This Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Recipe is Perfect for Summer

They say you eat with your eyes first — no wonder scrolling through @easygayoven’s feed makes our mouths water. From a raspberry cake with an artful matcha swirl to a rainbow fruit tart worthy of a Parisian patisserie window display, each image — created and snapped by baker, recipe developer, and food photographer Eric King — is more breathtaking than the next. Better still, the helpful tips and genius hacks that accompany many of King’s recipes will help you improve your baking skills (so that maybe, one day, you’ll be on his level).

King put a vegan spin on one of the season’s most beloved combinations — strawberry and rhubarb — in this recipe he created just for us. The crunchy pecan crumble topping is less fussy than a pie crust, and a hint of fresh orange zest and juice help all the other fruit flavors shine. 

Watch King make this recipe along with Thrive Market Art Director JP Danley, on IG Live here. For more delicious recipes and handy baking tips, visit EasyGayOven.com and follow @easygayoven on Instagram. 

Easygayoven’s Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Recipe

“Across most of the U.S., the in-season windows for rhubarb and strawberries are overlapping and creating the most perfect venn diagram right now,” King tells us. “This vegan crumble is so simple to make, and perfect for all the gatherings that are filling up your summer calendar. Ice cream is highly, highly recommended.” 

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Active time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the filling

1 ½ pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half (quarter any large ones)
12 ounces fresh rhubarb, cut into half-inch pieces
Zest from 1 medium orange
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
Seeds from half a vanilla bean (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch 
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt 

For the topping

1 cup all-purpose flour (130 grams)  
¼ cup granulated sugar (55 grams) 
¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar (50 grams)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup cold, unsalted vegan butter, cut into half-inch pieces 
4 ounces pecans, chopped into small pieces (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F and set one rack to the middle position. 

Make the filling: To a large mixing bowl, add strawberries, rhubarb, orange juice and zest, vanilla bean seeds and extract, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. 

With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, toss the ingredients together until the fruit is evenly coated and the sugar begins to dissolve. Set aside. 

Make the topping: To a food processor, add flour, granulated and brown sugars, baking powder, and salt. Pulse the food processor just until the ingredients are combined and no lumps remain. 

Add the vegan butter, spacing out the cubes over the dry ingredients as best you can. 

Continue pulsing until the mixture starts to clump together and you see crumbles forming. Add the pecans and pulse just until they are evenly distributed. 

Grease a 9-inch square tin or other 2/2.5-quart baking dish with baking spray or more vegan butter. 

Give the fruit mixture a few final stirs to incorporate any juice that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Dump the mixture into the baking dish. 

Crumble the topping over the fruit. 

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the topping is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling up through the crumbs. 

Let the crumble cool on a wire rack for about at least 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe and photo courtesy of Eric King.