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.
- 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?
Keto Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Crisp Topping:
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup brown sugar replacement, erythritol-based
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
Rhubarb Filling:
- 2 pounds chopped rhubarb
- 1/3 cup powdered sweetener, (more if you like it sweeter)
- 1/4 + 1/8 tsp 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.
Nutrition
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.
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I made this for Memorial Day dessert from our own homegrown rhubarb. It’s AWESOME!!
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!
it’s yummy! Made it last year,making it again,simple and delicious!
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
Yes, you need to thaw it and yes, that works perfectly in terms of timing.
… and be sure to drain at least some of the excess liquid after thawing the rubarb.
This was absolutely amazing! We all loved it. I didn’t have pecans so I used chopped roasted hazelnuts. Awesome recipe and definitely making it again! Thanks so much Carolyn!
So glad!
Thoughts on modifications to thicken it? I have some amazing rhubarb and it come out really runny. (The crumble was perfect and still usable!). I want to try again but want it sweeter and thicker almost like a glaze? Thoughts on how I might modify to make it less watery?
Please read the blog post. Under tips for the recipe, I discuss sweeteners. Mine was not watery, it had a thick sauce.
This was excellent. What a treat to enjoy home grown rhubarb
Can the crisp topping be added after the fruit filling is completely cool? I am thinking of making the two “parts” a day in advance and then assembling the dish the day of our family gathering for maximum topping crispiness.
Absolutely – that would actually be best if you’re doing it a day in advance. I would re-warm the filling a bit in the oven before serving, then put the crisp topping on and then put it all back in the oven to warm through.
Can I bake the rhubarb and topping together?
Not if you want it to be crisp.
Just made this and followed your directions. Delicious!! Have a pound of rhubarb left and will pair it with Strawberries and make your Dump cake next!
Would using xylitol work here?
Thanks
In the topping? Not if you want it crisp!
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!
So glad you liked it!
Can I use frozen rhubarb?
Also, swerve causes me major gastrointestinal problems. ????
Can I use lakanto? It still has erythritol in it.
Both should be fine.
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
Sorry, that’s really not an option. It won’t crisp up properly. Your best bet is more almond flour in the same amount.
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.
Read the blog post, please! Totally updated (and even better!) recipe.
HI,
I liked the previous recipe more I have to say with the flax and the chia to thicken.
I have a screenshot of the previous ingredients and I will use the current method and see how we go.
Thanks
Made this last night, INCREDIBLE! This was an easy & quick recipe….family favorite!!