Strawberries and Rhubarb – a Tasty Pair!
The average person consumes close to five pounds of strawberries per year. Can you believe that? I know in our home we consume a lot more than that. I literally count the days until strawberry season each year because there is nothing like a perfectly ripe and sweet strawberry that’s in season.
Strawberries are the quintessential summer fruit and rhubarb is a vegetable that’s jam-packed with fiber, B vitamins, plant-based vitamin K and vitamin C. This fruit and vegetable are a classic pair and go together well. When you pair these sweet red beauties with the tartness of this stalky veggie and a chewy, yet crispy topping, the taste is absolutely mouthwatering.
Are you Following the Autoimmune Paleo Diet {AIP}?
Usually, crisps have refined brown sugar, grains and nuts in the topping and while the taste is divine I simply can’t have refined sugar, grains, nuts or legumes. If you can’t either, you are in for a treat (pun intended) because this dessert doesn’t contain any of those ingredients!
I missed having this dessert when I changed my lifestyle, so I decided to come up with a recipe of my own that did not have refined sugar, nuts or grains in the topping but still had a bit of crunch and texture. It hit the spot and made me feel back in the game again because I could eat something I once enjoyed but in a healthier way now that tasted even better.
Let’s Talk About The Ingredients You’ll Need for This Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- First, please, please buy your strawberries organic. They are one of the topmost toxic fruits laden with pesticides.
- Also, buy strawberries in season! They are less expensive and taste amazing – sweet and juicy as they should be with no white centers.
- Online Shopping – personally, to save time, money and gas, I do a lot of online shopping. One place I love to frequent to get my healthy ingredients is Thrive Market because they have everything I need for 50% below retail and I get free shipping because my orders are always over $49. It saves me a TON of money every month. I strongly recommend starting your free 30-day trial.
- Coconut Nectar I love this nutrient-rich, naturally sweet, low glycemic sweetener and this is where I get it inexpensively. One bottle lasts me a very long time.
- Raw Local Honey We always have two gallons of raw, local honey on hand that I get at my local apiary to save on cost. You can find an apiary near you by clicking here. If you need to buy raw honey because you don’t have access to an apiary, there are lots of good options here.
- Arrowroot Powder This is one of my go-to thickeners of choice and this is my favorite gluten-free kind.
- Coconut Flour I love this brand of coconut flour because it is smoother than others and doesn’t have the gritty, grainy texture that some coconut flours do. I have used this brand for years and years.
- Coconut Sugar It’s similar to brown sugar but not GMO and won’t spike your blood sugar because it’s has a low glycemic index. It is a staple in my pantry.
- Shredded Coconut Because I use a lot of shredded coconut and I love this company which sustainably harvests it, I order mine here. Plus, the price can’t be beaten!
- Coconut Oil Is your coconut oil glyphosate free? The only company I have found that actively tests theirs is this company. It’s where I order all my dried coconut and coconut oil. I also love this oil, because it is organic and doesn’t have an overly coconutty taste. In fact, I can barely taste the coconut. Because we use a lot of it, I order it in bulk inexpensively here.
- Ghee I have used this clarified butter for years now. For those who have to keep dairy out of their diets, this is a great way to still use butter without the dairy counterparts that can cause symptoms.
Paleo Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp {AIP} Diary, Nut & Refined Sugar Free
- 3 C. Organic Strawberries, sliced
- 5 stalks Rhubarb, sliced into ½" pieces
- 1½ Tlbs. Coconut Nectar
- 1½ Tlbs. Raw Local Honey
- ¼ c. Organic Orange Juice
- 2 tsp. Arrowroot Powder
- 1 Tlbs. Arrowroot Powder
- ¼ C. Coconut Flour
- ½ tsp. Cinnamon
- ¼ C. + 2 Tlbs. Coconut Sugar
- ¾ C. Shredded Coconut
- ¼ C. Cold Cultured Ghee
- ¼ C. Cold Coconut Oil
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl. Toss them with the coconut nectar and the raw local honey. In a separate bowl combine the orange juice and the arrowroot powder. Whisk until the arrowroot is dissolved. Pour that mixture into the bowl with the fruit mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
- Pour fruit mixture into an 8 x 11 dish.
- Prepare the crisp topping by combining the arrowroot powder, coconut flour, cinnamon, coconut sugar and shredded coconut into a small bowl. Whisk it all together until combined.
- With a pastry cutter or fork cut in the cold coconut oil and cold ghee. You may have to get your hands in there as well. The topping mixture should resemble pea-size crumbs when it is mixed.
- Spread the topping mixture evenly on top of the fruit mixture in the dish.
- Cover and bake for 40 minutes until bubbly.
- You can serve this immediately out of the oven or at room temperature. It is great served with dairy-free ice cream.
For Your Next Gathering
Next time you have company, or are celebrating a summer holiday, I hope you’ll try this dessert. It is absolutely delicious – so much so that your guests will want seconds!
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