Keto rhubarb crisp with a truly crispy topping. This wonderful sugar-free dessert is delicious paired with low carb ice cream or whipped cream.
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!
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.
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 ¼ teaspoon plus another ⅛th 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?
Keto Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Crisp Topping:
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup Swerve Brown
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoon butter chilled and cut into small pieces
Rhubarb Filling:
- 2 pounds chopped rhubarb
- ⅓ cup powdered Swerve (more if you like it sweeter)
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon glucomannan
Instructions
Crisp Topping
- Preheat the oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and rhubarb is tender.
- 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.
Barbara says
Just made this because our freezer decided to thaw and I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the rhubarb. It’s wonderful! I had to use the xanthan because it’s all I had. Because you mentioned it clumps, I stirred it more and seemed to be fine.
I have my husband some with whipped cream – he asked if I was sure it’s legal! He loves it! Thanks!
Laurie Thompson says
Really loved this even though I overcooked my rhubarb just because I got distracted. The best advice was to cook the topping separately. Love being able to have crisp that is Keto!
Carolyn says
Happy to hear it was still good!
Freda says
This is so close to a Rhubarb Crisp my mother made for every church potluck we attended every month. Hers had a bottom & top crisp crust – and church members fought over who got to scrape the bottom crust out of the pan. She ended up having to make two 9 X 13 pans each time so everyone got a piece. I have all your cookbooks & just ordered your Keto Baking spiral bound copy. You have taught me so much about how to transform my old recipes to Keto friendly. Thanks so much for sharing all your tips & tricks! Thank God you have figured out how we all can have on Keto – our cake & breads – legally !!
Carolyn says
I am so glad!
Connie P says
This sounds incredible. Only problem I have is the pecans. I can’t have nuts. Should I add more almond flour? Or, I saw one comment where the poster added hemp hearts. Would those work in place of the pecans? Thanks. Look forward to making this. I love Rhubarb! Excited to go out and get some so I can make this. Thanks for the recipe.
Carolyn says
I can’t really speak for the hemp hearts, not having tried it myself – it might work. Are you not allergic to almonds?
Sharon w says
Can tapioca flour be used in place of gluccomannan?
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I don’t use it so I can’t advise.
Marla says
Do you taste the coconut? Is it necessary? I detest coconut.
Carolyn says
You can try more almond flour in the same amount.
Sean says
Hi, like another poster, I prefer the previous recipe with the flax and chia seeds. Can you post this again ?
Thanks !!
Laura Wheeler says
This might be my new favorite Keto recipe. I’ve made it three times this week!! Served it to several “non-Keto” friends and they could not believe it was Keto. I’ve made extra batches of the fruit filling with a little extra Konjac and used it like jam on keto bread and a topping for keto ice cream. I’ve also made extra topping and used it separately as crumble on keto ice cream or even as a cookie with coffee. (reminds me a little of Biscoff cookies if you tweak the spices a bit) This is just such a GREAT recipe!!!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Laura!
Margie says
I made this for Memorial Day dessert from our own homegrown rhubarb. It’s AWESOME!!
EAP says
This is absolutely THE BEST Keto Rhubarb Crisp! I did use half Swerve and half Bocha Sweet, and I added Hemp Hearts to the crumble. I make a Quadruple batch of that crumble because it is so darned good I will put it on ice cream etc. Thanks for this amazing recipe! I am Canadian and Rhubarb is part of my heritage!
Leftie says
it’s yummy! Made it last year,making it again,simple and delicious!
Patti says
Hi Carolyn!!
I have rhubarb in the freezer, do I need to thaw it out first?
Also, can I make the filling in the morning, refrigerator it and then make the topping after work and heat the filling up before topping it?
Thanks
Patti
Carolyn says
Yes, you need to thaw it and yes, that works perfectly in terms of timing.
Jeanie says
… and be sure to drain at least some of the excess liquid after thawing the rubarb.