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Niklas Ekstedt’s famous rhubarb crumble

Sharp rhubarb bubbling under a golden, buttery crumble while a warm vanilla sauce adds silky sweetness and fragrant depth. This comforting vegetarian dessert balances tart fruit with crisp topping and creamy custard-like sauce, making it a perfect spring treat for sharing after dinner. Serve it warm for the best texture and flavour.

Prep: 1-2 hours
Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves: Serves 6
Dietary: Nut-free, Vegetarian
Niklas Ekstedt’s famous rhubarb crumbleBy Niklas Ekstedt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

Nutri-Score D icon

This rhubarb crumble scores Nutri-Score D because butter, sugar, and flour dominate the crumble topping and vanilla sauce, although rhubarb brings some fruit fibre and acidity. It is an indulgent dessert best enjoyed in moderate portions. Per serving: approximately 520 kcal, 28g fat, 58g carbs, 34g sugars, 4g fibre, 8g protein.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the vanilla sauce

  • 300ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split
  • 2 free-range egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar

For the rhubarb crumble

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 500g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 125g unsalted butter
  • pinch salt
  • 150g plain flour
  • 100g soft brown sugar

Customise

  • Swap rhubarb for a mix of rhubarb and strawberries for a sweeter rhubarb crumble.
  • Use plant milk instead of whole milk in the vanilla sauce if you want a lighter version.
  • Add ground ginger to the crumble topping for a warmer spice note that suits the tart fruit.

Method

Vanilla Sauce (1 hour infuse + 10 mins finish – do ahead)

  1. Warm the milk gently with the split vanilla pod in a saucepan for 2 minutes, just enough to release the fragrance. Turn off the heat and leave it to infuse for at least an hour so the flavour deepens beautifully.
  2. Strain the infused milk into a bowl with the egg yolks and caster sugar once the vanilla has done its work. Keep everything ready while you make the crumble.
  3. Thicken the sauce slowly by returning the mixture to the saucepan and stirring over a low heat for 8–10 minutes until it coats the spoon. Strain again and keep it warm so it is silky when you serve the dessert.

Rhubarb Crumble (50 mins bake – overlaps with sauce infusing)

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 while the sauce infuses. This gives you a steady temperature for the rhubarb crumble.
  2. Mix the fruit filling by combining the caster sugar, cornflour, and rhubarb pieces. Tip everything into a 23cm pie dish and spread it out evenly so the rhubarb cooks at the same pace.
  3. Rub the crumble topping together with the butter, salt, flour, and brown sugar until you have rough crumbs. Keep a little texture in the mix because that gives the best crisp topping.
  4. Scatter the crumble over the fruit and bake for about 50 minutes until the rhubarb turns soft and jammy and the topping becomes golden and crisp. Let the oven do the work while the fruit bubbles underneath.

Serve (immediately)

  1. Spoon out the crumble and serve it warm with the vanilla sauce. The contrast between tart rhubarb, crisp crumble, and smooth sauce makes every mouthful feel complete.
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