Dairy-Free Rhubarb Crisp

Finding a dessert that celebrates spring produce while staying plant-based can feel tricky, especially when you’re craving something warm and comforting that doesn’t require a ton of fancy techniques. Plus, rhubarb can be intimidating if you’ve never worked with it before, and figuring out how to balance its tartness is half the battle.

This vegan rhubarb crisp solves all those problems: it’s naturally sweet from the raspberries, requires just basic pantry staples, and comes together in under an hour with minimal effort. The buttery oat topping gets perfectly golden while the fruit bubbles away underneath, creating that classic crisp texture everyone loves.

What Kind of Rhubarb Should I Use?

Fresh rhubarb is always your best bet for this crisp, and you’ll find it in season during spring and early summer at most grocery stores and farmers markets. The color of the stalks can range from bright red to pale green, and while the red varieties look prettier, the green ones taste just as good and work perfectly fine in this recipe. If fresh rhubarb isn’t available, you can use frozen rhubarb without thawing it first – just add a few extra minutes to your baking time. Make sure to trim off any leaves if they’re still attached, as rhubarb leaves are toxic and should never be eaten, and cut your stalks into roughly half-inch pieces for even cooking.

Options for Substitutions

This crisp is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Raspberries: You can swap raspberries for strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries. Just keep the total fruit amount at 4 1/2 cups combined with the rhubarb.
• Rhubarb: Rhubarb is really the star here, so I’d recommend keeping it. If you absolutely can’t find it, you could use all berries or add sliced apples, but you’ll lose that signature tart flavor.
• Almond meal: Regular all-purpose flour works fine here, or try oat flour if you want to keep it gluten-free. You could also use more oats and pulse them in a food processor until they’re partially ground.
• Pecans: Walnuts, almonds, or even sunflower seeds make good substitutes. You can also leave out the nuts entirely if you have allergies – just add an extra 1/2 cup of oats.
• Vegan butter: Coconut oil works well as a substitute. Use it in solid form straight from the fridge, and cut it into the topping mixture just like you would with butter.
• Brown sugar: Regular white sugar or coconut sugar both work. If using white sugar, you might want to add a tiny splash of molasses for that deeper flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with rhubarb crisp is not cutting the rhubarb into uniform pieces – aim for 1/2 inch chunks so everything cooks evenly and you don’t end up with some pieces that are mushy while others are still tough.

Another common issue is adding too much sugar to compensate for rhubarb’s tartness, but the natural tang is what makes this dessert special, so stick with the recipe amounts and let the fruit shine through.

To avoid a soggy topping, make sure your vegan butter is cold when you mix it with the oats and nuts, working it in until you get a crumbly texture rather than a paste.

If your fruit releases a lot of liquid during baking and threatens to bubble over, simply place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips, and resist the urge to remove the crisp early – that golden brown topping needs the full baking time to get properly crispy.

What to Serve With Rhubarb Crisp?

A scoop of vanilla ice cream (or vegan vanilla ice cream to keep it plant-based) on top of warm rhubarb crisp is pretty much the way to go. The cold, creamy ice cream melting into the warm, tart fruit filling is one of those simple pleasures that never gets old. If you’re not in the mood for ice cream, try serving it with some coconut whipped cream or even a dollop of plain coconut yogurt for breakfast the next day. I also love pairing fruit crisps with a hot cup of coffee or tea, especially in the morning when you can enjoy any leftovers.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your rhubarb crisp covered with foil or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days. It actually tastes amazing cold straight from the fridge for breakfast the next morning, or you can warm it up again if you prefer it hot.

Freeze: This crisp freezes really well for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing. You can freeze the whole dish or cut it into individual portions for easy grab-and-go desserts.

Reheat: Warm it up in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes until heated through and the topping gets crispy again. If you’re reheating from frozen, add an extra 10-15 minutes and cover with foil for the first half of reheating.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1400
• Protein: 18-22 g
• Fat: 52-60 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 1/2 cups raspberries
• 2 1/2 cups rhubarb (sliced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 4 tbsp cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the crisp topping:

• 1 1/4 cups oats (I like Bob’s Red Mill old fashioned oats)
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup pecans (chopped into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 tbsp vegan butter (I use Miyoko’s Creamery for a buttery flavor)

Step 1: Prepare the Crisp Topping

• 1 1/4 cups oats
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 tbsp vegan butter

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, almond meal, chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Cut the cold vegan butter into small cubes and add to the dry mixture.

Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining—this creates those delicious crispy, buttery clusters as it bakes.

Set aside while you prepare the fruit.

Step 2: Prepare the Fruit Filling

• 2 1/2 cups raspberries
• 2 1/2 cups rhubarb, sliced
• 4 tbsp cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the raspberries, sliced rhubarb, cane sugar, and vanilla extract.

Gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated and the sugar begins to release the fruit’s natural juices.

I find that letting the fruit sit for just a minute or two helps distribute the flavor more evenly throughout the filling.

Step 3: Assemble and Bake the Crisp

• fruit filling from Step 2
• crisp topping from Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Pour the fruit filling from Step 2 into a 9×13 inch baking dish (or similar-sized dish), spreading it into an even layer.

Distribute the crisp topping from Step 1 over the fruit in an even layer, breaking up any large clumps as you go—don’t pack it down, as you want it to stay light and crispy.

Bake for 45-55 minutes until the top is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling around the edges.

I like to check it at the 40-minute mark to ensure even browning.

Step 4: Cool and Serve

Remove the crisp from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

This cooling time allows the filling to set slightly while the topping stays crispy.

Serve warm with your favorite dairy-free ice cream or coconut cream for an indulgent treat.

Dairy-Free Rhubarb Crisp

Delicious Dairy-Free Rhubarb Crisp recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 1300 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the filling::

• 2 1/2 cups raspberries
• 2 1/2 cups rhubarb (sliced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 4 tbsp cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the crisp topping::

• 1 1/4 cups oats (I like Bob's Red Mill old fashioned oats)
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup pecans (chopped into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 tbsp vegan butter (I use Miyoko's Creamery for a buttery flavor)

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, combine the oats, almond meal, chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cold vegan butter into small cubes and add to the dry mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining—this creates those delicious crispy, buttery clusters as it bakes. Set aside while you prepare the fruit.
• In a large bowl, combine the raspberries, sliced rhubarb, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated and the sugar begins to release the fruit's natural juices. I find that letting the fruit sit for just a minute or two helps distribute the flavor more evenly throughout the filling.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pour the fruit filling from Step 2 into a 9x13 inch baking dish (or similar-sized dish), spreading it into an even layer. Distribute the crisp topping from Step 1 over the fruit in an even layer, breaking up any large clumps as you go—don't pack it down, as you want it to stay light and crispy. Bake for 45-55 minutes until the top is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling around the edges. I like to check it at the 40-minute mark to ensure even browning.
• Remove the crisp from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. This cooling time allows the filling to set slightly while the topping stays crispy. Serve warm with your favorite dairy-free ice cream or coconut cream for an indulgent treat.