Treat your family to a perfectly tart and sweet fruit crisp, made with rhubarb, apples and a crumble topping that is low in sugar, but not in taste.
Whenever I cook with rhubarb, I can’t help but conjure up the vision of my husband’s grandmother standing on her back porch, BB gun in hand, ready to scare off any vermin who dared to enter her vegetable garden. Rumor has it that she was a wicked shot. I never had the opportunity to meet Steve’s grandmother, as she passed away well before Steve and I met, but both her and her husband’s spirits are alive and well in the stories told by his family.
Their farm and orchard was filled with vegetables and apple trees, but the most revered offering (at least by my husband) was the rhubarb. At every meal, a bowl of stewed rhubarb, appeared on the table. Sweetened with sugar and cooked until the chopped fruit practically fell apart, the fruit was the perfect accompaniment for chicken or pork, and even better when tucked inside of a flaky pie crust.
To this day, my husband would opt for a rhubarb pie over chocolate cake for his birthday. It’s too bad his wife is such a lousy pie maker!
To redeem myself, I turn to simple crisps and cobblers. Almost as good as a pie, right? The crisp-making gene comes directly from my mum, who can make a mean crisp at a moment’s notice. While I have made many a crisp that boast sweet fillings and crumbles packed with brown sugar, this one rivals all of those, with a fraction of the sugar.
So, what’s the trick? I replaced the granulated and brown sugars with agave nectar
and maple syrup
, and threw in a naturally sweet fruit (apple) to offset the tart rhubarb. If I was dealing with a sweeter fruit than rhubarb, such as berries, it would have been easy to reduce the sugar even more. Rhubarb is not quite as forgiving. The maple syrup acted both as a sweetener, as well as a vehicle to moisten the oats
and whole wheat pastry flour
(along with the melted coconut oil
), rather than the 1/2 cup (or more) of butter that I would typically use.
Of course, I can’t claim that the ice cream on top is low in sugar, but hey…sometimes you just have to splurge a little.
The result? A tart and sweet dessert, with the perfect crumbly topping. More importantly, my husband and kids went back for second helpings.
#EatSeasonal
#EatSeasonal is the brainchild of my friend Becky of The Vintage Mixer, who has pulled together a group of bloggers to post seasonal recipes each month, using her produce guide as inspiration.
There’s a fantastic variety of recipes, some sweet and some savory, as you can see in the collage below, all inspired by produce that is fresh and seasonal in May. Be sure to click on the links to check out the recipes. For more seasonal recipe inspiration, follow the #EatSeasonal hashtag on Instagram.
Pea Pancakes with Tzatziki by Kitchen Confidante
Miso Roasted Mushrooms with Fresh Herbs by Floating Kitchen
Spicy Avocado Pesto Pasta by Well Plated
Sour Cream & Ramp Gnocchi with Sautéed Kale and Crispy Bacon by Simple Bites
Rhubarb, Apple & Pecan Crisp {Low Sugar} by Cookin’ Canuck
Shaved Asparagus, Pea and Bacon Pizza by Completely Delicious
Roasted Carrots with Fresh Sorrel by Project Domestication
Thai Quinoa Salad by Foodie Crush
Simple Santa Fe Rice with Cilantro and Garlic by Bless This Mess
Fresh Pea Carbonara by VintageMixer
Rhubarb & Apple Crisp Recipe {Low Sugar}
Ingredients
The Filling:
- 4 cups chopped rhubarb 3-4 large stalks
- 1 large Gala apple peeled, cored & chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
The Topping:
- 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8- by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
The Filling:
- In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, apple, lemon juice, agave nectar and cornstarch. Toss to coat the fruit.
- Spread the fruit mixture in the baking dish.
The Topping:
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, oats, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Pour in the coconut oil and maple syrup, and toss to coat, using a fork or your hands.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!
Aimee @ Simple Bites says
Just gorgeous, Dara! I’ve been craving a rhubarb crisp – now I think this must bee the week.
Maria says
I want to come to your house for dessert! Yum!
Stephanie @ Back for Seconds says
Apple crisp is one of my favorite desserts! I love that you made it healthier! The rhubarb is a nice touch too 🙂
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Definitely as good (or even better!) than pie. I love this. It’s gorgeous. And Rhubarb + Apple is not something I would ever think of. What a great idea! XO
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
So nice that you’re helping to keep your husband’s grandmother’s memory alive. I love this crisp and can’t wait to try it out myself!
Marina says
First-time commenter! =) I am trying this as soon as I get home from our trip this week. I have loved rhubarb since being introduced to it years ago by my hubs family. Yum Yum! Thank you for sharing the PPV for each of your recipes. This is my first time doing WW (lost 14.6lbs so far) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site for recipes. Thank you!
Aly ~ Cooking In Stilettos says
This is a perfect springtime dessert! I love how you lowered the sugar on this – I’m starting to use agave nectar more so I’m always on the hunt for new recipes!
Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
I am also an awful pie baker but I would make this in a heartbeat! I love that you made it lower in sugar too, great Dara!
Martha @ A Family Feast says
I was eying the rhubarb the other day at the market but decided against it because I’ve only baked with it and added a ton of sugar. This looks like a great low-sugar option!
Melissa @ Bless this Mess says
Love that this doesn’t need tons of sugar and that you didn’t stick rhubarb with strawberry… there’s too much to love about that little stalk to hide it in strawberry if you ask me! Perfect!
becky says
Love this recipe Dara! I don’t know why but I’ve never thought of putting rhubarb with apple but it sounds just perfect! I too lean more towards crisps than pie but I’m trying my best to master pie dough at school so once I have it down we’ll have to get together and make pie!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
HaHa. Love the visual of granny on the front porch with a BB gun in hand. Too funny! I love rhubarb. It’s been an acquired taste for me as I’ve aged. Now I can’t seem to get enough. This recipe looks wonderful. I’ll have to try it!
Heidi @foodiecrush says
Crisps are just about the easiest dessert ever, and I’m always up for the crunchy oatmeal topper!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
mm I want this right now (with the ice cream on top! haha) Love the story about your hubby’s grandmother!
[email protected] says
I am always so overjoyed to see rhubarb, because it means that warm weather has come at last. Who needs pie? This crisp looks perfect!
Heather | girlichef says
Although I’m a complete and total pie lover, I adore a good crisp, as well. I love the visual of her standing there with a shotgun, ready to defend her family’s bounty. This sounds amazing, I’d love a big serving, warm with ice cream, please.
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Kim Beaulieu says
I love grammas with sass and spirit. Rhubarb is worth protecting. This recipe is fantastic, nothing better than rhubarb and apples.
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
Bookmarking this to make this weekend – it’s gorgeous and I love rhubarb.
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says
Rhubarb season is one of my favorite times of the year because of all the tart compotes, chutneys, and desserts to be made. Maple syrup sweetens the rhubarb and gives it a special flavor. My boys would certainly feel special if I served them a bowl of this crisp.
Anita says
I really love the combination of all the ingredients and flavors – rhubarb, apple, maple. Great that it’s low sugar too!