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Rhubarb Crumble

G By Our Grannies' Kitchen Updated Jun 2026 4.9 (127 ratings)
Rhubarb Crumble
Rhubarb Crumble
4.9 / 5
6 servings

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Ingredients

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For the fruit

  • 1 ¼ lb (600 g) rhubarb, in 3 cm pieces
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • Zest & juice of ½ orange

For the crumble

  • 1 ½ cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 stick (110 g) cold butter, cubed
  • 85 g turbinado sugar
  • 40 g rolled oats
  • Pinch of salt · custard, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C, fan 170°C).
  2. Prepare the fruit. Toss the rhubarb with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and juice. Tip into a baking dish in an even layer.
  3. Make the crumble. Rub the cold butter into the flour and salt until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pebbly lumps, then stir in the demerara and oats.
  4. Top loosely. Scatter the crumble evenly over the fruit — don't press it down. Loose topping = crisp topping.
  5. Bake. 35–40 minutes until deep golden and bubbling pink at the edges. Rest 10 minutes, then serve warm with plenty of hot custard.
Granny's tip

Make a double batch of topping and freeze half in a bag — instant crumble any night you have fruit going soft in the bowl.

Tips for a crisp crumble

Cold butter, lumpy rub

Stop rubbing while there are still pea-sized lumps — they melt into crisp, biscuity clusters.

Scatter, never press

Pressed crumble steams and turns to paste. Loose crumble lets heat through and crisps up.

Thicken the juices

A spoon of cornstarch turns thin rhubarb juice into a glossy, spoonable sauce.

Questions, answered

Can I use frozen rhubarb?

Yes — use it straight from frozen and add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to soak up the extra juice. Don't thaw it first or it turns mushy.

Why is my crumble topping soggy?

Usually the butter was too warm, the topping was pressed down, or the fruit was too wet. Keep the butter cold, scatter the topping loosely, and use the cornstarch to thicken the juices.

What other fruit works with this topping?

It's a universal crumble topping: try Bramley apples, plums, gooseberries — or rhubarb mixed half-and-half with strawberries in summer.

From Granny's Pantry

The know-how behind this recipe:

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