Hi friends,
I have NEVER cooked with rhubarb…can you believe it? I was so excited to find Rhubarb in my first CSA box from Glen Valley Organic Farm. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The idea is that in the beginning of the year, you sign up with a farm and pay them a lump sum of money to provide you with a set number of boxes over the summer (some offer longer periods) of fresh produce (fruits & vegetables, some offer eggs too!) I love that the produce is SO fresh as it’s picked literally that week and that it supports the local economy. There are lots of these all over, so just Google “CSA program” to see if there is one near you! So far it’s been fun to be exposed to new things that I normally would overlook at the grocery store or farmer’s market.
Naturally, for my first recipe with rhubarb, I had to make a traditional crumble but healthier – obviously! I love a tart crumble so kept the coconut sugar to a minimum. If you like a sweeter crumble, feel free to increase the amount of sugar in the recipe because rhubarb can be quite tart. This recipe is vegan (using vegan butter), gluten-free (using gluten-free oats), dairy-free and refined sugar free! I topped it with some yogurt because it’s a breakfast recipe but if you’re going to serve it for dessert, just add some coconut ice cream and enjoy 🙂 !
I really hope you try out this delicious crumble! Please tag me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @balancingandie so I can see your lovely creation friends! To never miss a post again, you can subscribe to my blog on your right hand panel and receive a freebie too!
Apple Rhubarb Breakfast Crumble (Vegan, DF, GF)
Notes
Substitutions:
Instead of vegan butter, you can use regular butter. Instead of coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar and instead of grannysmith apples (my favourite because they are sour and crisp), use what you can find.
Ingredients
Filling:
- 3 cups chopped rhubarb (about 4 big stalks, skins removed)
- 3 medium granny smith apples, chopped (peeling optional)
- 4 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Crumble Topping:
- 2 tbsp vegan butter (I use Earth Balance) (softened or melted)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup quick or steel cut oats (I mixed them)
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped (or almonds, walnuts etc.)
Instructions
- Use an 8x8 baking dish & line with parchment paper if it's not non-stick. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Chop rhubarb (make sure to remove the peel) and apples (skin on or off is okay) and transfer to baking dish. Add remaining filling ingredients and mix well.
- Melt butter in a medium bowl, add remaining topping ingredients and combine well. Divide topping mixture evenly on top of rhubarb and apple mixture.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until the apples and rhubarb have softened.
I was a bit skeptical about using steel cut oats in this recipe but I gave it a try anyway- and the steel cut oats weren’t cooked at all. I wonder if instant steel cut oats would be better? or pre-cooking the steel cut oats?
Hey Larissa, Thanks for the feedback. I’m sorry to hear your steel cut oats weren’t cooked. They do keep more of a firm texture to balance out the quick oats as they aren’t cooked in a liquid. You can definitely use all instant oats if you want a softer oatmeal texture though. Thanks, Andie