Rhubarb Crumble
I’ve always found rhubarb to be quite an underrated vegetable (yes, it is technically a vegetable – yes, I did just Google that to check!). Underrated, even though it seems like every other garden in the UK has it growing in abundance. So what do you do with all that extra rhubarb in your garden, or from your well-meaning neighbour? Make rhubarb crumble, of course!
I was actually given the rhubarb used in this recipe-testing and photo-taking from the garden of one of the boy’s best friends. Like many gardens in the UK, they inherited their rhubarb crops when they moved into their home. And like many people with rhubarb in their gardens, they get so much that they offer up bunches of the stuff to friends, family and neighbours every year.
We always had rhubarb in our garden growing up. I remember Papa tending to it proudly, Granny forever saying we had too much (but happily churning out rhubarb crumbles by the dozen), and my sisters and I constantly being reminded that we weren’t to let the pet rabbit anywhere near it; rhubarb is not good for rabbits, apparently.
As a kid, though, I wasn’t a fan. I always found rhubarb to be too sour; something the boys found too, when they tried their first taste of rhubarb crumble. A bit of a contrast to a lady I know telling me about how when she was a kid, her mother would give her a stick of rhubarb and a brown bag filled with sugar – dip the rhubarb in the sugar, gnaw on the rhubarb, and repeat…job’s a good ‘un!
I can just picture the dentists amongst us cringing at that thought.
As a fully fledged adult now (allegedly), I do love a bit of rhubarb; in a Rhubarb Scone, or especially in the form of a crumble…particularly when covered in a generous helping of custard too. And much like when I was a kid, Papa still grows masses of rhubarb, and Granny still makes rhubarb crumble by the dozen. So it is safe to say that her recipe for rhubarb crumble is one that is tried and tested!
Not only is it tried, tested and undoubtedly delicious, it’s also incredibly easy and quick to make. The ingredients are few, the effort is minimal, and in times like these, it doesn’t go amiss that it is extremely affordable to make too, particularly when you use a bunch of rhubarb from your own or your kind neighbour’s garden.
Ingredients for Rhubarb Crumble:
Rhubarb
Different rhubarb varieties take on different colours, usually somewhere between a bright pink and an earthy green. The size of your rhubarb stalk can vary massively, too, so in this recipe we’ve specified the quantity of rhubarb in grams. That being said, if you are around the 500g mark and still have half a stick of rhubarb left, don’t waste it; just chuck it in too. The 500g is an approximation. And if you really love rhubarb, you can even add a little extra for that reason, too.
Caster Sugar
Just because this recipe uses vegetables, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy, by any standards! You’ll use a little sugar in the filling and the rest in the crumble. Caster sugar is what Granny uses, but you could always swap it out for golden caster sugar, should you prefer a slightly less sweet, more caramel-y flavour.
Orange Juice
The juice of a fresh orange is what is best here, added to the filling for a little moisture, as well as flavour. If you don’t have any oranges to hand, then some orange juice from a carton works well too. Or in a pinch, you can just swap out the orange juice for water.
Self-raising Flour
When Granny first gave me this recipe, I had to clarify the use of self-raising flour in a crumble. It seems a little counter-intuitive to use a flour with a raising agent, in a part of a bake you don’t necessarily want to rise. Granny assured me that self-raising flour is indeed what she uses!
Butter or Margarine
Like many bakes, butter can give you the best flavour in your rhubarb crumble. However, margarine is a great alternative if you are worried about overall cost or using dairy. Just be sure you use a block margarine, as opposed to the spreadable kind.
Tips for traditional Rhubarb Crumble:
โข The shape and size of the dish you use is entirely personal preference. I use a round Pyrex dish that has a 1 litre capacity (photographed); mine is about 7 inches in diameter, which I picked up in a charity shop, and for the life of me, I cannot find a similar one to link here. Granny, on the other hand, usually uses one of her square Pyrex dishes, which are of a similar capacity but a smaller diameter and a little bit deeper. A dish with a larger diameter will result in a shallower filling & crumble, whereas a smaller diameter will be a deeper filling & crumble. Generally speaking, though, you want a dish with a minimum capacity of 1 litre.
โข The recipe says to cut the rhubarb into thumb-sized pieces. Of course, everyone’s thumbs are different in size, but this is just a rough guide. However, if your rhubarb is particularly chunky in width, too, I’d recommend cutting it in half lengthways, too.
Rhubarb Crumble
INGREDIENTS
For the Filling
- 500 g Rhubarb approximately
- 50 ml Orange Juice approx. half an orange
- 2 tbsp Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
For the Crumble
- 200 g Self-raising Flour
- 100 g Butter or Block Margarine cold
- 100 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to180ยฐc (160ยฐc for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 5 or 350ยฐF).
- Chop your rhubarb into thumb-sized pieces. Place your chopped rhubarb in your dish, making sure it covers the bottom and you've no big gapping spaces โ you want it fairly well compacted.
- Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of caster sugar over the rhubarb, before pouring your orange juice over it. Set aside while you prepare your crumble mixture.
- In a large bowl, add the flour and butter/margarine, and using your fingertips gently rub them together until you have a rough sandy texture. Stir through the caster sugar.
- Spoon the crumble mixture over your rhubarb, being sure to cover all the lumps and bumps. Using the tips of your fingers, gently press the top of the crumble mixture, to help compact some of it down but whilst leaving a bumpy texture to the top.
- Bake your crumble in your pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden on top.
- Allow your crumble to cool a little before serving. Enjoy with custard or ice cream, or just on it's own.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
Free-from & Vegan:
Nut-free: This recipe for Rhubarb Crumble does not contain any nuts. However, be sure to individually check each of your ingredients to be sure.
Egg-free: This recipe for Rhubarb Crumbles does not contain any nuts. However, be sure to individually check each your ingredients to be sure.
Dairy-free: The only ingredient you would need to be cautious of in this recipe is the butter; however, if you swap this for a dairy-free block margarine, this recipe can be dairy-free.
Gluten-free: The crumble mixture of this recipe does call for flour, and the one we have tried and tested is wheat flour. However, swapping to a gluten-free self-raising flour should work fine in this recipe.
Vegan: As per the dairy-free instruction, simply swap out the butter for a dairy-free block margarine, and this recipe will be a vegan rhubarb crumble.
N.B. Any advice or suggestions to make recipes โfree-fromโ or vegan are purely that โ suggestions. Please be careful to double-check all ingredients individually, taking extra caution when serving to those with allergies & intolerances.
For more info on common food allergies, please see food.gov.uk | For more info on coeliac disease, please see coeliac.org.uk | For more info on a vegan diet, please see vegansociety.com
It is my favourite fruit/veg and I am always making it but I cook the rhubarb first.
I always have loads of rhubarb- weโve had two crumbles in the last two months!
I add plain chocolate chips- a few scattered over the raw rhubarb and some in the crumble (well quite a lot!), and either chopped root ginger or ground ginger in the rhubarb.
Alpro soya custard is the most amazing accompaniment and can be served hot or cold.
Is there a reason you stir the sugar into the crumble mix after rubbing in? I rub flour, butter and sugar in togetherโฆ
Hi Scootie. I love the idea of adding chocolate chips – not something I’d ever consider! Alpro custard is my favourite also ;) As for stirring the sugar, it doesn’t make a massive difference either way, but stirring gives a slight more even distribution of the sugar in the crumble, as opposed to it potentially just being rubbed into the lumps.
I think I asked this question before but I see you have been busy. Here it is again. Can you use frozen rhubarb for this recipe? Mine was all weighed and noted before frozen in bags. Would I use the same 500 gr and would I defrost and drain it before using ?. Any other tips ?
Thank you and good luck with the new website.
I made it once and it went down so well that this is my now โgo toโ desert to make.
Easy, bare minimum effort and a 5 star with the family.
Highly recommend if youโre a crumble fan! Thank you :)
funny that you should talk about eating raw rhubarb.
When I was young( long time ago) we would sneak into the neighbours garden( yes, I know, itโs stealing) combat style. Grab a couple of stocks and someone would have gotten their dadโs tobacco tin full of sugar.
Thank you for the memory of the tartness and sugary mixture in our mouths. Ohhhhh and we would all share the same stock . Not for the germ a phobic among us.
I make rhubarb crumble regularly, both with fresh and frozen. It’s a favorite dessert for the monthly family dinners for 14, and served with vanilla ice cream and pouring custard. I actually invented the recipe when I was on holiday in a rented cottage in the country about twelve years past, where guests were invited to use the rhubarb from the garden. I mixed equal amounts of oatmeal and flour and as I had ahalf an orange going begging, I sliced it down extremely thinly and mixed it with the rhubarb. It gave a wonderful aromatic taste to the pudding, and the oats gave a more interesting texture and nuttiness – as well as being healthier!