Easy Rhubarb-Cherry Crisp

Another week of kitchen re-do! We have about half of the cabinets in. The walls are  all destructed and reconstructed, mudded and textured, primed and ready for paint. The recessed lights are in and wires are waiting for the other light fixtures. The floors will get sanded and stained in a few days and so I am busy packing up everything in the dining room.

However, we had to take a break to celebrate birthdays. My husband and son both had birthdays this week.  Their birthdays are one day apart. The day before my son was born, we were on our way on a surprise party for my husband but we ended up going to the hospital instead - surprise!

Anyway, one of my husband’s favorite dessert is Rhubarb crisp. Now I know that some of you, looking at the photos of my kitchen, might question my sanity trying to cook in there. But I found some rhubarb at the store and so I had to try!  I usually make it with strawberries but I did not fancy doing too much washing and chopping and I had something that inspired a short cut so I thought I would try an easy quick take on Rhubarb crisp. I decided to try it with cherry pie filling in a can. I know, it is not the way we usually like to do things for birthdays and such but sometimes it comes in handy to use a can of something .Especially since fresh cherries were $7 a pound!!! And I could not find any corn starch or tapioca, which I like to use to thicken rhubarb crisp up a  bit so I hoped pie filling would do the trick. I was also, low on white sugar but I had a jar of strawberry preserves (jam) so I used them in this. I found a half bag of dried cherries so I threw them in too. I am not sure if it was just the pie filling or the preserves or what,  but this turned out so nice and thick and bubbly! I don’t like when the crisp is too liquid-y and this one was perfect.

So here is my…"ah let’s see what I have left around here to throw in" rhubarb crisp! This is all very adaptable to whatever you would like or have on hand.

Easy Rhubarb-cherry Crisp

5-6 cups of thinly sliced rhubarb, more or less

21 oz can cherry pie filling

1 1/4 cup fresh cherries or ¾ cup dried cherries soaked in a bit of water or juice ( or substitute another can if you like or skip it altogether)

2/3 cup strawberry, cherry or  berry preserves- the “all fruit”, made with juice kind is good, but regular is fine.*

1/3 cup sugar

Topping :

1 – 1 ½ cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

½ - 2/3 cup butter, unsalted, room temp

2/3 cup oats

½ cup chopped pecans, optional


*If you prefer not to use preserves you may substitute the same amount of  extra sugar. You may add a bit of vanilla or almond extract if you like but it was plenty flavorful without it.

Preheat oven to 350 and place fruit in oven while you make topping…about 10 minutes. You may skip this step but I think it helps the rhubarb to soften and everything to meld.

In a large rectangular baking dish layer cherry filling, rhubarb, preserves, dried or fresh pitted cherries. Mix a bit to incorporate each throughout. 

Using two table knives in a cutting motion, cut in sugar flour and butter. Add oats and nuts. Mix well and sprinkle over fruit.

Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes

Serve warm with ice cream or cooled with whipped cream.


Here are a couple pictures from the Birthday celebration. We went out to dinner and then on a walk along the river.