 at 3:07 pm

        Oh, I was thinking of the Earth Balance, but forgot about the salt. My son is also dairy free so I have to find lots of substitutions.

        Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 12, 2014 at 6:10 pm

        Let me know if you give the Earth Balance a go.

        Reply
    5. Suzuki says

      June 05, 2012 at 5:34 pm

      It was my first time cooking with rhubarb. So, naturally, I turned to a trusted source. Super good, Alanna. Thanks!

      BTW, I even used less sugar and it turned out perfect for my palate. And since it turns out my husband and son don't like rhubarb, well...

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 05, 2012 at 6:18 pm

        Hi Suzuki, Thanks for putting your faith in the Bojon Gourmet - I'm so glad you enjoyed the crumble! Did you decrease the sugar in the filling or the topping?

        Reply
    6. Anonymous says

      July 08, 2012 at 5:27 pm

      I substituted a 1/2 cup coconut flour and 1/2 cup almond flour and used mostly sucanat to sweeten it. Also substituted 1/2 of the butter with coconut oil. Tastes amazing, will be making it many more times this summer!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        July 08, 2012 at 8:31 pm

        Those sound like killer modifications - I'll have to try 'em next time. Thank you so much for commenting!

        Reply
    7. Dan Eagen says

      April 24, 2013 at 5:31 am

      This thing is spot on. Simple, easy to follow, and killer taste. The crust is just killer. I'm not much of a gluten free guy, but I'l be making this again for sure. Couldn't find ginger ice cream, so I grated fresh ginger into creme fraiche. The ginger works well with it. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        April 24, 2013 at 7:09 am

        Hi Dan, So glad you liked it! Fresh ginger creme fraiche sounds awesome. If you don't want to go gluten-free, you can always use all-purpose wheat flour in place of the oat and rice flours. :)

        Reply
    8. Elena Melling Photography says

      May 14, 2014 at 8:41 pm

      This is the best crumble/crisp I've ever made! The egg was the secret! I sub'd brown rice flour and almond meal flour for oat flour.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 15, 2014 at 1:11 am

        Hi Elena, I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your modifications - fantastic to know that brown rice and almond flours work here. :)

        Reply
    9. Vanessa says

      May 31, 2014 at 8:18 pm

      AWESOME DESSERT! I've made this twice and I adapted it to make it vegan. First time I used some mashed ripe banana to replace the egg and subbed melted coconut oil for the butter. It was delicious! Second time, used banana again, but subbed a stick of Earth Balance for the butter. Again, amazing! It was crispy and decadent. Nobody would've guessed it was vegan and gluten free. A HUGE hit at both gatherings. I made it at both places "on site", since it's so easy to put together. I just brought the ingredients for the topping and the mixture to coat the fruit in a couple of ziploc containers, chopped the fruit right before assembling it and baked it while we were having lunch. Both houses smelled INCREDIBLE! Thank you, thank you for helping me get over my fear of rhubarb! I will never avoid those pink stalks at the farmer's market again :-).

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 31, 2014 at 9:50 pm

        Yay!! I'm so glad you like the crisp, Vanessa! Thank you so much for sharing your modifications. So great to know that this can so easily be made vegan - fantastic. :)

        Reply
    10. Anonymous says

      June 06, 2014 at 11:35 pm

      PLEASE NOTE: Oats are not gluten free. If you are making this dessert for someone with coeliac disease like me, they will be very ill!!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 07, 2014 at 3:39 am

        That's incorrect. Oats that are certified GF are GF. Bob's Red Mill makes them, or you can order them here: http://glutenfreeoats.com/

        Reply
    11. Marcia says

      March 29, 2016 at 10:18 am

      Thank you very much for the suggestion of pairing ginger ice cream with rhubarb. My guests were dazzled!

      Reply
    12. Rachel says

      September 10, 2017 at 10:34 am

      Oh fabulous, I am excited to try this. Do you think I could use all oat flour rather than part rice?

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        September 11, 2017 at 4:48 pm

        Hi Rachel, You could certainly try! It might be a bit more tender that way, but it will certainly still be delicious. Please let me know if you give it a try!

        Reply
    13. Andrea Dore Matza says

      June 15, 2019 at 5:38 am

      I have been enjoying your recipes so much, especially since freeing my diet from gluten (and lactose) a few months ago. I can’t wait to be back in Canada to purchase your book (I’m overseas) - and for now, I am going to marry this crisp topping with your blackberry balsamic combination for the fruit part. I also have to say that your photographs, and writing set your website apart. I mean, “the topping stood up to the bubbling fury below with aplomb...” How fantastic is that? Thanks so much for all of your great content!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 16, 2019 at 8:15 pm

        Andrea, your kind words completely made my day! I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipes and writing in this space. Kudos to you for making such a big change in your diet. There are so many great options these days! Let me know how the crisp turns out - it sounds like a delicious melding of recipes!

        Reply
    14. Allison says

      June 18, 2020 at 11:18 pm

      This is a favorite recipe of my family's. Lost count how many times I have made it! Thank you!! Also, here's a fun twist on the recipe that I tried with some inspiration from a recipe from Food 52's site. Instead of strawberries, sub cherries. I up it to a full pound... cause why not?! Add a couple big spoonfuls of dried hibiscus. Then to the topping..add sliced almonds after mixing in the egg. Everything else is the same. We love both versions!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        June 19, 2020 at 8:42 pm

        That cherry hibiscus variation sounds absolutely superb. Thanks for sharing! I just ate dinner but suddenly I'm hungry again. :D

        Reply
    15. Laurel says

      July 27, 2021 at 7:22 am

      Just made this with blueberry and nectarine. WONDERFUL!!! Thanks for an easy recipe!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        July 27, 2021 at 8:38 am

        That sounds absolutely sublime. So glad you liked the recipe!

        Reply
        • Laurel says

          July 05, 2022 at 8:44 pm

          Just wanted to let you know that I’ve made this more times than I can count - with a variety of fruit combos. Recently I had strawberries, 2 nectarines, a pluot and an Alphonse mango that all needed to be used. Best combo yet!

          Reply
          • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

            July 06, 2022 at 3:28 pm

            Mmm that sounds delicious! I'm so glad you're loving this formula - it's a favorite of mine too!

            Reply
    16. Julia says

      March 27, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      Hi there!

      I'm so excited to make this for dessert tonight. Rhubarb is my favorite spring ingredient and I've been waiting to make this :) I just realized I don't have sweet rice flour on hand - only brown rice flour. I imagine they are pretty different, and I'm deciding if I should go ahead and leave it out, or use the brown rice flour as a sub. If you happen to see this and have advice, that would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your amazing recipes :)

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        March 27, 2022 at 6:08 pm

        Hi Julia! Huge rhubarb fan here too, obviously! I'm guessing brown rice flour would work fine here; the crumble might be a little more delicate since the brown rice flour is less sticky than sweet rice. Best to sub by weight if you can. Please let me know if you try it!

        Reply
    17. Alene says

      April 16, 2022 at 8:08 pm

      I finally got rhubarb! Hurrah! If I took out the rice flour, could I add tapioca or something else? Hope you are having a sweet and peaceful Passover. I

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        April 19, 2022 at 8:43 am

        Yay! Yes, I would add more oat flour and a little tapioca to sub for the 1/4 cup rice flour. The recipe is pretty forgiving thanks to the egg, so just about anything should work. Please let me know if you try it!

        Reply

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    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef-turned food photographer, stylist, videographer, and award-winning cookbook author. The Bojon Gourmet is a celebration of the sweet, savory, and occasionally boozy recipes that I create in my San Francisco kitchen. About →

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