Whenever I see fresh rhubarb my heart sings a bit. It reminds me of summer and my Grammy’s rhubarb pie.
It’s a veggie that acts like a fruit and also happens to be naturally anti-viral, rich in Vitamins A, K and B complex, a natural laxative, and helps glucose get to the cells for fuel instead of lingering in the bloodstream. You can read more about the nutritional benefits here.
Below is my version of my Grammy’s rhubarb pie as a crisp. My dad said it “transported him back to her kitchen” so I knew I had to share it with all of you! I hope it graces your dessert table this summer. Enjoy!
“Fruit” filling:
5 c fresh rhubarb stalks, diced
2 c fresh strawberries, diced
2 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
1/4 c pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 medium lemon, juiced
a bit of lemon zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Combine rhubarb and strawberries in large mixing bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients and mix into fruit. Lightly grease 8×8 baking dish and add fruit mixture.
Crumble topping:
2 c blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp raw honey
6 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Combine all ingredients. I like to use a pastry blender, but a fork will work just fine. Take a pinch of the dough/crumble mixture at a time and place on top of fruit mixture as shown below. Bake in the bottom half of the oven for 15 minutes, and then bake in center for an additional 15-25 until filling is soft and top is golden brown. This keeps the top from getting too brown too quickly. Let set for a bit, serve and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers (if you’re lucky to have any!), it tastes almost even better the next day.
Best,
Heather
This looks delicious! I just saw rhubarb at the commissary the other day and was tempted to get it (memories of my mom’s strawberry rhubarb!), but I couldn’t figure out how I’d cook it without loads of sugar. I’m excited by the balsamic vinegar/maple syrup combo. It’s going on my list to try in the next few weeks!
Yes,the strawberries balance out the tartness nicely. Rhubarb just needs a bit of natural sweetener and a bit of cinnamon to be great! Enjoy!
Hello! I read all your entries (subscribed by email) and love these recipes! I recently tried the no-pasta salad with my friend, and was completely impressed by it! Do you come up with the these recipes yourself?
For this particular recipe, are there any suitable alternatives for the almond flour? It’s too costly for me, I’m afraid. Also, where can I get butter oil and how expensive is it? I’m excited to try rhubarb for the first time!
Thanks, and keep them coming! 😀
Jessica, thanks for the feedback. Some of the recipes are influenced by others, and if we got them elsewhere, we say so. But most of them are written/thought up/tested out by us…and if we deem them yummy, we put it up!
In lieu of almond flour, you could possibly do a couple handfuls of finely chopped nuts that you have on hand. Or, you could sub some unsweetened coconut flakes if you like the taste.
We have also experimented with ground cauliflower a LOT, and found it to even be tasty in sweet dishes, but that might be a stretch. 🙂
But honestly, if it were me, I would leave off the crumble all together, and bake the fruit filling alone. When it comes out of the oven piping hot, eat it as-is with a cup of coffee. OR, you could drizzle a little coconut milk over the top for added creaminess…I am speaking here and this is Heather’s recipe, so I should let her reply! I was just excited to answer your question… I don’t know exactly what butter oil is, and so maybe Heather can speak to that.
Blessings!
Leigh
Thanks for the feedback, Jessica. I like Leigh’s idea of just using some crushed nuts on top. Or, if you have a food processor, you can grind up almonds to make your own flour/meal instead of purchasing prepared almond flour.
The recipe reads butter OR coconut oil. I like butter in this recipe but either will work. You can generally find coconut oil in the oil section of your local store. It solidifies at room temperature so it is white in the jar.
Hope that helps! Thanks for reading and so glad you loved the no pasta salad!
Heather
May I make a suggestion though? All recipes (yours and others online) seem to be quite verbose. I would recommend left-alignment of the text, and numbering the directions under instructions. I always re-construct them on word to fit it onto one page, not only because of personal preference, but also to save paper.
Just an opinion– a thought from one individual.
This sounds to be a delicious recipe! Thanks a lot for sharing. Surely going to try it out myself.
I made this last night and all of the right flavors are there, but the crumb topping was too dense. Next time, I’ll halve that portion of the recipe. The strawberry-rhubarb filling was amazing, however! Nice touches with the balsamic and lemon juice/zest.
I’m glad you liked it! As for the topping, I tend to love the “crust” part of desserts so cutting that part in half might be a great idea for those who like their fruit to crust ratio a bit higher 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!
I made this last night for my “yay!! you made it thru your whole 30 day challange” It was so very yummy and my whole family enjoyed it! Who would have known that you could make a crisp with a little maple syrup and no other sugar and it would be delicious! 🙂 thanks for posting this recipe! we will probably use it again and again!
Amanda
So glad to hear, Amanda! Thanks for your continued support and feedback!
Ps. The leftovers are so yummy cold the next day 🙂
Live your thorough approach to rhubarb. May I share it with our farm’s CSA members?
Definitely! Share the love! Thanks for your feedback!
Great recipie did a little tweaking with the topping, added coconut flakes and pecans to crumble topping and pulsed in my food processer (kept butter hard) crumbles came out great