Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

This is Such a Great Crisp!

There’s a lot to love about a gluten free strawberry rhubarb crisp. For starters, it’s simple to make (needing just a few minutes of prep), bursting with seasonal fruit, and finished with a toasty oat topping that bakes up so golden and, well, crisp. This is the kind of dessert that is as welcome as the finish to an early summer weeknight dinner as it is when you're feeding company. Dress it up with vanilla bean ice cream or enjoy it plain with a splash of cream (or cold, for breakfast). Some more highlights include:

• Sweet yet tart. This fruit crisp is the perfect balance of juicy strawberries and tangy rhubarb, plus just enough honey to add floral sweetness without making it overly swee.
• Effortlessly gluten free. Made with easy pantry staples like oat flour and oats (or swap a homemade gluten free flour blend or your favorite 1:1 flour), it comes together quickly for an easy, summery dessert.
• Great warm or cold. This crisp, like all crisps, is delicious warm with a scoop of ice cream or nibbled on at room temperature for an afternoon snack. It's also amazing straight from the fridge and served wtih yogurt at breakfast!

What's the Difference Between a Crumble and a Crisp?

Is it a crisp or a crumble? The two are close cousins, with some differences. A crisp includes oats (which toast up into that golden, nubbly topping we all love), while a crumble (like my gluten free rhubarb crumble) leans more buttery and streusel-like and doesn't call for oats.

Ingredients You'll Need

Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Granulated sugar - I use a little granulated sugar in the topping to sweeten it, and honey in the filling. Feel free to use sugar in the filling if needed.
• Honey - I love using honey in the filling to complement the floral notes in the rhubarb and strawberries.
• Arrowroot - If you don't have arrowroot powder, use cornstarch in a 1:1 substitution.
• Rhubarb - Use about 3 cups of chopped rhubarb. If using frozen rhubarb, there's no need to defrost it first.
• Strawberries - An equal amount of strawberries (3 cups) pairs with the rhubarb.
• Lemon juice - A little fresh lemon juice offsets the sweetness of the filling and works with the starch to hold it together.
• Vanilla - Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Oats - I love texture in the topping, so I always use (old-fashioned) rolled oats rather than instant oats.
• Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour, or you can use a homemade gluten free flour blend or 1:1 gluten-free flour.
• Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt works.
• Cinnamon - Or choose another warming spice, such as ground ginger or cardamom.
• Butter - Unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, is best, or try melted coconut oil.

Variation Ideas/Etc.

• Raspberry-rhubarb - Swap the strawberries for raspberries!
• Maple syrup sweetened - Use maple syrup in the filling and topping for a bit of natural sweetness.
• Add nuts - Mix in 1 cup of sliced almonds to the topping for a little crunch.
• Make it coconutty - Stir in ½-1 cup of shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut to the crisp topping.

Tips & Substitution Suggestions

• Cut the rhubarb evenly - Uniformly cut pieces of rhubarb help it cook at about the same rate as the strawberries, making for an evenly cooked and tender filling.
• Taste the strawberries - If your strawberries are extra sweet, you can reduce the honey slightly; if they’re more tart, feel free to add a bit more. Or, sweeten to your taste with more or less honey. Use my measurement as your jumping-off point.
• Let it cool - Rest the crisp after baking so that the filling thickens up a bit. This wil ensure a thick and jammy filling that's not goopy.
• Oats and oat flour substitute - Substitute almond flour and sliced almonds for the oat flour and oats, or use 1 ½ cups of your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with sliced almonds.
• Make it dairy-free - Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter or melted coconut oil for the butter.
• Brown sugar or coconut sugar - Swap the granulated sugar in the topping for coconut sugar or light or dark brown sugar.

Serving Options

• Ice cream: A warm bowl of crisp topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream is the perfect way to finish a summer meal.
  Whipped cream: A soft cloud of whipped cream is always welcome atop the sweet-tart crisp.
  With yogurt: Crisp for breakfast? Yes, please! Spoon some plain or Greek yogurt over cold or warm crisp and dig in.
  Any temperature: This crisp is delicious warm, at room temperature, or even cold, straight from the fridge.

Proper Storage

• Counter - Cover the crisp with plastic or foil and store it in the pan at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Fridge - Place leftover crisp in an airtight container or leave it in the baking pan, cover it tightly, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
• Freezer - Freeze the whole crisp by wrapping the baked and cooled crisp in a layer of plastic and a layer of foil, then store it in the freezer for up to one month. And, you can reheat the crisp directly from the freezer: Remove the plastic and foil, and place it in a preheated 350˚F oven until it’s hot all the way through.
• To Reheat - Enjoy your crisp cold, or warm it up in a preheated 350˚F oven until the topping is crisp and the filling is bubbly. Or pop it in the microwave to heat in 30-second increments until warm.