Mini rhubarb crumble is revisited with a chilled French twist and low in sugar. Served individually with a white chocolate mousse with rose, it's topped with toasted oats.
Ideal for entertaining, this is a simple make-ahead dessert - both the rhubarb and strawberry compote and crunchy oat crumble freeze well too.
Last night I gave it a go, (...) and I even did the magic with the red tea which added a wonderful flavour too. The compote, the white chocolate mousse as well as the oat topping – this dessert is a perfect composition of sweet and sour, thank you, Jill!
Danni
Why We Love Individual Rhubarb Crumble
If you love entertaining and being organised ahead of time, then these mini rhubarb crumble desserts are perfect. Each of the three layers are made in advance: the fruit compote, white chocolate mousse and oat crumble.
Even the compote and crumble can be frozen, so this dessert can be made at any time of year.
As a result, it's an easy dessert to prepare up to a week or a day before for dinner parties or lunches outside on the terrace.
What Can you do with a lot of Rhubarb?
Some of us are lucky to have neighbours who grow rhubarb plus, in Spring, it is becoming so much more popular than ever at our French markets. If you're like our family who adores rhubarb, we buy so much that I'm often flashed puzzled looks from French locals, who ask me each year, "What are you going to do with all that rhubarb?"
My quick answer is rhubarb compote (or stewed rhubarb). I dollop it on granola, rice pudding, on ice cream or just eat it on its own. It's also perfect as a base for this dessert. What's more, it freezes so well that you can have rhubarb compote at any time of year.
However, I appreciate not everyone has easy access to rhubarb. So, I've updated this recipe. Either make it just with rhubarb, with strawberries, or replace the rhubarb with strawberries instead. They all work well.
For more, see the market produce rhubarb guide.
What Other Fruit Goes With Rhubarb?
When I first published this recipe, I made it purely with rhubarb but now I've dared to add strawberries, as this is another fruit that goes so well with it.
Don't have rhubarb? I've tried the same recipe completely with strawberries - and it's just as delicious.
If you do make this recipe using just strawberries, add less sugar, as strawberries are naturally sweeter than rhubarb. My ratio of rhubarb to sugar is 4:1, the ratio for strawberry compote is 5:1.
Do you Need to Peel Rhubarb for a Crumble?
First prepare the rhubarb for the crumbles. You may need to peel the rhubarb if the skin is particularly thick and stringy but otherwise I leave it on and cut into slices, discarding the leaves. All is shown in this video demonstration for preparing rhubarb.
Do you need to pre-cook the Rhubarb for Crumble?
The short answer is yes - for this recipe. Rhubarb is extremely sour if eaten raw. On the other hand, my Scottish grandpa used to eat a stick of rhubarb raw and dip it in sugar. Just thinking of it makes me salivate!
Although it was good, it's an acquired taste. It was too sour for me so this low sugar rhubarb compote is my answer to please everyone in the family. Compote is a healthy version of jam, as it only uses half the amount of sugar and so it's a delicious healthy base for making these chilled rhubarb crumbles.
Rhubarb Crumble with Oats and Mousse
Normally in Britain, we'd serve a rhubarb crumble warm from the oven with hot, thick custard. This, however, is my French twist to the classic comfort dessert. Instead, serve the mini rhubarb crumble well chilled individually in glass dishes with this light and fluffy white chocolate mousse.
How did I develop this recipe? I took inspiration from Michelin-starred French chef, Anne-Sophie Pic's beautiful book for entertaining, Recettes pour Reçevoir with her restructured style recipe for Rhubarb tart with tarragon. Served in glass verrine dishes, she layers rhubarb compote with shortbread and tops with a white chocolate espuma using a siphon.
Instead, I made this oat crumble version, as I love the crunchy texture in this dessert. I omitted the mousse's sugar completely (I find white chocolate is sweet enough) and added a touch of rose (and/or orange blossom water) - inspired by my white chocolate mousse, made without a siphon.
Can I make this Mousse without a Siphon?
Don't worry if you don't have a siphon: just follow my easy recipe for White Chocolate, Rose and Orange Blossom Mousse.
Crunchy Rhubarb Oat Crumble - the Topping
As I love a good crunchy Scottish apple crumble with oats, this topping is toasted in the oven and just crumbled directly into the glass.
Serve in mini shot glasses or verrines. If you like a toasted oat crumble topping like this, you should try this French Apple Crumble Cake.
Ideas How to Serve
This dessert can easily be made in advance and assembled at the last minute. The following garnishes can also be prepared in advance, giving the individual rhubarb crumbles an extra wow factor. Here are some ideas - or add your own creativity and share them in the comments below.
- Top with macarons or macaron shells (they're also handy to keep in the freezer);
- Serve with almond tuiles;
- Top with a strawberry or rose petal (brush with egg white, coat in sugar and dry for an hour);
- Serve with dried rhubarb chips (crisps).
Individual Rhubarb Crumble
Ingredients
Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote
- 200 g (7oz) rhubarb (about 1-2 sticks) leaves removed, sliced
- 200 g (7oz) strawberries hulled and chopped (1½cups)
- 50 g (2oz) sugar (about ¼cup)
- 1 tablespoon rose syrup (optional)
Toasted Oat Crumble
- 100 g (4oz/½cup) medium porridge oats
- 100 g (4oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 100 g (4oz) unsalted butter softened
- 50 g (2oz) light brown sugar
- ¼ tsp (good pinch) salt (fleur de sel)
White Chocolate and Rose Mousse
- 100 g (4oz) white chocolate
- 100 g (4oz) whole (full cream) milk
- 100 g (4oz) whipping/heavy cream 30% fat (crème fleurette)
- ½ teaspoon rose water
Instructions
Rhubarb Compote
- Follow the full instructions for the rhubarb compote recipe* then refrigerate until needed (or defrost if you've made it in advance and frozen).
White Chocolate Mousse
- Over a pan of simmering water, place a bowl with the white chocolate broken into bits. As soon as it looks like it's melting, take off the heat and whisk gently, adding the milk then the cream and add the rose water.Pour into the siphon, add the gas canister (according to manufacturer's instructions) and place in the fridge for at least an hour. If you don't have a siphon, then follow my recipe for the white chocolate mousse (link below).
Crunchy Oat Crumble
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6/180°C fan. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and rub them together until they resemble breadcrumbs. Spread an even layer of the crumble mix on a baking sheet lined with baking paper (or a silicon mat) and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
To assemble
- Spoon a third of each serving glass with the rhubarb & strawberry compote, spoon on the airy white chocolate mousse and top with the toasted crumble.
Notes
Healthy Rhubarb Compote
Ingredients
- 400 g (14oz) Rhubarb about 4 medium sticks
- 100 g (3.5oz/½ cup) Sugar (sugar ratio is ¼ to rhubarb weight)
- 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers (Carcardet) or hibiscus teabag (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
- Wash and cut the rhubarb at both ends and discard the inedible leaves (these are toxic). There's no need to peel unless the skin is particularly thick and stringy. If so, peel these parts off.Weigh your rhubarb in order to calculate how much sugar to use: the ratio is a quarter of sugar to fruit.
- Cut into chunks about 3cm and place in a bowl with the sugar. Leave to stand for 2-3 hours (or overnight).
- Sieve off the rhubarb juices into a saucepan. OPTIONAL - add the hibiscus/red fruit tea and bring to the boil. Reduce the liquid slightly for no more than 10 minutes. Remove the tea then add the rhubarb.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer over a gentle heat for about 15 minutes until the fruit is soft and collapses into a purée. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Refrigerate until needed.
Video
Notes
This recipe was first published in June 2017 but has now been completely updated with new images, a video and the recipe now includes strawberries.
For more recipes like this, see the collection of healthy French chocolate recipes.
Danni
The rhubarb in our garden is still a bit small but when I saw Jill
´s dessert on Instagram I knew I had to make it quickly for I was sure that it would be a perfect dessert for everyone in my family. Last night I gave it a go, picked two tiny rhubarb stallks and made two portions, one for hubby and one for me; and I even did the magic with the red tea which added a wonderful flavour too. As soon as the rhubarb from the garden has grown bigger there will be a bowl for all six of us. The compote, the white chocolate mousse as well as the oat topping – this dessert is a perfect composition of sweet and sour, thank you, Jill!
Jill Colonna
It’s a great pleasure and so thrilled you like this, Danni. Thank you so much for your lovely review. Means the world. Here's to your soon-to-be plentiful homegrown rhubarb stock to make this again for all the family.
Lucie
We love this recipe so much that we always want a little more - and I'm not even a great fan of rhubarb! The combination is divine - and not too sweet either.
Christina | Christina's Cucina
Do I even need to comment on these little beauties? You KNOW I would be all over them in a flash! I couldn't eat just one, though! Our rhubarb is all done for the year, so I have to rely on good old Cawston Press drinks for my rhubarb fix until next year. Boo hoo!! 🙁
Jill Colonna
I realise I was a bit late off the mark in getting this online as it was towards the end of the season. But save this one for your next rhubarb fix, my friend x
Linda
Such cruel fate, to discover gorgeous new rhubarb recipes in a year when I'm deprived of rhubarb! We had an abundant stock at our allotment, but we've given it up this year since looking after the garden in Edinburgh and the garden on Speyside is quite enough. It's at the top of my list for replanting when we move to Speyside permanently. Lacking the wonderfulness of French markets, I refuse to buy it in a supermarket here - a very Scottish voice always rings in my ear, "You're charging THAT much money for THAT quality and quantity???" So I'll hoard these recipes until the new rhubarb era.
Jill Colonna
I totally hear you on the supermarket quality of rhubarb. Here in France, we couldn't even find it that the supermarket. Our season finished as late as last week, though, even if the last lot came from Germany! Vive the next season and making this recipe, Linda. Thanks for popping in.
Betty
Looks so yummy, and I am very interested in your additions of rose syrup for added flavor and red tea for the color! Brilliant touches, Jill!
Jill Colonna
Thanks, Betty. The tea and rose just adds that extra "je ne sais quoi". Check it out on Instagram stories - posted last night making yet more compote and the tea I used (not sponsored or anything), since discovered a delicious detox red fruit hibiscus tea by Clipper which is super. Hope you try it soon.
Liz
I love, love rhubarb desserts, and this one looks divine!!! I hope I have enough left in the garden to give this recipe a try.
Jill Colonna
You're so lucky to have rhubarb in the garden, Liz. I need some tips since somehow I just don't manage to grow it in mine - the beasties love it just as much as we do!
sarah
I LOVE rhubarb and have to make this Jill as I've been making your compote with the red fruit tea since enjoy rhubarb without adding strawberries. Brilliant! Thanks for the recipe!
Jill Colonna
I'm so happy to hear that, Sarah. Thank you!