Easy Vegan Rhubarb Crisp (Crumble)

This vegan rhubarb crisp with strawberries topped with vanilla custard is the perfect no-fuss throw-together kind of dessert that can be enjoyed as a treat, breakfast or snack.

It can be enjoyed hot, at room temperature or even cold. No matter what state it’s in, I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do!

I have a thing for making crisps, and every single time without fail, I say to myself, “I should make these more often!” Such a crowd-pleaser that it’s my dessert of choice when we have friends and family over.

This recipe was inspired by my Vegan Apple Crumble (GF) and my Vegan Pear and Almond Crumble (GF) recipes. However, this is a take on a more classic crumble recipe without the use of oats and use of vegan butter to get that nice crumbly topping.

A few interesting facts about rhubarb

I’ve learned some interesting things about rhubarb over the years that I thought was worth sharing.

If you’re using green rhubarb stalks that are unripe, make sure you adjust the sweetener accordingly to balance out the tartness. However, if you prefer your crumble less sweet, either leave it as is or reduce the amount of coconut sugar used.

A word of warning about the leaves of a rhubarb plant: don’t consume them, as they are poisonous. They have high levels of oxalic acid. You can find it in the stalks as well but in much lower and safer quantities. Also, be mindful if you have pets, as the leaves are toxic for them too.

Another fun fact is that rhubarb is actually a vegetable! It belongs to the knotweed family (Polygonaceae) of plants and is related to sorrel, buckwheat, bindweed and docks.

Despite it being a vegetable, these thick, fleshy stalks are used as a fruit in most rhubarb recipes.

Some tips for making this vegan rhubarb crisp

Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you get the most out of this recipe. I’ve also noted some great and simple alternatives to help you make this rhubarb crumble the way you like it.

• Feel free to reduce the sugar in the recipe if you’re pairing it with ice cream, so it’s not too sweet. If you have a sweet tooth like me, it’s wonderful the way it is 😉
• You don’t need to pre-cook the rhubarb; toss with the other ingredients and add to your baking dish.
• It’s so easy to adapt this recipe to whatever you have at home, so don’t feel like you can’t enjoy a delicious dessert if you don’t have both rhubarb and strawberries on hand. Don’t have rhubarb? Swap it out for stone fruit, apples or pears. Don’t have strawberries? Substitute it with whatever other berries you have.
• It’s served perfectly with vegan custard, whipped cream, yoghurt or ice cream.
• You can easily make this gluten-free. Just swap out the normal flour for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
• Make sure to use block vegan butter instead of spreadable vegan butter as the results will be better. This helps achieve that nice crispy topping.
• If you don’t have vegan butter, you can use coconut oil instead.
• Like a slightly crunchy topping? Add in any nuts you like – pecans, walnuts, macadamias or almonds.
• You can also substitute coconut sugar for raw sugar to create a little more texture and subtle crunch.

A classic rhubarb crumble, perfectly balanced

This dessert is the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours. Paired with vanilla custard, it makes it a classic combination.

You can’t beat the smell coming out of the oven when you bake this! Mmm….bliss.

This dessert is ideal for when you have an abundance of fruit! Using 7 cups altogether, it’s the perfect dessert to make for a larger group of people.

Remember that rhubarb shrinks when it cooks, so don’t worry if it looks like a large amount of fruit when you place it in your baking dish. I like using a pie dish here as it looks pretty and fits this recipe perfectly.

Kitchen tools needed to make this vegan strawberry rhubarb crumble

It cannot be simpler; all you’ll need is:

• A bowl
• Spoon
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Baking dish
• Scales (optional)

Check out my list of essential kitchen tools to learn what I regularly use in my kitchen.

Other great vegan fruit dessert recipes:

1. Vegan Apple Crumble (Gluten-Free)
2. Baked Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake
3. Vegan Mango Cheesecake
4. Vegan Chocolate and Pear Loaf Cake
5. Vegan Trifle Cups with Berries
6. Vegan Banana and Raspberry Muffins
7. Simple Coconut Crumble with Peach and Macadamia
8. Vegan Pear and Almond Crumble (Gluten-Free)

If you try this recipe, let me know! I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest.

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