Old-fashioned rhubarb crumble recipe

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Wash and trim the ends from the rhubarb, then cut into 4cm lengths. Spread evenly in a 1.2ltr pie dish or baking dish and sprinkle over half the sugar.
2. Rub the butter and flour together until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. Stir in the vanilla, sugar and oats to make a lumpy, crumbly mixture. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the rhubarb.
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3. Place the rhubarb dish on a baking tray (to catch any juices that bubble over) and bake for 45 mins until tender, covering the top with foil if it begins to brown too quickly. Serve hot with custard, cream or ice cream, if you like.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines:

The cooked crumble can be frozen. Leave to cool completely, then wrap the dish well in cling film and foil, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Leave to defrost in the fridge overnight. Cover with fresh foil, then reheat in a preheated oven at gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C for 40 mins until piping hot – remove the foil for the last 10 mins to crisp up the crumble again. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.

See more Dessert recipes 

How to make crumble for rhubarb​?

To make a crumble for rhubarb, you only need a handful of ingredients: butter and flour for the 'breadcrumbs', then sugar. We've added vanilla and oats in our rhubarb crumble recipe for some extra flavour and texture.

How to prepare rhubarb for crumble?

It's easy to prepare rhubarb for crumble. Simply wash and trim the ends from the rhubarb. In our rhubarb crumble recipe, the fruit is chopped into 4cm lengths for bite-size pieces.

Can you freeze rhubarb crumble?

Yes, you can freeze rhubarb crumble. Bake first, then leave to cool completely. Wrap the dish well in clingfilm and foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. For more tips, see the freezing and defrosting guidelines, above.

How to stew rhubarb for crumble​?

To stew rhubarb for a crumble, you don't need to stew it on the hob. Stewing fruit just means cooking it slowly in its own juices, often with the addition of sugar. In our rhubarb crumble recipe, simply place the prepared fruit in the pie dish or baking dish, add the crumble topping and bake.

What goes with rhubarb in a crumble​?

Vanilla extract goes particularly well with rhubarb in a crumble, balancing the tangy flavour of the fruit. You could also experiment with warming spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. We've lots of tempting flavour combos in our rhubarb recipes collection.

Do you peel rhubarb for crumble​?

No, you don't need to peel rhubarb for crumble. Simply wash the fruit and trim the ends.

How long to cook rhubarb crumble​?

It takes 45 minutes to cook our rhubarb crumble recipe, but some recipes may require less cooking time. For example, in our Cheat's rhubarb crumble, the fruit is cooked on the hob first for around 10 minutes, then finished off in the oven with the granola topping.