The only thing I make when rhubarb season arrives – rhubarb crumble! I like to add apple into mine so the filling isn’t just baby-food-mush. Adore the tangy filling – there is nothing else like it. Serving with ice cream is a MUST!
There’s nothing like rhubarb!
This is one of those rare recipes where I can’t offer flexibility – because there is no substitute for rhubarb! There’s nothing like it – the unique celery-like texture, bright red colour and signature tang. Even its cooking qualities are unusual. It goes from apple-like crispy to very soft, with seemingly no in-between “tender crisp” like you get with most fruit.
Which, I just realised, might sound unappetising. 😂 But actually, the softness when cooked is is what makes it such a great filling for a crumble. Though also, it is the reason why I like to combine it with apple, to give it some much needed texture.
For those of you new to rhubarb…..
What it is – A vegetable, but mostly used for desserts! Looks like celery except with red stalks.
Flavour – Tart, like lemon but less sour. You wouldn’t eat a pie filled with lemon flesh, way too sour! Whereas you can, with rhubarb.
Why people love it – The striking colour and unique tangy flavour, quick to cook (hard to soft in 5 minutes on the stove), easy to prep (no peeling, just cut the stalk).
What it’s used for – Mostly desserts. Crumble is a common use – I’m so unoriginal, I know. Either just rhubarb, or combined with other fruit – apple and strawberry are favourites. Why? Partially for texture (rather than having a dish full of just very soft rhubarb which some people – ahem, me – likens to baby food) and also perhaps price (rhubarb is $5-$6 a bunch, you need 2 to make a rhubarb-only crumble).
It’s also used stewed, like a compote and jams, for decorating (think: red stalks baked on top of cakes, muffins, pastries), tarts.
How to use it – Usually cooked, though can be eaten raw, I had it in salads. When cooked it’s soft, the tangy flavour is tempered and juicier.
How to cook it – Baked, stewed. When cooked it’s so soft it does not hold its shape when picked up. Chopped pieces breaks down into a jam-like consistency within 5 minutes on the stove.
When it’s in season – Opposite times in opposite parts of the world!
– Aust/NZ: late winter to spring (June – Sept)
– US/UK/northern hemisphere: spring to summer (April – June)
– Forced rhubarb: UK early variety, Jan – Mar. Grown in the dark rather than outdoors. More tender, pink rather than red and juicier. Haven’t tried this crumble recipe with it as it doesn’t exist in Australia. Suspect adjustments required including less sugar and juice thickener. Suggest using Nigella’s forced rhubarb crumble recipe instead.Grows like a weed. Un-killable, I’m told. Try planting some!
Ingredients in Apple & Rhubarb Crumble
See the section above for rhubarb chatter. This section will cover everything else!
Rhubarb – Chatter per above. You will need one big bunch, about 10 – 12 stalks. Sometimes the bunches are small and dismal so rummage around for the biggest and best. Look for celery-like firm stems, not floppy dehydrated ones (juice-less). You need 4 1/2 – 5 cups once the stems are cut. If you’re a little short, that’s ok. The crumble will still work fine! You could also go a little more too.
Granny Smith (green apples) – As noted above, I like combined rhubarb with another fruit to give some texture to the filling. Otherwise it’s just a big dish of very soft rhubarb which has a texture like apple puree when you eat it.
Granny Smith is my choice for its tartness (matches the rhubarb) and ability to hold its shape when cooked.
Sugar – To balance the tang of the rhubarb and green apple, and to create a syrup with the juices.
Orange zest – Optional! Adds a little citrus zing.
No syrup thickener – Early versions of rhubarb crumble used cornflour/cornstarch or flour to thicken the juices I expected to come out of the rhubarb as it baked. But actually, rhubarb isn’t as juicy as apple, strawberry, peach and other fruits I use in crumbles and cobbler recipes. So it made the filling pasty rather than creating a syrup sauce. Turns out, you don’t need it. The majority of the juiciness of rhubarb stays inside the barely-holding-together cooked rhubarb pieces that bursts out in your mouth when you bite into it!
Crumble topping
This crumble topping has less butter in it than my classic apple crumble topping so it’s crisper. Reason: the more buttery crumble steals the juice from the rhubarb which a) makes the topping “doughy” on the underside and b) rhubarb filling lacks juice. It took multiple iterations (“the crumble is pasty!!” 😝) before we figured this out!!
Roll oats – Just regular oats. Not steel cut, not quick cook.
Brown sugar – For better caramely flavour and colour for the topping. But can be substituted with white sugar.
Butter – For buttery goodness and the wet ingredient that brings the crumble mixture together.
Baking powder – To give the topping a bit of lift, otherwise it is a little too rock hard!
Flour – Plain/white flour. Almond meal works well as a gluten free substitute.
Cinnamon – Mandatory in virtually every crumble I make!
Salt – Just a pinch, to bring out the flavours.
How to make Apple & Rhubarb Crumble
Nice and easy. Rhubarb is so easy to prepare!
Rhubarb – Wash the rhubarb stems. Trim off the dirty end. Then cut into 4cm / 1.5″ even lengths. Discard the leaves – they should not be eaten.
Toss the rhubarb with apple pieces, sugar and orange zest in a large bowl. Then spread in a 30 x 20cm baking dish (12 x 8″).
Baking pan size – If you don’t have a pan of this size, go smaller rather than larger. If the pan is too big, then the filling layer gets too thin and will be a little less juicy than ideal (the crumble topping absorbs some of juices).
Crumble topping – Put all the crumble topping ingredients in a bowl and mix until you no longer see flour. As noted above in the ingredients section, this mixture has less butter than my classic crumble topping. So you’ll need to mix a little longer. Smear up the sides of the bowl and use a cutting motion as needed to get it all mixed up.
Chunky bits! Grab handfuls of the crumble mixture and enclose in your first to press together. Then use your fingers to break into clumps to cover the surface.
Why I do this strange step? Couple of reasons! Firstly, as mentioned earlier, rhubarb is less juicy than typical fruits used in crumbles (like apple) so I don’t want sandy crumble topping falling into the rhubarb and stealing the precious juices. It makes the filling pasty, as I found out firsthand.
Secondly, the topping for rhubarb crumble is sandier (for reasons outlined in the ingredients section) but I still want the crumbly chunks for crunch rather than a layer of dry sand. Solution? Scrunch in hands, then crumble. Easy! 🙂
Cover surface with the crumble mixture.
Bake for 35 minutes until the crumble topping is golden, the rhubarb is tender and you see red juices bubbling up the sides. Poke the rhubarb with a butter knife to check! Sometimes, firmer and thicker pieces of rhubarb can take an extra 5 minutes but 35 minutes is consistently the perfect bake time for me.
Rest for 5 minutes before serving. This let’s it cool down slightly as well as giving the juices a chance to thicken slightly.
IMPORTANT serving point!
With every crumble recipe I’ve shared, I very strongly recommend serving with ice cream – or custard.
With rhubarb crumble, it’s not a strong recommendation. It’s a must! The tartness of the filling demands something creamy to balance it out. And also, the filling is not as juicy and syrupy as other crumble fillings because, as I’ve repeated a bizarre number of times throughout this post, rhubarb just isn’t as juicy as other crumble fruits like apple, strawberry, peaches etc.
So I’m not urging you to serve with ice cream or custard. I’m making it mandatory. Please promise me you won’t skip it! 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Apple and rhubarb crumble
Ingredients
Rhubarb filling:
- 500g/ 4 1/2 cups rhubarb stems , cut into 4cm / 1.5" pieces (1 large bunch rhubarb, 10 – 12 stems, cleaned, DISCARD LEAVES) – Note 1
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 3 Granny Smith apples (~600g/1.2lb whole) , peeled and cut 1.5cm / 3/5" cubes, ~3 cups/450g once cut (Note 2)
- Zest of 1 orange , optional but recommended
Topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats (not quick or steel cut)
- 1 cup flour , plain/all purpose
- 3/4 cup (tightly packed) brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 90g/ 6 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- Pinch of salt
Serving (must!)
- Vanilla ice cream – or pouring custard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/375°F (180°C fan).
- Filling: Place rhubarb, apple, sugar and orange zest in a large mixing bowl and toss well. Spread evenly in a 30 x 20cm baking dish (12 x 8") (Note 3)
- Crumble topping: Place topping ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated (use cutting motion/ smearing up wall, as needed). It will be a sandy mixture.
- Scrunch & top: Grab handfuls of crumble and enclose your fist to press into lumps. Break into clumps and scatter over the filling. (Note 4 explains this unusual step!).
- Bake for 35 minutes or until rhubarb is soft and the crumble is golden brown. (Bake time – Note 5)
- Rest & serve: Remove from the oven, rest for 5 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream or custard!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Other members of the crumble and cobbler family
Life of Dozer
Laundry day is always a concerning day for him.
lesley says
I love rhubarb crumble. I usually just kinda make it up. ill try to follow your well tested recipe. Perfect timing. I have already stewed some and made a rhubarb crisp. Domo Nagi
Hugs to Dozer 🙂
Nagi says
I love the extra crisp topping on this 🙂 Works well with the soft rhubarb! N x
Mark says
I make a good pie that is like this but it’s not as runny will share with the rest of the crowd.
Nagi says
Hope you get a chance to give this a go! 🙂 N x
Mary Jane Fournier says
We used to eat raw rhubarb as kids. We would take a stalk, dip the end in a bowl of sugar, then bite off the sugary bit, dip again and bite, repeat. It was very sour and really fun to eat!
Nagi says
Really!! I am totally going to try that. I munched on one stick raw and it was not very nice! N x
Sue H says
I did this too!
Xara says
Nagi, you’re such a renegade! I’ve never ever seen a recipe call for lightly packed brown sugar. 😂
I have a freezer full of rhubarb and apples and can’t wait to try this…. but I’m in the middle of a kitchen remodel so I shall have to wait a few weeks.
Nagi says
Ba ha ha!!! You’re right actually, it might just be easier to be 3/4 cup packed 🙂 Will update! Good luck with your remodel – N x
Lise-Anne Lavigne says
Thank you from Canada, the land of rhubard. The market’s are full of it at the moment. Never thought of adding apples! Will give it a try.
Sue H says
Hi Lise-Anne. I grew up with apple and rhubarb crumble. I live Adelaide now, but was born in England. This was a favourite recipe, though we didn’t add oats to the crumble. I do now. Chopped hazelnuts add an extra dimension, I find.
Nagi says
Mmmmm yes to hazelnuts! 🙂 N x
Susan Johnson says
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes and enjoy trying g new dishes. I made the chili crisp noodles and didnt like the 1st jar ipof chili crisp I bought, so I got a 2nd one 9n amazon. Should I refrigerate it and the sesame paste?
Bat Chen Cohen says
can i make it vegan? what can replace the butter?
Julia says
Margarine
Christine Uphill says
Hi Nagi I think you need to emphasize not to use the leaves of rhubarb in this recipe because they are toxic.
Nagi says
Thank you Christine! I did mention this in the post but I agree, I should emphasise it in the recipe card. Have added a DO NOT EAT warning in the recipe section. N xx
Lesley says
Priceless! The look on Dozer’s face as he looks at his toys on the line!
Beautiful precious boy!
jasonchampagnemd says
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us.
Christine Uphill says
States the leaves are poisonous and may contain high levels of oxalic acid.
Christine Uphill says
Hi Nagi – while I love it I was raised believing that the leaves of Rhubarb are toxic. Is this the case?
Jessica Franco says
Crazy, I was *just* saying that I should bake a rhubarb crumble for a friend last night – apparently they’ve never had it! Classic summer dish 🙂 I do have one quick question, though: would using frozen rhubarb work? We’ve got a big bag in the freezer I’d like to use up!
Xara Buckingham says
Frozen will work great!
Siobhan Hamid says
My absolute favourite dessert, I also add a bit of ginger with mine as I don’t like cinnamon
Michael Unverricht says
I like to cook rhubarb with strawberries. The acid in the rhubarb assists in keeping the colour of the strawberries as well as being a great combination flavour wise.
Sue H says
Together, with a little vanilla extract they make an excellent jam.
Michael says
Thanks Sue. I will make some jam
Jillian says
Could you tell me a topping for the Rhubarb crumble that is gluten free please. My husband is now GF and I would love to do this and just need a topping that is GF. Thank you for your help. Kind regards Jillian
Lynette says
Hi Jillian,
When I was reading the blurb about the recipe I noticed Nagi mentioned it worked fine with almond flour, so that should add an extra flavour as well, or you could just use glen free flour or a mix of both. Good luck.
Andie says
Oats are also gluten so need a substitute for that.
Lisa says
No, oats do not contain gluten.
The only *potential* worry is if they come in contact with wheat during processing. That’s the only reason so-called “gluten-free oats” exist.
Jenny says
You could just google gluten free oats, gluten free flour, gluten free bla bla !!
Cherie says
Sure Dozer is concerned! He works hard to get those toys all slobbery and smelly like he wants them, then Nagi washes it all away and he has to start all over again! Poor Dozer! 😅😅😅
Steven Julians says
Absolutely love rhubarb crumble – but it simply HAS to be custard !!!
Rhubarb also makes a nice sauce to go with mackerel
Heather says
Yum. Keep the winter goodies coming to help us get through the cold. Dozer looks like he needs an Aussie friend. Cute ones at Bunnings at the moment!!
Lisa says
I grew up with rhubarb crumble – every winter. Shall be making this one – it will bring back lovely memories of grandparents and those who came before.
Poor Dozer – they don’t understand the washing thing. Scritches and hugs from me.
Carol J says
Snap! I had this in mind to make over the weekend.
Try making rhubarb cordial or, something I’ve made in the last couple of weeks, Victoria Sauce.
It’s like a bbq sauce made from rhubarb but not as dark or as runny as a commercial bbq sauce (more like a smooth chutney) and it’s wonderful!