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Keto Rhubarb Crisp

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Keto rhubarb crisp with a truly crispy topping. This wonderful sugar-free dessert is delicious paired with low carb ice cream or whipped cream.

A serving of keto rhubarb crisp with ice cream on top in front of an oval dish with the rest of the crisp.

Most keto fruit crisp recipes suffer from the same common problem: they aren’t actually crisp at all. The topping is too soft and sometimes a little bit soggy.

But what if I told you that this rhubarb crisp recipe is the real deal, with a sweet-tart rhubarb filling and a truly crispy sugar-free, grain-free topping?

How did I do it? Oh, I have my ways and means. And I am more than happy to share my secrets!

Rhubarb crisp is the best!

I first posted this recipe back in 2014, and I decided to give it a bit of an update. It’s just as delicious as it ever was, but now it’s even lower in carbs AND you can have a bigger portion.

The truth is that I am a rhubarb fanatic. I love that tart, bright red stalky vegetable. And yes, it is a vegetable, although people tend to treat it as a fruit. It’s incredibly tart on its own, but cook it down with some sweetener, and it has this incredible and unique flavor.

I have a number of delicious keto rhubarb recipes, such as my rhubarb scones, keto strawberry rhubarb sauce, and rhubarb coffee cake.

But rhubarb crisp has a very special place in my heart. When I was growing up my mother made a to-die-for rhubarb crisp that was one of my childhood favourites. The topping was rich and buttery, with plenty of brown sugar. It’s been my dream to make a keto-friendly rhubarb crisp that could even come close to hers.

And I think I’ve actually done it. Hooray!

Top down photo of rhubarb crisp on a white table. A white plate with one serving beside the main oval dish.

How to make keto rhubarb crisp

Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts so it was pretty important to me to make a good one. But getting the topping to be truly crisp is tricky.

Almond flour and other low carb ingredients have quite a bit of moisture. They also tend to absorb a lot of moisture when subjected to other ingredients with a high water content. That’s why most keto fruit crisps tend to be soggy.

The solution is actually ridiculously simple

Bake the topping separately from the filling.

It may be unconventional, but trust me, it’s the only way to make a keto crisp. When it finally occurred to me, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before.

My keto Cinnamon Crunch Cereal was the tip off for me. It crisps up so perfectly and tastes reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie, and that’s when I realized it would be the perfect topping for a fruit crisp.

Rhubarb crisp with ice cream melting on top.

More tips for keto rhubarb crisp

A few extra tips for getting the perfect rhubarb crisp recipe:

  • Choose the reddest stalks of rhubarb that you can find, as they will produce that gorgeous deep pink color. The green rhubarb tastes exactly the same, though!
  • Erythritol based sweeteners are a must. No other sweetener will crisp up properly, especially BochaSweet and allulose. So if you want a truly crisp topping, I recommend Swerve.
  • If you don’t like coconut, feel free to replace that with additional almond flour (in the same amount).
  • Really press down that topping firmly before baking. This is what helps get it truly crisp.
  • Also know that it won’t seem crisp right out of the oven. But it will continue to crisp up as it cools. As long as you pressed it quite thin and the edges are golden, you should be good.
  • Rhubarb is quite juicy when cooked, so use glucomannan to thicken the filling. I prefer this over xanthan gum as it mixes in more easily and doesn’t clump up. (And yes, I really do mean 1/4 teaspoon plus another 1/8th teaspoon).

To store the keto crisp:

Cover any leftovers with foil or plastic wrap. You can store on the counter for two days, or in the fridge for about 5.

The topping will become less crisp as it sits, which happens with any fruit crisp recipe. You could simply keep the filling and topping separate, and only combine them when serving, if you wish.

How to serve keto fruit crisp:

Do yourself a big favor and make some of my keto vanilla ice cream to top the rhubarb crisp. IT IS MAGICAL!

A little whipped cream is nice too, though. I’ve even eaten it for breakfast with a little heavy cream poured overtop.

Ready to enjoy this delicious keto crisp recipe?

A serving of sugar-free rhubarb crisp with a cup of coffee

4.75 from 12 votes
A serving of sugar-free rhubarb crisp with a cup of coffee
Print
Keto Rhubarb Crisp
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

Keto rhubarb crisp with a truly crispy topping. This wonderful sugar-free dessert is delicious paired with low carb ice cream or whipped cream.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: rhubarb crisp, rhubarb crisp recipe
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 171 kcal
Ingredients
Crisp Topping:
Rhubarb Filling:
  • 2 pounds chopped rhubarb
  • 1/3 cup powdered Swerve (more if you like it sweeter)
  • 1/4 + 1/8 tsp glucomannan
Instructions
Crisp Topping

  1. Preheat the oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. In a food processor, combine the almond flour, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle with the butter pieces and then process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

  3. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment. Use a rolling pin or your hands to press down firmly so that the mixture sticks together. Remove the top sheet of paper.

  4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool completely - the mixture will continue to crisp up as it cools.

Rhubarb Filling

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the rhubarb in a 9x13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish and sprinkle with the sweetener and glucomannan. Toss to combine.

  2. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and rhubarb is tender.

  3. Remove the filling from oven and remove foil. Break the cooled topping into pieces with your hand and place over filling to cover completely. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream or keto vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition Facts
Keto Rhubarb Crisp
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1/9th of recipe)
Calories 171 Calories from Fat 130
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.4g22%
Carbohydrates 7.7g3%
Fiber 3.5g14%
Protein 3.4g7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

Reader Interactions

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Comments

    • So i put all the ingredients for the crisp part exactly and im tellin you preheated at 300f that crisp was beginning to burn at the 5 minute mark. How is it supposed to go for 25minutes at 300f?

      Reply

      • A few thoughts: your oven runs hot. I know mine does not because I have an oven thermometer in my oven that tells me the exact temperature, regardless of what the display says. Another issue may be a flimsy pan that conducts heat unevenly, and depending on how thinly you pressed this, it may have gotten cooked a lot faster. If you did yours on parchment, rather than a silicone mat, that also might cause it to brown faster.

        Finally… did you use all the specified ingredients or did you use different brands/sweeteners?

        Reply

  3. Hey Miss C. – Would chia flour work as a sub for flax in the topping and still retain its crunchiness? (1/2 the amount I suppose). (Flax intolerant).

    Reply

    • Not sure, in this case, because chia attracts so much moisture. You could try half almond flour and half shredded coconut for the flax.

      Reply

  5. Hi Carolyn, I have a dumb question. When you state butter in your recipes, is it unsalted butter? Can’t wait to try this recipe and I love, love your blog! It is my hands down favorite!!

    Reply

    • It’s simply to mark the notation and clarify that LBA has to count all carbs, including fiber and erythritol.

      Reply

  15. Wow! I just made this and ate a piece for breakfast. I’ve always thought that rhubarb was only good paired with strawberries. It was all I could do to bake this just the way it was written. You have gained my trust over many months and recipes, so I made it as-is. I’m a convert. Strawberries were not only not necessary, but would have confused the ridiculously flavorful dish. Thanks again for a stellar recipe.

    Reply

  16. This recipe is a winner! Even the crabby diabetic in my family thought it was great! Only problem….the whole family wants more of this rhubarb crisp, and it does take time (and lots of rhubarb!). Thanks for another great recipe.

    Reply

  18. I’m not overly keen on coconut. Do you think the shredded coconut could be omitted or substituted?

    Thanks

    Jo

    Reply

    • Try using more almond meal in the same amount. It won’t have quite the same texture but should be good.

      Reply

  20. This is great—I’m in the middle of making it. The topping smells and TASTES so good.

    I love your recipes so much. This is my favorite recipe blog in the universe.

    Reply

  21. Hi Carolyn,

    Im curious if a serving of the crisp is 1 cup?
    I haven’t made this yet but have all the ingredients ready to go. I was diagnosed with Type 1 last September. At the age of 44 this came as a huge shock. I am still making the lifetime learning curve of how to eat those things I always loved in a healthier version. This recipie is a great low carb alternative to my mom’s absolutely devine, carb-packed rhubarb crisp.
    Thank you so much….you have made me realize I can have my crisp AND eat it too!!

    Reply

    • I am so glad my recipe can help! I am not sure if the serving is 1 cup, I didn’t really measure it out. I just saw how many servings it made fro my family.

      Reply

      • Carolyn: thanks again for all of your hard work & dedication to trying out new recipies & sharing the results!

        Katy: We are a rare breed! Im happy to connect w/others diagnosed later in life…so far you are #3! Im thankful to find this site. It gives me cooking inspiration! Thanks for your response 🙂

        Reply

  23. Hi this is the only sweetener I could pick up can you recommend how much to use for this recipe? I’m new to sugar substitutes and my first recipe came out way too sweet.

    Reply

    • You need to find out how sweet that is compared to sugar. My sweeteners are equivalent to about 1/2 cup in the topping and 3/4 cup in the filling – that’s equivalent to sugar so use yours in the quantities required to match that. But as to amounts, I can’t say exactly what because I have never used it.

      Reply

      • Thank you so much! This is the info I needed. No wonder my first attempt was so sweet as this replacement is 2:1. 🙂

        Reply

      • Okay, now I’m thoroughly confused. According to Swerve’s web site, their erythritol based sweetener with Oligosaccharides are used at a 1:1 equal measure with table sugar.

        It sounds like your using something that is 2:1. So If I’m using something that is 1:1 ratio, I should basically double the amount I’m using in any recipe from your website?!?

        Reply

        • No, I am not using something that is 2:1 in terms of sweetness, I just happen to like to stretch out my Swerve and use less of it (because it’s expensive) by also using some stevia. What do you plan to use?

          Reply

          • I usually use straight erythritol (only 1/2 the price per # if bought in bulk) with about 1/2 tsp of powdered stevia (better stevia) per cup, which brings it to about the same sweetness of sugar (1:1, maybe a tad more), without having any off tastes to it (less cooling effect, no metallic taste). That’s about a 1:1/96 ratio of erythritol to powdered stevia. Swerve looks to be erythritol and oligosaccharides, and then your super boosting the sweetness even more by using liquid stevia. Basically, if you were using only plain sugar as the sweetener, how much would you use?

            I just need to know how much straight erythritol to how much stevia (liquid or powdered) I need to use for each part of this recipe (thanks BTW, I was just thinking/hoping for something like this when I stumbled upon this).

            Oh, another thing. My “traditional” carb ladened rhubarb crisp had both a top & bottom crumbles (oatmeal, flour, butter, & brown sugar). I was wondering if I doubled the crisp topping, and put half in the bottom of the pan and only baked it for say 10~15 minutes, let it cool, then put the filling in and baked it, would it work? Don’t care if it gets a bit soft, just not soggy or soupy. I know you probably haven’t tried that, but I would value your expert opinion and input of whether you think that might work or not.

            Being that this is suppose to be a crumbly topping, I was also thinking of using “almond meal” instead of almond flour, as I can get it MUCH cheaper (I still sift and regrind it). I did that with that coconut chocolate granola cereal recipe you have here, and it seemed to work fine. Do you think I could do that here too, or would that make it too hard? Again, I’m asking as your an expert (to my relative novice experience) at baking low carb.

            Sorry about all the questions, but your my go to gal (dare I say low-carb goddess baking babe? 😉 when it comes to low carb recipes….

          • Swerve equals sugar in sweetness and my stevia is 1/4 tsp to 1/4 cup sugar. So 1/2 cup “sugar” in the topping and 1/3 plus 1/4 cup “sugar” in the filling. Does that help? Also, I can’t say for sure almond meal will work here but if you are re-grinding it, it probably will.

          • Okay, that’s what I needed. I didn’t realize/know that a 1/4 tsp of the liquid stevia was equal to 1/4 cup of sugar in sweetness. Thanks.

  24. I’ve tried many of your recipes, and loved them all! I can’t wait to try this. I’m curious about always recommending erythritol or Swerve. Is it just your preference. I would like to use granulated Splenda, even though I think erythritol is probably “healthy” in the end, but Swerve and the like have that weird cooling effect when used in large quantities, to me. What are your thoughts on that? LOVE your website. I’ve donated all my cookbooks, and I just come here 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Lori. I recommend them because yes, they are my favourites and my personal preference. I don’t like Splenda at all, for both flavour and because of how it’s made. Plus Splenda baking blend is bulked with things that add carbs to the recipe, whereas erythritol doesn’t effect my blood sugar at all. You may find the topping in this doesn’t get as crisp with Splenda. You could also do half Splenda, half Swerve to cut down on the cooling effect (I don’t experience any of that with Swerve, but I do with straight erythritol).

      Reply

  25. Have you tried using honey or agave instead of the other sweeteners? Just wondering if that would work……

    Reply

  26. This is the absolute best recipe that all my family and friends devour! So now comes my hubby problem- yep he has an allergy to almonds, go
    figure, so is there a replacement or does he have to go without. Hoping for a miracle here so thanks

    Reply

  27. This looks sooo good, but chia seeds give me awful digestive issues so I avoid them. Is there something else I could use as a thickener, maybe xanthan? If yes, how much would you suggest using?

    Reply

  28. This looks amazing!! Can you think of anything that I could substitute the ground chia seeds for? I have everything else, but that!

    Reply

    • The chia just helps thicken the filling. You can skip it or use a touch of xanthan gum if you have it.

      Reply

      • Did you try using whole chia seeds? I don’t have a coffee grinder and am curious how leaving them whole would affect the recipe.

        Reply

        • I used whole chia seeds and the filling turned out fine. I added more than the recipe called for though. I made a half recipe, but accidentally added the full measure of chia. It turned out fine.

          Reply

  29. Have you tried placing the topping on the filling and just baking together, instead of separately?

    Reply

  31. This is WONDERFUL! I tweaked a couple of things. I used it a guide to make a ‘crumble’ type topping by using the butter chilled and chopped and rubbed it in to the dry ingredients. I omitted vanilla and stevia.
    One it was all incorporated I topped my stewed rhubarb with the crumble mix and popped it in the oven and it came out perfect.
    So many times I find myself returning to your site. I really appreciate your recipes.

    Reply

  32. I have quite a bit of rhubarb from last years garden. This is delish! I served it with cream. I will make again! Thanks.

    Reply

  33. 3 stars
    I used Sukrin Gold in the topping plus stevia glycerite and matched your ingredients for the filling. Overall it was good, but the whole thing was not sweet enough for me with 2 pounds of rhubarb. I ended up dripping stevia on my dish as I did not put ice cream on top of it. Also my topping burned in the oven at 20 minutes. The topping was very crunchy and I really like that. Does the Sukrin Gold tend to burn? I will work on tweaking this more for our family.

    Reply

    • Subbing in a different sweetener is definitely part of the problem. Sukrin is not as sweet as swerve and yes, I think it could have caused the burning.

      Reply

  34. 5 stars
    Ohmygosh! I love rhubarb and this was amazing! I’m so glad I found you. I cant wait to make more of your recipes. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  36. 5 stars
    Baking the two parts separately is really smart and truly a big surprise. It’s like stewed fruit topped with crumbled cookies, and there’s nothing wrong with that!

    Reply

  37. 5 stars
    This looks amazing!! Love crisps & the fact that this is low carb & sugar free…I won’t feel guilty eating the whole thing!

    Reply

  39. 5 stars
    This was the yummiest mid week treat! You would have never guessed it was healthier, the flavor was amazing!

    Reply

  42. 4 stars
    This tastes really good but mine was mostly toasted powder crumbs. It seems that it needed a little more butter for the ingredients to stick together and combine. I am going to try to add more butter and toast again.

    Reply

    • Then something went wrong on your end, something was mismeasured. This is more like crisp cookies than any kind of powder.

      Reply

    • It’s hard to say, you simply press it down thinly. Maybe 1/3 inch thick or so? Basically, you want enough to be able to cover the dish your rhurbarb is in so you’re pressing it out a bit larger than 9×13.

      Reply

  47. Carolyn,
    In your cookbooks and on this site I see recipes that call for protein powder. Somewhere I’ve missed your recommendation of a Keto protein powder to use. Can you give me some suggestions please? I’d like to make the recipes.
    Thanks. Enjoying cookbooks and this site.
    Nancu

    Reply

  48. If I don’t have glucomannan, could you suggest how much xanthan gum could be substituted? I realize it may clump a bit more…

    Reply

  50. A week ago this recipe called for chia flour to thicken the filling, but now it calls for glucomannan. Why the change? I still see references to chia in the comments. I’d prefer to try the chia flour but not sure if the amounts were the same.

    Reply

  51. I would like to use coconut flour for the coconut (I like coconut but, like some people, I find grated and shredded coconut’s texture to be annoying!) What amount of coconut flour would substitute?
    Thanks, Carolyn, for another tasty yet healthy treat

    Reply

    • Sorry, that’s really not an option. It won’t crisp up properly. Your best bet is more almond flour in the same amount.

      Reply

  52. Can I use frozen rhubarb?

    Also, swerve causes me major gastrointestinal problems. 😟
    Can I use lakanto? It still has erythritol in it.

    Reply

  53. 5 stars
    Love this dessert! I didn’t have the thickening agent but I used tapioca pearls that I ground down as best I could. I’m sure it would have been even better if I did though. This is the best keto dessert I have made! Thanks for giving me hope for future keto desserts!

    Reply

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