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British Rhubarb Crumble Recipe with Ginger Oat Topping and Vanilla Custard

British rhubarb crumble - featured image
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A cozy British dessert featuring tart rhubarb with a spicy ginger oat topping, served warm with creamy vanilla custard. Perfect for chilly days and comforting evenings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 500g (1.1 lbs) fresh rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar (adjust depending on tartness of rhubarb)
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
  • 120g (1 cup) rolled oats
  • 75g (⅓ cup) light brown sugar, packed
  • 75g (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • Pinch of salt
  • 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
  • 25g (2 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F / gas mark 4).
  2. In a large bowl, combine chopped rhubarb, granulated sugar, cornflour, freshly grated ginger, and lemon zest. Toss gently until well coated.
  3. In another bowl, mix rolled oats, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, grated ginger, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits.
  4. Pour rhubarb filling into baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over rhubarb without pressing down.
  5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until topping is golden brown and filling bubbles. Cover loosely with foil if topping browns too quickly.
  6. While baking, warm milk with vanilla seeds and pod (or extract) just below boiling in a small saucepan.
  7. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour until smooth in a separate bowl. Gradually pour hot milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper eggs.
  8. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and discard vanilla pod.
  9. Serve crumble warm with generous drizzle of vanilla custard.

Notes

If crumble topping feels dry before baking, add a few splashes of milk to bind slightly. For extra crunch, add chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts to the topping. Use frozen rhubarb thawed and drained if fresh is unavailable. For dairy-free, substitute butter with coconut oil and milk with almond milk. Gluten-free oats and almond flour can be used for gluten-free version. Custard can be made ahead and reheated gently.

Nutrition

Keywords: rhubarb crumble, ginger oat topping, vanilla custard, British dessert, cozy dessert, easy crumble recipe, fruit crumble

Find it online: https://elaraeats.com/british-rhubarb-crumble-recipe-with-ginger-oat-topping-and-vanilla-custard-easy-cozy-dessert/