Recipes: Vegan Rhubarb & Blueberry Crisp

Rhubarb crisp is one of the most comforting and delicious bakes, and recently we’ve been turning to this recipe on a regular for a wholesome breakfast option. Traditionally crumble or crisp recipes are seen as a dessert, however by reducing the sugars, upping the fruit game and using no flour, we’ve made this a healthier Vegan version, which is also gluten free! Rhubarb is in season from Spring to Summer, but it can also be frozen and kept for up to a year. We cheated (just a little) and bought ourselves a canned version. Yes, naughty… but it worked out so much quicker than our usual way of making it, so for any of you guys short on time - this is ideal!

We combined rhubarb with blueberries for this recipe, and together they provide a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, antioxidants, manganese, potassium and plenty of fibre. Top news for our tums! The crisp itself is made up of gluten free oats, cinnamon, finely processed almonds, walnuts and a hint of maple syrup for sweetness. This crisp you can turn to any time of the year, mixing it up with all kinds of seasonal fruits, and adding some yogurt or quark, you have yourself a tasty and filling breakfast bowl or alternatively add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a sweeeet little afternoon or evening treat! Ok - let’s get down to baking!

Suggestions:

If you would like to use fresh rhubarb for this recipe, you will need to cook the rhubarb down prior to baking in the crisp mix. When choosing rhubarb, make sure to look for firm, crisp stalks and shouldn’t show too many speckles or blemishes. And it’s not all about the colour. The pink hue looks pretty but it does not equal to a better taste.

Make sure to trim the ends and chop into small chunks. When cooking rhubarb, we prefer to boil (as opposed to roast). You need to boil your rhubarb for at least 20 -25 minutes. It needs to be tender but not mushy. If you would like to go down the roasting route - preheat oven to 160c and roast for around 30 minutes.

We have paired rhubarb with blueberries for this recipe, but feel free to use any other fruit you have in your kitchen. Strawberries are a classic flavour combination with rhubarb. Apples, pears, and blackberries work wonderfully in this recipe too!

Sweetness:

The ratio of rhubarb to maple syrup in this recipe is just right for us. However, as we have used a canned version of the rhubarb, you might just find that the fresh rhubarb will be slightly more tart. If this is the case, add another tablespoon of maple syrup or agave nectar. You can also substitute with coconut sugar (if you don’t mind the higher sugar intake).

Ingredients:

540g rhubarb (we used canned)

250g fresh blueberries

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lime juice (you can use lemon juice too)

1 1/2 cups gluten free oats

1 cup finely processed walnuts & almonds

2 tbsp flaxseeds

80g melted Vegan butter

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp maple syrup

pinch of sea salt

Optional (for sprinkling)

1/3 cup of toasted unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 170c. Butter up a medium baking dish. Set aside.

Place rhubarb and blueberries into a medium pot. Add maple syrup, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and lime juice. Stir gently using a wooden spoon to combine. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the rhubarb and blueberry mixture into your prepared baking dish.

In a separate bowl mix oats, ground walnuts and almonds, cinnamon, vegan butter and maple syrup.

Using your fingers, rub the mixture together creating small clumps. If the texture is too dry, add a little more vegan butter.

Sprinkle the oat/nut topping over the fruit mixture in the baking dish. Do not worry if some fruit will be showing.

Using your hands, gently pat down the crumb mixture and place in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top looks golden brown.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle some lightly toasted coconut flakes over the top.

Let the crumble cool completely prior to serving.

Optional* You can serve with yogurt for breakfast with extra fresh fruit on the side.

Storing:

The leftover crumble can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

To freeze your crumble, place in an airtight freezer friendly* container for up to 1 month.

Thaw overnight prior to reheating.

We hope you enjoy this recipe.. & We’d love to see you bake this! Tag us on Instagram using #sodbakery

HAPPY CRISP BAKING!