Grandma’s Rhubarb Streusel Dessert features fresh rhubarb and a sweet crumbly topping. Using simple ingredients, this dessert will have the rhubarb-lovers in your life asking for seconds.
Every now and again, we open our beloved Grandma’s recipe box to see what treasure we can find. It is weathered and worn but her memory is certainly not. Opening up the box and looking through the recipes reminds us of the many mornings spent at her counter making up delicious foods.
Recently, I was at Barbara’s and we were talking about our favorite “grandma” recipes so we pulled out her recipe box and dug through it. We found the recipe card above for “Rhubarb Struedel.” Once we read the recipe, we realized it was more of a streusel dessert than a strudel.
Grandma always had a rhubarb plant that came up in the spring. She’d make up rhubarb pies and other treats like this one. Since spring just arrived on the farm, Barbara whipped up this recipe of hers and treated our Dad to one of his favorites.
Grandma’s Rhubarb Streusel Dessert
If you aren’t familiar with fresh rhubarb, you should know that the leaves are poisonous and should be discarded once harvested.
For this dessert, the bottom dough is pressed into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and then the chopped rhubarb is added. Then you add the strawberry jello mix and then top with the crumb mixture.
Grandma’s Rhubarb Streusel Dessert is wonderful served warm. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to kick it up a notch.

- Bottom Dough:
- 1 stick butter or margarine 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Filling:
- 3-4 cups rhubarb
- 3 oz. box strawberry jello mix
- Streusel Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 stick butter or margarine 1/2 cup
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
-
With a mixer, cream 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add one egg, and one egg yolk and mix until smooth. (Reserve the extra egg white for later.)
-
In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 Tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
-
Add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture to the mixer, blending just until a dough forms.
-
Press into the prepared 9 x 13-inch pan; set aside.
-
Beat the leftover egg white until white and foamy. Spread over dough.
-
Spread rhubarb that has been washed and diced over the egg white.
-
Sprinkle jello mix evenly over rhubarb.
-
Mix together remaining 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 stick butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over rhubarb.
-
Bake for 40-45 minutes on bottom shelf until bubbly.
This dessert looks so yummy! Thanks Grandma!!
I have never baked with rhubarb before but this is making me want to! Yum!
Rhubarb desserts are simply the best! That struesel sounds amazing!
Nothing beats passed-down family recipes! The pie looks divine!