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Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble for Two

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 20, 2025

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 2

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble for Two

Ingredients

Topping

6 tablespoons (1 3⁄4 ounces) all-purpose flour ¼ cup panko bread crumbs 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar ¼ teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 ounces fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (1¾ cups)6 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped coarse (1 cup)½ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed (4⅓ ounces) light brown sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch Pinch table salt

Before You Begin

Frozen rhubarb and strawberries can be substituted for fresh. If using frozen strawberries, there’s no need to thaw them completely; you can chop them as soon as they’re soft enough. Depending on the amount of trimming required, you may need to buy more than 8 ounces of rhubarb to ensure that you end up with 1¾ cups. If you want to bake the crumble in a toaster oven, follow the directions for making the recipe in a casserole dish or loaf pan. This recipe can be prepared through step 2, then transferred to a 2½- to 3½-cup casserole dish or 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan.

Instructions

    for the topping

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour, panko, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together in bowl. Stir in melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand and no dry flour remains. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. for the filling

  3. Toss all ingredients in bowl until thoroughly combined. Transfer to 10-inch ovensafe skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fruit has released enough liquid to be mostly submerged, rhubarb is just beginning to break down, and juices have thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
  4. Squeeze topping into large clumps with your hands. Crumble topping over filling, breaking up any large pieces. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling around sides of skillet, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble for Two
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Chantal Lambeth.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble for Two

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 20, 2025

Save

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

Topping

6 tablespoons (1 3⁄4 ounces) all-purpose flour
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 ounces fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (1¾ cups)
6 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped coarse (1 cup)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed (4⅓ ounces) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch table salt

Ingredients

Topping

6 tablespoons (1 3⁄4 ounces) all-purpose flour
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 ounces fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (1¾ cups)
6 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped coarse (1 cup)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed (4⅓ ounces) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch table salt

Ingredients

Topping

6 tablespoons (1 3⁄4 ounces) all-purpose flour
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 ounces fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (1¾ cups)
6 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped coarse (1 cup)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed (4⅓ ounces) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch table salt

Why This Recipe Works

The pairing of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb is a classic for good reason, but it can be hard for two people to tackle a whole strawberry-rhubarb pie. A crumble can cut the dessert to size and take care of a common early summer problem: When strawberry and rhubarb are cooked, they are juicy to a fault. Sautéing them on the stovetop with some brown sugar and cornstarch coaxes out excess liquid and creates a jammy consistency. Light panko crumbs amp up the crispness (even as they absorb moisture) in an easy stir-together topping that bakes up golden brown.

Before You Begin

Frozen rhubarb and strawberries can be substituted for fresh. If using frozen strawberries, there’s no need to thaw them completely; you can chop them as soon as they’re soft enough. Depending on the amount of trimming required, you may need to buy more than 8 ounces of rhubarb to ensure that you end up with 1¾ cups. If you want to bake the crumble in a toaster oven, follow the directions for making the recipe in a casserole dish or loaf pan. This recipe can be prepared through step 2, then transferred to a 2½- to 3½-cup casserole dish or 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan.

Instructions

    for the topping

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour, panko, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together in bowl. Stir in melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand and no dry flour remains. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. for the filling

  3. Toss all ingredients in bowl until thoroughly combined. Transfer to 10-inch ovensafe skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fruit has released enough liquid to be mostly submerged, rhubarb is just beginning to break down, and juices have thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
  4. Squeeze topping into large clumps with your hands. Crumble topping over filling, breaking up any large pieces. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling around sides of skillet, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

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