A slice of apple rhubarb crumble pie missing, with a decorative serving spatula resting beside the pie plate.
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Rhubarb Oat Crisp Tart with Flaky Butter Crust and a Hint of Apple

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Encased in a buttery homemade crust and topped with an oat filled, vanilla spice laced crumble, this rhubarb oat crisp tart with flaky butter crust and a hint of apple is sweet and flakey all at the same time! This tart has a crunchy oat crisp and a “baked to perfection” bottom that soaks up all the sogginess normally associated with traditional Rhubarb Crisp Recipes.

Encased in a buttery, crisp crust this Rhubarb Crumble does not disappoint. The typical tartness of rhubarb gives way to sweet shredded apple in an unstoppable, somewhat familiar combination.

I hate when I throw a crisp together and the fruit juices become a watery mess on the bottom of the baking dish. The fruit turns to glob and makes the sugary crisp topping into mush. There is just something so unappetizing about that combination. I set out to make a succinctly crisp rhubarb crumble.

By adding a dry butter pastry on the bottom and topping with even more dry ingredients, I was able to come up with the perfect, (and freezable might I add!) baked Rhubarb creation.

Using tried and true pie making techniques, (the addition of old school Tapioca to bind the fruit filling, anyone?) I created this crisp, crumbled, pie baked dessert.

Ready to eat right out of the oven or saved for later in the freezer (read on for how-to instructions!), this rhubarb crisp is perfect anytime (I personally like it piping hot straight from the oven!)

A whole apple rhubarb crumble pie on a black plate, topped with a golden crumbly crust and surrounded by rhubarb stalks.

A Reimagined Springtime Classic!

This crumble topped rhubarb crisp is an instant classic, thanks to the addition of sweet apples. The apples are grated and mixed in with the rhubarb to create a tartly, sweet baked dessert.

A Freezable Rhubarb and Apple Oat Crisp, with a flakey pastry shell that holds a fruit filled center without becoming soggy.

I love rhubarb season, especially the versatility of rhubarb in culinary uses in the kitchen. Rhubarb can be either sweet or savory, it’s tartness and subtle sweet notes lends this garden vegetable to all sorts of recipe applications.

With this years harvest of rhubarb, I opted for more savory than sweet recipe creation. This is one of the few recipes I developed that uses Rhubarb Stalks in a sweet dessert.

A baked rhubarb crisp in pie pastry with recipe ingredients strewn throughout

This rhubarb apple oat crisp pie is perfect for sharing with friends at a BBQ or picnic and can be made in advance and frozen.

Defrost beforehand to cut down on time in the kitchen and enjoy outdoor grill time!

I absolutely love when rhubarb comes into season. The ripening of rhubarb is a fleeting and welcome time of the year, the reddening stalks signaling the end of early spring, right as everything is bursting open with bright colors and fragrance.

Make sure to sift your All-Purpose Flour beforehand, this will remove any lumps and make mixing easier. I prefer to use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, as it consistently smooth and always bakes up to great results.

2 glasses of rose rhubarb sangria
Refreshing Ice Cold Glasses Filled with Rhubarb Rose Sangria, Find the Recipe Here!

A perfect springtime sipper, this wine cocktail is bursting with fruity flavor and is the prettiest pink color, enjoy with a friend on a beautiful spring day in your garden!

salmon with spinach, pink peppercorn, rhubarb yogurt sauce
salmon with pink peppercorn and rhubarb yogurt sauce

This poached salmon, with refreshing, (surprise!) Rhubarb Sauce, is savory and low in carbs and calories, try this for dinner or lunch.

fresh rhubarb grown in soil with reddish green stalks and big green leaves
Rhubarb Leaves Are Poisonous! They Need To Be Removed Before Cooking or Baking!

These large, beautiful leaves are poisonous and need to be removed from the top of the stalk before any cooking, culinary application. Remove the leaves where the stalk stops, at the top.

Store bought rhubarb vegetables already have the stalks removed. If you are harvesting from a garden patch (see picture to the left) always make sure to remove the leaves.

Must Use Tips for Below Rhubarb Recipe:
  • Make sure to finely grate the apple, do not chop, the apple shreds will bake down during cooking, creating a solid fruit filling for the pie.
  • Bend the crust over the crumble after spreading topping. This will stop the fruit filling from bubbling out during baking.
  • For a pretty presentation I brushed the pastry shell with an egg yolk wash before baking in the oven.
  • Use minute tapioca, fast cooking tapioca for this recipe.
  • Sift the flour for the Pastry beforehand using quality flour.
  • You will need almost 2 sticks of unsalted butter for this recipe, the amounts are divided for the bottom pie crust and the crumble topping.
  • Don’t leave out the honey! There is only a small amount listed here, but this ingredient really pulls this dessert together.
  • Rhubarb Leaves Are Poisonous! Remove leaves completely before using in any edible application (baking, sauteing, blending…you get the picture).
slice of rhubarb apple pie with black plate behind

Rhubarb Oat Crisp Tart with Flaky Butter Crust and a Hint of Apple

This Rhubarb Apple Crisp recipe combines the tartness of fresh rhubarb with the sweetness of apples, creating a perfect balance of flavors. Topped with a golden, buttery oat crisp, this dessert is both comforting and delightful. Serve it warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a truly indulgent treat. Ideal for showcasing seasonal produce, this crumble is a fresh way to enjoy the unique taste of rhubarb in a classic dessert.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 441 kcal

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust

  • 10 tbsp Butter Unsalted, Cold
  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Ice Water Enough to Bind

Crumble Topping

  • 1/2 cup Oats Oatmeal, quick cooking
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 6 tbsp Butter Unsalted
  • 1/2 cup Sugar White

Rhubarb Apple Fruit Filling

  • 3 cups Rhubarb chopped into 1/3 inch pieces, (see photo)
  • 1 Apple (I prefer Grannysmith for baking) Peeled and grated, discard core
  • 1 tbsp Orange Zest
  • 2 tbsp Orange Juice Fresh, squeezed from 1 Orange
  • 1 tbsp Minute Tapioca
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Fresh from bean, Paste, or Extract, (if using fresh vanilla or vanilla paste use 1/2 tsp measurement)

Egg Yolk Wash

  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 tsp Water

Instructions
 

Pie Crust

  • First mix up the pie crust. In a large bowl mix flour and salt together. Slice butter into pieces and add to bowl.
    10 tbsp Butter, 2 cups All Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Using a pastry cutter, large fork or your hands (this is actually my preferred method for making pie crusts) mix flour mixture and butter until crumbly, pea shaped pieces are formed.
  • Add ice water to bind if necessary.
    Ice Water
  • Roll dough out on floured surface and lay into pie dish.

Turn on Oven

  • Turn oven on to 350 Fahrenheit and preheat

Mix Rhubarb Apple Fruit Filling

  • In a large bowl, mix sliced rhubarb, orange zest, orange juice, honey, brown sugar, white sugar and grated apple. Add the minute tapioca last.
  • Mix all ingredients together and put aside
    mixing bowl with colorful fruit, sugars, sliced rhubarb and apple for pie

Crumble Topping

  • To mix the crumble topping: add ingredients into a medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter or large fork to mash the oats, flour, sugar and butter together, add the vanilla (paste, extract or freshly scraped from the bean) when the crumble is almost fully incorporated.

Assembling the Rhubarb Apple Crumble

  • Layer the fruit filling into waiting uncooked pie crust, making sure to spread evenly across the bottom.
  • Spread the crumble topping over the fruit filling. Make sure to pile high from the center of the pie and leave some space near the outer edges of the pie.
  • Carefully bend the outer edges of the pie crust over the crumble, creating a seal.
    unbaked rhubarb apple pie with crumble topping

Finishing Touches

  • Whisk egg yolk and water together in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the outer edges of the pie. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake

  • Bake Rhubarb Apple Crumble for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
    baked rhubarb apple pie with crumble topping
  • Let cool slightly and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Storage

  • You can store this Rhubarb crumble for up to 5 days in the fridge or wrap and store in freezer for 2 weeks.
    To defrost: place in fridge overnight. I recommend popping in the oven ( set the temperature to low 250 degrees) for 20 minutes before serving) if you are storing this Rhubarb Crumble in the freezer for an extended period of time.
    A whole apple rhubarb crumble pie on a black plate, topped with a golden crumbly crust and surrounded by rhubarb stalks.

Nutrition

Serving: 8slicesCalories: 441kcalCarbohydrates: 102gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 819mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 3gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 91IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 177mgIron: 3mg
Keyword apple, baking recipe, crisp, dessert, pie, rhubarb
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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12 Comments

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