Rhubarb and stem ginger crumble is a classic dessert that combines the tangy sweetness of rhubarb with the warm, spicy kick of ginger.
This delicious rhubarb dessert is perfect for any time of year, whether you're enjoying the bounty of fresh rhubarb in the spring and summer or using frozen rhubarb during the colder months.
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No matter how you choose to indulge in your crumble—whether piping hot, pleasantly warm, or even chilled, accompanied by custard, cream, ice cream (or yes, yogurt too!)—this delightful rhubarb crumble with stem ginger is an absolute must-try, especially during rhubarb season.
For the foundation of this crumble, I rely on easy recipe for stewed rhubarb. It works beautifully with either forced rhubarb or garden rhubarb.
To boost the flavours, I add ground ginger and a splash of lime juice. Then, I mix in slices of Granny Smith apples and sweet stem ginger in syrup, giving the dish a lovely warmth.
Now, let's talk about the topping—a simple flapjack-style crumble. No more messy hands rubbing butter and flour together. It's a quick, easy method that's my go-to for nearly every crumble. Plus, it adds a delicious buttery sweetness like a tasty flapjack. Trust me, it's fantastic!
👩🍳 Love crumble? Have you seen my apple and blueberry crumble recipe?
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Pure warmth and comfort with tangy rhubarb, spicy stem ginger, and a tasty flapjack-style crumble topping.
- Freezer-friendly: make a batch, freeze individual portions, and defrost for a comforting treat anytime.
- Easy flapjack-style crumble topping means no fussing with rubbing in butter and flour.
🥘 Ingredients
Stewed Rhubarb - make a batch of my stewed rhubarb and store it in the fridge for up to three days. Alternatively, the stewed rhubarb can be frozen. Defrost thoroughly before using it in this recipe.
Apples - 2 tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced. I used Granny Smith but Bramleys, when in season, would be delicious.
Stem Ginger - 1 ball of stem ginger in syrup adds a lovely warmth and gentle heat to the crumble. The stem ginger must be chopped very finely. You might find it easier to grate it.
Plain Flour - for the crumble topping.
Oats - adds texture to the crumble, giving it that flapjack-like quality.
Sugar - light brown sugar adds a caramel flavour to the crumble topping but you could substitute it with caster sugar if you prefer.
Butter - Unusually for crumble, the butter (unsalted) in this recipe is melted and poured into the flour, oats, and sugar. No rubbing in required just a quick stir of the spoon to create a moreish golden crumble!
🔪 How to make rhubarb ginger crumble
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Make the stewed rhubarb if you haven't already. You will need the full portion for this crumble.
Two: Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas 4/ 350F).
Three: Place the stewed rhubarb, sliced apple, and chopped stem ginger in a 2-litre pie dish.
Four: Put the flour, oats, and sugar in a mixing bowl and pour on the melted butter. Using a metal spoon, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until your crumble topping forms.
Five: Spoon the crumble over the fruit and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbling. You can also air fry the crumble for 35 minutes.
Six: Serve warm or cold with cream, custard, or ice cream.
Top Tips
- Make the stewed rhubarb up to three days ahead to save time. It keeps well in the fridge until you're ready to bake.
- Love a thick crumble layer? Double the topping for extra crunch.
- Both forced and garden-grown rhubarb work well, with forced rhubarb being more vibrant in color.
- Leftover rhubarb crumble is great for breakfast with creamy yogurt.
🍴 Serving suggestions
When it comes to serving rhubarb crumble, there are various delicious options to consider. Here are some serving suggestions to enhance your enjoyment of this delectable dessert:
- Custard: A classic choice, its creamy texture pairs perfectly with the tart rhubarb and sweet crumble.
- Cream or Clotted Cream: Adds indulgence and richness to complement the dessert.
- Ice Cream: Top warm crumble with vanilla or honeycomb ice cream for a delightful treat.
- Yogurt: For a lighter, tangy twist, serve with thick and creamy yogurt.
📖 Variations
- Add 200g of sliced strawberries in place of the apple to make a rhubarb and strawberry crumble.
- If you aren't so keen on ginger, replace the chopped stem ginger with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Add 50g of chopped walnuts to the crumble topping to add texture and crunch.
- Add a handful of raspberries to the rhubarb crumble to give it a fruity boost. Blueberries would work too.
- Make the crumble in 6 individual ramekins rather than one large pie dish.
🥡 Storage
Baked crumble can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in individual portions in the microwave.
Crumble can also be frozen either unbaked or baked. If freezing unbaked, once you've sprinkled on the crumble topping, cover the dish with 2 layers of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat it, the crumble can be placed straight from the freezer into the oven, although you may have to increase your cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
❓ FAQS
Forced rhubarb is grown from the same plant as normal outdoor rhubarb, but in very different conditions. Forced rhubarb, being grown in darkened sheds away from natural light, makes the plant more colourful with pale pink stems, sweeter and (to some people) more tender than normal rhubarb.
The Rhubarb Triangle is a 9-square-mile (23 km2) area of West Yorkshire, England between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell famous for producing early forced rhubarb. The farmers in the Rhubarb Triangle were awarded Protected Designation of Origin status (PDO) in February 2010. Food protected status accesses European funding to promote the product and legal backing against other products made outside the area trying to use the name.
No, rhubarb does not need to be peeled prior to cooking.
Yes, frozen rhubarb can be used for making rhubarb crumble. However, it's important to thaw and drain the frozen rhubarb before using it in the recipe. Excess moisture from frozen rhubarb can affect the texture of the crumble.
😋Related recipes
More fruity puddings to enjoy!
- Spiced Plum and Apple Crumble
- Gooseberry Crumble
- Frozen Berry Crumble
- Cinnamon Apple Crumble
- Blackberry Crumble
- Strawberry Crumble
- Apple and Mincemeat Crumble
- Easy Strawberry Cobbler
- Apple and Blackberry Crumble
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Recipe
Rhubarb and Stem Ginger Crumble
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Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 500 g Stewed Rhubarb
- 2 Apples peeled and sliced (I used Granny Smith)
- 1 Stem Ginger Ball finely chopped or grated
For the crumble topping
- 125 g Plain Flour
- 125 g Oats
- 150 g Light Brown Sugar
- 125 g Butter melted
Instructions
- If you haven't already done so, make the stewed rhubarb using the recipe link in the ingredients. This can be done up to 3 days ahead of time. You will need the full amount of stewed rhubarb for this recipe.500 g Stewed Rhubarb
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas 4/ 350F).
- Place the stewed rhubarb, sliced apple and chopped stem ginger in a 2-litre pie dish.2 Apples, 1 Stem Ginger Ball, 500 g Stewed Rhubarb
- Put the flour, oats, and sugar in a mixing bowl and pour on the melted butter. Using a metal spoon, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until your crumble topping forms.125 g Plain Flour, 125 g Oats, 150 g Light Brown Sugar, 125 g Butter
- Spoon the crumble over the fruit and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Notes
- To save time on the day of baking, you can make the stewed rhubarb up to three days ahead of time. It will keep perfectly fine in the fridge until you're ready to assemble and bake the crumble.
- If you're a fan of an extra thick crumble layer, feel free to double the amount of crumble topping in the recipe. This will give you a wonderfully substantial layer that adds a crunchy texture to the dessert.
- Whether you have forced rhubarb available in early spring or garden-grown rhubarb, both types work well for this recipe. The only noticeable difference lies in the color of the stems. Forced rhubarb tends to have a more vibrant hue, but the taste and texture remain equally delicious.
- Add 200g of sliced strawberries in place of the apple to make a rhubarb and strawberry crumble.
- If you aren't so keen on ginger, replace the chopped stem ginger with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Add 50g of chopped walnuts to the crumble topping to add texture and crunch.
- Add a handful of raspberries to the rhubarb crumble to give it a fruity boost. Blueberries would work too.
- Make the crumble in 6 individual ramekins rather than one large dish.
Claudia Lamascolo
Sounds delicious I hope I can find some of this root, we have never had anything like that before but I sure want to try this out! YUM!
Lauren
I've always just gone for strawberry and rhubarb - the ginger and rhubarb is a really interesting combination! Great recipe.
Jen
This is the perfect dessert! I love the tartness from the rhubarb. I served it alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So delicious!
Angela
My family loves crumble for dessert. Your rhubarb ginger crumble was so delicious that they want me to make it again. Yum!
Rachna
It's a delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing the detailed recipe. I will try it out soon.
Pam
The tanginess of the ginger sounds just delightful in this! I can't wait to try it.
Deirdre
I love rhubarb so much but it's really difficult to find here in Spain. I'd like to make this recipe though, could I substitute the rhubarb for the same amount of pears do you think, or would something else be better?
Beth Sachs
Pears would work really well with the ginger! I might try it myself!
veenaazmanov
Love the delicious combinations of ingredients in making this delicious dessert. Unique yet so easy and perfect. I have to try this out.
Michelle
I love rhubarb season -- this combination with ginger sounds incredible! I cannot wait to give it a try!
Jess
I love the flavor combo here. And the crumb topping is everything!