Healthy Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Gluten free)

Name: Healthy Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Gluten free)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 3 cups strawberries (cut into 1/2- inch pieces); 3 cups rhubarb (cut into 1/2-inch pieces ); 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or organic cornstarch); 1 teaspoon lemon zest (or orange zest); 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or orange juice); ½ cup turbinado sugar (or coconut sugar, organic cane sugar, or date sugar); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup gluten-free organic rolled oats; ½ cup almond flour (or rolled oats or oat flour); ½ cup coconut flour (or coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts); ½ cup turbinado sugar (or coconut sugar, organic cane sugar, or date sugar); ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt; 6 tablespoons vegan butter (slightly softened, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing the baking dish, or virgin coconut oil); Vegan vanilla ice cream (optional, for serving, or whipped coconut cream)

Published: Jun 18, 2021 · Modified: Mar 22, 2022 by Emily Miller · This post may contain affiliate links · 36 Comments

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This healthy Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is the perfect spring and summer dessert! Bake strawberries and rhubarb to create a sweet and tart filling, and top with a perfectly crispy oat topping that will have everyone reaching for more of this great recipe!

The wholesome crisp topping is made with oats, almond flour, coconut flour, turbinado sugar, cinnamon, and vegan butter. Serve this with vegan vanilla ice cream for the perfect treat for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July!

I am excited to share this Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe with you! I think you'll love the combination of flavors. It's perfect for a springtime treat.

Do you love the taste of strawberry and rhubarb together? Wait until you try this vegan version of a strawberry rhubarb crisp! It's just as delicious as the classic but without all the cholesterol and dairy. Best of all, it's gluten-free so that everyone can enjoy it.

I love how the sweetness of the juicy fresh strawberries complements the tart rhubarb. This simple crisp is delicious as is or with dairy-free ice cream on top!

Who doesn't love a fruit crisp fresh out of the oven?

For more deliciousness with fresh, juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb, try these recipes: vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins, my favorite vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and these vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars.

If you love strawberries as much as I do, try these Vegan Buckwheat Banana Waffles. Or try this fun and refreshing Strawberry Elderflower Gin Fizz or Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita.

What is turbinado sugar?

Turbinado sugar is raw sugar and looks a lot like brown sugar, but the crystals are less processed, resulting in larger, coarser, crunchier granules and a higher molasses content.

Turbinado comes from the first pressing of sugar cane. The resulting cane juice is boiled once; this boiling causes sugars to crystallize. Then the crystals are whirled in a centrifuge to spin off excess moisture, and voilà, turbinado sugar is created.

Because of the large and coarse grains, turbinado makes a lovely finishing sugar, meaning it's usually sprinkled on top of desserts for a special gourmet touch.

However, I like it in this recipe because it contributes to the crunchiness of the crisp topping. I find that it works nicely with the fruit filling also.

What is a crisp?

Perhaps you are wondering the difference between a cobbler, a crisp, and a crumble?

Crisps typically have oats in the streusel topping; crumbles do not. Cobblers are fruit desserts with a sweetened biscuit topping that resembles cobblestones once baked.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this healthy dessert, free of animal products.

Organic turbinado cane sugar - since the granules are larger, they contribute to the crunchiness of the crisp. You can substitute with coconut sugar, date sugar, or organic cane sugar (to ensure it's vegan). Increase the amount of sugar to ¾ cup if using 4 cups rhubarb and 2 cups strawberries, or to your taste.
Arrowroot powder for thickening the fruit mixture.
Rhubarb - I love tart, fresh rhubarb.
Organic Strawberries - Sweet strawberries are the best.
Fresh lemon juice - don't use concentrate; it's not the same.
Vanilla extract - this is a classic for flavor.
Gluten-free rolled oats - oats are a must for a crisp!
Vegan butter, chilled and cubed.

How to make this healthy Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F and butter a deep-dish 9-inch pie dish, a 9-inch cast-iron pan, or an 8x8-inch square dish. If you prefer individual portion sizes, bake the crisp in eight individual ramekins.

Prepare the ingredients so they're all ready to go. Wash the fruit in a colander, drain it, gently dry it, and cut into ½-inch pieces.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

Large bowl with chopped strawberry and rhubarb.

Add strawberries, rhubarb, arrowroot powder, lemon zest, lemon juice, turbinado sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Combine and let sit for 20 minutes.

Crisp topping mixed with cold butter cubes in large bowl on white wood surface.

In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats. almond flour, coconut flour, turbinado sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add vegan butter and rub it into the dry mixture between your fingers.

Overhead view of strawberries and rhubarb mixture in pie plate.

Place the fruit mixture in the buttered baking dish.

Overhead view of vegan strawberry rhubarb crisp with topping in pie plate.

Sprinkle the crumb topping mixture on top of the fruit in the baking dish.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the fruit bubbles at the edges of the baking dish. If you baked this crisp in individual ramekins, check for doneness at 20 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream if desired!

Overhead view of Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Gluten Free on a wire rack on a white wood surface.

Substitutions

Gluten-free: To ensure this recipe is gluten-free, use gluten-free rolled oats.
Almond flour or coconut flour: Replace with gluten-free oat flour. Make oat flour by pulverizing it in a blender.
Turbinado sugar: You can use coconut sugar, organic cane sugar, organic brown sugar, or date sugar.
Arrowroot powder - Use organic cornstarch instead.
Vegan butter - Use coconut oil instead.

Variations

Coconut flour - You can substitute chopped pecans or walnuts.
Strawberries: Try this recipe with blackberries, raspberries, mixed berries, and peaches; it's easily adaptable. You can make this crisp with all rhubarb if you like!
Rhubarb: Replace with peaches, plums, mixed berries, raspberries, or blackberries.
Lemon zest/lemon juice: Use orange zest/orange juice.
Vanilla extract: Use almond extract.
Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste. The amount of sugar needed depends on the fruit's sweetness.

How to serve

This easy vegan strawberry rhubarb crisp is delicious with non-dairy vanilla ice cream.
Top it with fresh berries and whipped coconut cream.

Overhead view of baked vegan strawberry rhubarb crisp

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

To enjoy this vegan strawberry rhubarb crisp for breakfast; leave it on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes first to get it to room temperature.

For a warm crisp for breakfast, reheat it in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes.

FAQ

What if I don't have rhubarb or strawberries?

You can make this crisp with blueberries, blackberries, peaches, raspberries, or plums. As long as you have 6 cups of fruit, you can't go wrong!

What if I don't have strawberries or oats?

Then you can make a rhubarb crumble if you have 6 cups of rhubarb! You will likely need more sugar to balance the rhubarb's tartness.

Can I make this crisp ahead of time?

You can make the crisp topping ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months. I recommend baking the crisp right before you plan to eat it.

Can I make this with frozen fruit?

Yes, you can make this crisp with frozen fruit; there is no need to thaw it first. Bake for 10 minutes longer.

You don’t want to miss out on this seasonal treat. Try this vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe, and let us know what you think. So go ahead, preheat your oven, and start baking!

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me! Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.