Rhubarb Ice Cream (with a Crunchy Crumble)

Rhubarb ice cream is a frozen treat that has a glorious sweet-tart rhubarb flavor. This recipe includes a delightfully crunchy crumble reminiscent of a baked rhubarb crumble! 

If you live in the US, chances are that you’ve never heard of Delia Smith, or Delia’s rhubarb crumble ice cream.

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The easiest way to describe her would probably be to say that she is the British equivalent of Martha Stewart. I have one of her summer recipe cookbooks, and there’s been one recipe I’ve been dying to make for years: rhubarb ice cream with crumble!

The problem has been that rhubarb is often difficult to source in Southern California, except for a short period of time. Last year, I found a boxful of fresh rhubarb in a grocery store and bought the entire box.

I could have made this rhubarb ice cream then, but I ended up making a pie and rhubarb crumble and other rhubarb recipes,  and froze a lot of it, and completely forgot about making the frozen treat. However, I recently received some beautiful stalks of organic rhubarb from Frieda’s Specialty Produce (I love their tagline: FEAR NO FRUIT)! I was so happy, I posed for an Instagram shot and captioned it with, “I’d rather have a bouquet of rhubarb than flowers!”

So guess what I finally made?

Now I’m kicking myself for not having made it years ago because this rhubarb ice cream is absolutely phenomenal! I’m honestly not even an “ice cream-person”; whenever my family has ice cream, I don’t.

Not only is the flavor fantastic, but the crunch of the crumble just adds a wonderful texture–it’s truly like eating a creamy, frozen version of rhubarb crumble!

What about this rhubarb granita with whipped cream? So perfect for rhubarb lovers!

If you haven’t ever tried rhubarb, there’s nothing else quite like its sour deliciousness. I highly recommend you try it as soon as possible, especially in something as divine as this rhubarb ice cream.

Rhubarb Ice Cream (with Crumble)

slightly adapted from a Delia Smith recipe               serves 12

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)

Special equiment: ice cream maker (this is the one I have)

Prepare the Crumble

Make the crumble by rubbing the flour, butter and brown sugar together until it forms pea-like crumbs, then put onto a baking sheet. Set aside.

Prepare the Rhubarb

Wash the rhubarb and cut into bite sized pieces and put into a shallow baking dish along with the lemon juice and sugar; mix well.

Place this dish in the lower part of the preheated oven, and the crumble on a higher shelf. Bake the crumble for about 10 to 12 minutes, then remove from the oven. Continue to bake the rhubarb for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is soft, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.

When the rhubarb is cool, use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the fruit until it is smooth. Place in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until needed.

Break up the crumble into pieces and set aside about one quarter of the crumbs for topping the ice cream.

Make the Rhubarb Ice Cream

When you are ready to process the ice cream, mix the cream into the rhubarb puree and pour into the prepared ice cream maker* and process according to manufacturer’s directions (or until it looks like soft whipped cream).

Add the crumble pieces (except for the quarter of it that you reserved) at the last minute of processing. When mixed well, stop the machine and put the rhubarb ice cream into a container that can be frozen.

Place the ice cream in the  freezer for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours before serving. I had the idea to reserve some of the crumble and then add it to the top of each serving, and I’d do the same the next time.

* If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the cream and rhubarb (without the crumble) for 3 or 4 hours, then beat it and freeze for 2 more hours. Beat it again and this time add the crumble,  and freeze for 4 to 6 hours, then scoop and serve.

You can add more crumbles to the top when you have put it in a dish. Ta dah!

Another unique ice cream flavor is black sesame ice cream which you can find at Mad About Macarons.

Continue to Content

Delia's Rhubarb Ice Cream with Crumble

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A rhubarb lover's ice cream dream come true!

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Ingredients

For the crumble

• 2/3 cup (3 oz) flour
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) butter
• 1/4 cup (1 oz) brown sugar

For the ice cream

• 1 lb (about 4 large stalks) fresh, trimmed rhubarb
• ¾ cup (6 oz) sugar
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups (16 oz) heavy whipping cream (organic, preferably)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)
2. Make the crumble by rubbing the flour, butter and brown sugar together until it forms pea-like crumbs, then put onto a baking sheet. Set aside.
3. Wash the rhubarb and cut into bite sized pieces and put into a shallow baking dish along with the lemon juice and sugar; mix well.
4. Place this dish in the lower part of the preheated oven, and the crumble on a higher shelf. Bake the crumble for about 10 to 12 minutes, then remove from the oven. Continue to bake the rhubarb for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is soft, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. When the rhubarb is cool, use a stick blender or food processor to puree the fruit until it is smooth. Place in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until needed.
6. Break up the crumble into pieces and set aside about one quarter of the crumbs for topping the ice cream.
7. When you are ready to process the ice cream, mix the cream into the rhubarb puree and pour into the prepared ice cream maker* and process according to manufacturer’s directions (or until it looks like soft whipped cream).
8. Add the crumble pieces at the last minute of processing; when mixed well, stop the machine and put the ice cream in a container that can be frozen. Place in freezer for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours before serving. I like to add some of the reserved crumble to the top of each serving.
9. * If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the cream and rhubarb (without the crumble) for 3 or 4 hours, then beat and freeze for 2 more hours. Beat again and this time add the crumble, freeze for 4 to 6 hours, then serve.

Notes

Omit the crumble for a gluten free ice cream.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 2 scoops
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is estimated

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