True confession here: I am not a huge fan of dessert. My husband grew up with a mother who baked pies, cakes, and cookies daily, and each meal – and every cup of coffee – was accompanied by some wonderful homemade treat. Honestly, I would rather eat a candy bar filled with tons of sugar, fat, and preservatives than a slice of homemade pie. But that may change!
As we moved my grandmother from her South Minneapolis home to assisted living, I dug up one of her rhubarb plants. For some reason, everything Grandma made with rhubarb was sweet and luscious, and totally unlike other rhubarb treats. The stalks are slender, deep red, and don’t cause typical rhubarb-puckers.
After many years growing on our farm, Grandma’s rhubarb has finally been transplanted to our new home. Following directions – for once in my life – I didn’t pick any the first year. (I guess plants like to get situated in their new location before providing deliciousness to the people putting out the effort to care for them.)
And today I got to pick rhubarb. Happy day!
I had one remaining bag of home-raised raspberries in the freezer from my friend Donna, The Novice Farmer, and knew this was the day to let them fulfill their destiny and become a treat to change my attitude about dessert. Keeping the raspberries frozen helps them maintain their shape and texture better during baking.
This recipe comes from Elaine at Flavour & Savour. If you like beautiful photography and wonderful recipes, visit her site! I made a couple little changes, but because “recipes, like blueprints, are just guidelines” 😁 that’s a normal part of life.
You probably know by now that I don’t hold to a Paleo diet, but believe that all things in moderation is the best way to live. I do eat gluten free, and try to avoid processed foods. And I’m not a fan of nuts in food. (I have even asked the manager of our local Dairy Queen to make me a box of “buster bars” without the peanuts. I eat the peanuts first, then the ice cream and fudge. Childish? I don’t think so!)
The topping of this tasty crumble is all about NUTS – pecans, almonds, and cocoNUT – but you would never know. Secretly adding tons of protein to dessert is a smart move! And non-nut-lovers will fall head-over-heels for dessert. Bring it!!!
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Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble – Paleo-style
Description
Fun, easy, and delicious. What more could a person want from dessert???
Ingredients
- 4 cups rhubarb, chopped
- 4 cups frozen raspberries
- 3 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch, if you’re not into paleo)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (or brown sugar, but turbinado will give more crunch to the topping)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup melted coconut oil (start with less, add more if the topping seems to need it)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and set 8 – 1 cup jars on a rimmed baking sheet
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the chopped pecans, almond flour, coconut and turbinado, then drizzle in melted coconut oil, tossing until combined and beginning to resemble crumble.
- In a large bowl, combine rhubarb and still-frozen raspberries. Sprinkle arrowroot powder or cornstarch over the fruit, and gently toss until all pieces are coated. Then stir in the honey and set aside.
- Divide fruit evenly among the jars, then pile the pecan mixture on top, pressing gently.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and the crumble is beginning to brown.
