This delicious Gluten-Free Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp is so easy to make! A healthy seasonal dessert that's vegan, allergy-free, and perfect to serve warm with a scoop of your favorite dairy-free ice cream! Juicy blueberries paired with crisp and tart rhubarb baked to sweet perfection and topped with a buttery cinnamon oat crumble!
Like a juicy, sweet, summer fruit pie with a little less crust, and way easier to make! This blueberry rhubarb crisp is rich in color, sweet, fruity, and a delicious alternative to the more classic strawberry rhubarb combo! When rhubarb comes into season from April through July it'd be a crime not to use it in mouthwatering ways like a perfect crisp! This gluten-free crisp is so easy, practically a dump-and-go recipe, topped with a buttery sweet crisp and baked to bursting fruity juiciness!
Is Rhubarb a Fruit or Vegetable?
Psych! Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, even though most people use it as a fruit (kind of like how people use tomato and avocado). Actually, "a New York customs court judge ruled in 1947 that it is legally a fruit, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officially classifies it as such," even though it's part of a hardy perennial vegetable family, Rheum. So you can feel extra healthy by eating a "vegetable" for dessert!
What Does Rhubarb Taste Like?
Now you're curious about the taste! First, you only ever eat the pinkish and green stalks (like celery stalks), which is how you'll find it sold in stores by the bunch. However, if you grow it in your garden at home, you must remove the leaves as they are toxic (we all love toxic food here, as you know). The raw stalks are crisp, tart, and sour, not something you'd want to eat raw. That's why cooking the rhubarb down is key! When you cook it, the sugars come out of the skin and the rhubarb turns into a sweet fruity mush. Perfect for jams, pies, and crisps!
Why Blueberries and Rhubarb
This crisp is not your average rhubarb crisp! Since rhubarb is typically less sweet, people usually add another, sweeter addition, like strawberries which also have the same reddish-pink color. Blueberries on the other hand are just (if not sweeter) and have their own rich and deep magenta-purple color which goes well with the rhubarb! A delicious and underused fruity combo that you'll be loving with this recipe!
This Recipe Is Also:
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
- Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
- Low Sugar & Naturally Sweet
- Kid-Approved
- Simple and Easy
- Perfect For Spring or Summer Desserts or Brunch
Ingredients You'll Need
For the Fruit Filling:
- Rhubarb Stalks: Fresh, in-season, just cut, beautiful rhubarb stalks! Whether you get them from the farmer's market, your backyard garden, or Walmart (go-figure, that's where I got mine!). If you must use frozen, make sure you allow it to completely defrost and drain out any excess liquid before making your crisp (but don't squeeze it, drain on paper towels). Otherwise, your crisp will come out way too watery.
- Blueberries: Again, fresh is best and you'll only need to buy 1 pint, already perfectly portioned for this recipe. If you use frozen blueberries, again, make use to thaw and drain. Your crisp may end up being extra liquidy though. You can increase the starch in the recipe as needed.
- Starch: You can use cornstarch or arrowroot starch here to help thicken the fruit mixture. This helps keep the fruit filling nice and jammy instead of overly watery. You may need to double the amount if you chose to use frozen fruits.
- Granulated Sweetener: Before baking the crisp, you'll be tossing the rhubarb and blueberries with the starch and sweetener. This ensures the fruits are perfectly sweet throughout the crisp and ready to be baked down in the casserole dish.
For the Crisp Topping:
- Certified Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: Celiac-safe oats, please! If oats are completely off-limits you can try using some quinoa flakes instead! Oats really are best for a crisp topping.
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: Any gluten-free flour you have will be fine here for the crispy topping.
- Vegan Butter: We can't have a buttery crisp topping without the vegan butter! This holds it all together and makes that topping pure decadence!
- Cinnamon + Light Bown Sugar: Cinnamon and some brown sugar sweetener give this fruity dessert a deeper sweet and cozy flavor without overpowering the fruits' natural sweetness! You can even try a dash of ginger or allspice instead!
How to Make Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Mix together the chopped rhubarb, blueberries, starch, and sweetener.
- Transfer the fruit filling to an 8x8 casserole dish and let it sit while you make the crisp topping.
- Mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Add a stick of melted vegan butter.
- Mix the crisp topping together until thick and combined (it will smell like delicious oatmeal!)
- Then spread the sticky oat crisp over the top of the fruit before baking in the oven.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- If using frozen fruit, make sure to defrost and drain on paper towels before tossing with the sugar and starch. Increase the amount of starch you use by an extra tablespoon or two to ensure a thicker filling!
- You can adjust the amount of sweetener you use in this recipe depending on your preference and the sweetness of the berries you have (sometimes a batch of blueberries can be sour!)
- If using a shallow casserole dish, you'll want a larger size than 8x8, otherwise, your fruity filling may bubble over the sides while baking in the oven. (You can also place foil or a sheet pan underneath the dish, however, this may increase baking time.)
- The longer you bake the crisp, the sweeter and mushier the fruit will be (this is mushy in a good way!)
- To ensure a crispy oat topping, turn your oven temperature up to 375°F for the last 5 to 10 minutes!
- Allow the crisp to rest before serving. This lets the fruity filling thicken and cool down enough for the flavors to become more pronounced before diving in!
- Serve it with a cold scoop of your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream (not optional)!
Storage & Freezing Instructions
- Once the crisp is completely cool, you can cover the casserole dish with foil and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat portions as needed in the microwave.
- You can freeze an unbaked crisp, prepare the crisp up to the baking point and instead, tightly wrap the casserole dish in plastic wrap and foil before storing it in the freezer for up to 5 months. When ready to bake, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before baking, uncovered, as instructed in the recipe. If it did not fully thaw in the fridge, let it sit out at room temperature before baking.
- You can freeze a baked crisp after it has cooled completely at room temperature. Wrap the casserole dish in plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 5 months. To reheat, you can let it thaw in the fridge and then bake uncovered in the oven at 325°F until warmed through.
Other Fruity Desserts To Try:
- Classic Apple Crisp
- Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler
- Skillet Blueberry Crisp For Two
- Southern Vegan Banana Pudding
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Crisp
Gluten-Free Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
This delicious Gluten-Free Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp is so easy to make! A healthy seasonal dessert that's vegan, allergy-free, and perfect to serve warm with a scoop of your favorite dairy-free ice cream! Juicy blueberries paired with crisp and tart rhubarb baked to sweet perfection and topped with a buttery cinnamon oat crumble!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Fruit Filling:
- 4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
- 2 Cups (1 Pint) Blueberries
- ½ to ¾ Cup Granulated Sweetener (or preferred granulated sugar)
- 2 TB Arrowroot or Corn Starch
For the Crisp Topping:
- 1 Cup Certified Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
- ½ Cup Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar Sweetener (or preferred light brown sugar)
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Stick (½ Cup) Vegan Butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, toss together the chopped rhubarb, blueberries, granulated sugar, and starch before adding to a deep 8x8-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix together the dry crisp topping ingredients before adding in the melted stick of vegan butter. Mix well with a fork or your hands until the topping is thick and sticky.
- Spread the crisp topping evenly over the rhubarb and blueberry mixture before baking the crisp in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Turn the oven temperature up to 375°F and bake the crisp for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the topping completely crisps.
- Remove and let the crisp sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream!
Notes
- If using frozen fruits, make sure to thaw completely and drain on paper towels before making your crisp. Increase the amount of starch in the recipe by 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- You can store leftover crisp in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat portions in the microwave as needed.
- You can freeze an unbaked crisp for up to 5 months and bake as instructed after thawing in the fridge. You can freeze a baked crisp for up to 5 months as well, thaw in the fridge, and reheat in the oven at 325°F until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
Keywords: blueberry rhubarb crisp, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb crumble, gluten-free blueberry rhubarb crisp, vegan blueberry rhubarb crisp
Sweet, gooey, crispy, warm, and cozy! This may just be the best way to use that rhubarb you see at the market but never know how to use!
So tell me:
+ What's your favorite thing to make with in-season rhubarb?
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Joelle
Delish! I used about 2 cups each of the fruit and I cut the sugar back to about 1/4 cup in the fruit and 2 Tbsps (brown sugar) in the topping. Sweet enough for me and my kids. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!
Kathleen
I found my new favorite rhubarb crisp recipe!
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
Awesome, enjoy!
Julie
I'm the only one in our family that likes rhubarb so I normally just lightly cook it and easy it as it is - no fuss as it's just for me. This looks easy and delicious, I may have to treat myself!
Rebecca Pytell
Hurry! Before the season is over in a few short weeks!
Liz
This is such a perfect summer recipe! I was trying to find a way to use rhubarb and this is great!
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
Hope you enjoy it, Liz!
Emily
This sounds delicious! I'm putting this on my list to make with the kids this summer. Thank you for sharing!
Rebecca Pytell
Before fresh rhubarb season comes to a close!
Jolayne
The combination of rhubarb and blueberries sounds delightful. Perfect for the upcoming holiday weekend.
Rebecca Pytell
Yes, festive colors too!
Julia
I've never thought of combining rhubarb and blueberries before. Now I have to try it. I love fruit crisps... they're a bit lighter than a crumble so better for warmer weather. Thank you.
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
Super sweet blueberries with the rhubarb is a game-changer!
Amanda
Looks amazing. Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
Enjoy!
Jo
This looks delicious! A crumble is one of my all time favourite desserts although I never make it - this recipe might change that! Thank you 😊
Rebecca Pytell
One of the easiest summer desserts!
Rachael
I love the combination of blueberry and rhubarb. Sounds delicious!
Rebecca Pytell
Enjoy, Rachael!
Kevin
It's weird to me that Rhubarb is classified as a fruit and not a vegetable. Even though i am a big foodie, i have never eaten this fruit. But i love the interesting way you made into a sweet treat. Thank for sharing your recipe.
★★★★★
Rebecca Pytell
Hope you find it in your region!