Whole Grain Ginger Rhubarb Crisp

Whole Grain Ginger Rhubarb Crisp is just sweet enough.

I love the old fashioned-ness of rhubarb, the way it was a staple in spring kitchens long ago and celebrated as one of the first edible signs of spring.

I love that in the back yard of old homes you can still find shed-sized patches of rhubarb with leaves the size of umbrellas. As kids we’d march around the yard, fanning one another with them and we’d try to eat the stalks raw, dipped in a little sugar.

When I was growing up, mom had the rhubarb piled like wood in our kitchen, waiting to make jam, compote, pie and rhubarb crisp.

Rhubarb crisp (all fruit crisps, really) is about the easiest dessert going. It takes all of five minutes to throw together and that little effort yields a delicious dessert with an addictive combination of tart, soft, saucy fruit, and a crisp, buttery topping. Leftovers can be eaten for breakfast.

If you want to get your kids cooking, start them with rhubarb crisp. They can pull the rhubarb, give it one tart bite (to understand the magical transformation of rhubarb cooked with sugar) and then get chopping. The topping doesn’t have to come together perfectly to make a great crust.

Green tip: Rhubarb freezes well so you can enjoy it year round.

How to make gluten free rhubarb crisp

If you’d like to make gluten free rhubarb crisp substitute ground almonds or brown rice flour for the flour called for in the topping and to thicken the filling.

More rhubarb recipes

If you love rhubarb try my Mom’s Rhubarb Pie, a lattice-top pie with a custard base for the rhubarb. Enjoy fresh drinks all summer with tangy Rhubarb Juice, made by simmering rhubarb, straining it then adding a squeeze of lemon and your sweetener of choice. Strawberry Rhubarb Compote is perfect spooned over sponge cake or stirred into yogurt.

Whole Grain Ginger Rhubarb Crisp

Recipe by Bridget OlandCourse: DessertsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

Ingredients

• 5 cups chopped rhubarb

• ½ cup sugar

• ¼ cup maple syrup or honey

• ½ tsp. ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp. cardamom

• 2 Tbsp. flour

• Topping

• 1 cup whole white or light spelt flour

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ½ tsp. ground ginger

• ½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• In a medium bowl, toss the rhubarb with sugar, maple syrup, spices and 2 Tbsp flour. Spoon into a 9” by 9” baking dish.
• In another bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar and ginger.
• Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture forms pea-sized chunks.
• Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture and bake for 35-40 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and topping is starting to brown.
• Serve with a drizzle of fresh cream or scoop of ice cream.