Rhubarb Crunch

Intensely flavored, startlingly beautiful, Rhubarb Crunch satisfies even in small servings. My healthy version uses rolled oats, whole wheat flour, walnuts, coconut oil, and plenty of this scrumptious "pie plant." Rhubarb is rich in calcium, lutein, vitamin K, and antioxidants, making this dessert good for your bones, eyes, skin, and whole body.

Rhubarb Crunch

Active time: 25 minutes. Total time: 3 hours and 25 minutes. Serves 12.

Ingredients

filling

• 4 cups chopped rhubarb (520 grams)
• 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons corn starch (30 grams)
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

crust

• 1 cup walnuts (112 grams)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats (72 grams) (old-fashioned, not quick cook)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (60 grams) (I use King Arthur or Whole Foods organic flour)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (110 grams)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil (112 grams) (I use Whole Foods organic refined coconut oil)

Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a shallow 2-quart baking dish (1.8 liters).
   
   
   
   
2. Cut each rhubarb stalk lengthwise several times, then cut across to make pieces about 1/4 inch across. Put rhubarb in a medium pot with sugar, water, corn starch, and pinch salt. Stir well, then cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat so mixture just barely bubbles and cook until rhubarb breaks down, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
3. While rhubarb simmers, put walnuts, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt into a food processor fits with the steal blade. Pulse once or twice to mix dry ingredients and chop walnuts. Mixture should look like very coarse sand. Add coconut oil and pulse until blended, perhaps three more times.
4. Dump crust mixture into greased baking dish. Spread mixture evenly, then press down firmly.
5. When rhubarb is cooked down after 10 or 15 minutes of simmering, stir in vanilla and pour mixture over crust. Bake uncovered for one hour until mixture bubbles and and thickens on top.
6. Cool on the counter for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate until firm. Serve cold. Keeps for four days refrigerated.

Tips

• I've used Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread in place of the refined coconut oil, which adds a pleasant coconut flavor. The results were delicious, but the spread has ingredients other than coconut.
• Cut this recipe in half and bake in an 8 by 8-inch pan. Or make the whole recipe and bake it in two 8 by 8-inch pans so you can share one and keep one.

Comments

[cherylanne]

Linda, the blurb above this fantastic Rhubarb Crunch recipe calls for rolled oats yet I don't see it mentioned in the ingredients.
How much would we use?
Cheers!

[Linda Watson]

Thanks so much, Cherylanne! I just fixed the recipe. Use 3/4 cup rolled oats (72 grams) (old-fashioned, not quick cook). Funny that I also forgot to add them at first when I made the final batch. I'd pressed down the crust and realized it didn't look right. But I just dumped the oats on top and remixed the crust with my hands. Most recipes (including this one) are very forgiving!

... Linda