The creation for Skillet Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble was inspired by gorgeous stalks of rhubarb I saw at the farmers market this past weekend, I knew I immediately had to photograph it…which always leads to eating, which leads to making an awesome recipe to share with you all. The presentation of this pie/crumble may look beautiful and somewhat intimidating, but I promise it’s far from that and encompasses the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle so well- it’s delicious, nutrient dense, and incredibly simple to make (vegan/gluten free friendly taboot!).
Whenever I hear rhubarb, my mind immediately goes to strawberry rhubarb pie– even though the times I’ve had the pie didn’t blow my taste buds away. I wanted to challenge myself by using rhubarb in this classic way with a Nutrition Stripped spin on it, making it gluten free, full of nutrients, delicious, and simple to make. I also use non-traditional ingredients and deconstruct the “pie” style for a simple crumble made from walnuts, quinoa flakes, and brown rice flour. The filling is hands down my favorite part of this crumble, the pears, strawberries, and of course rhubarb used in the filing give it a sticky, sweet, and thick mouth feel that hits the essence of strawberry rhubarb pie on the nose.
Rockstar rhubarb. I have to admit, I’ve only experimented with rhubarb a handful of times in the past year as it always intimidated me. In hindsight, I’m not sure what kept me avoiding this beautiful root in the first place! It’s simple to use, delicious, and adds a good amount of fiber and vitamin K into any dish. In comparison to traditional pies, this recipe doesn’t contain refined sugars, refined flours, and nothing artificial- only whole foods which result in a higher fiber, protein, and nutrient rich dessert. I love using the coconut oil as the fat source in this recipe for it’s medium chain triglycerides (don’t be scared of saturated fats!), and the quinoa and walnuts both add great fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Keep in mind // did you know that eating rhubarb can be poisonous? That’s right! The leaves on the rhubarb plant are poisonous and contain large amounts of oxalic acid. Stick with the stalks and always cook.
As if this dessert wasn’t awesome enough, I love serving it with coconut milk ice cream or my favorite, BanaNO Cream ice cream with a dash of the same seasonings used in the filling- nutmeg, cinnamon, and fresh ginger. It goes SO well, trust me on this one! A couple tips when you’re making this recipe, be sure to give it a taste test with the seasonings in the filling, I really love cinnamon and nutmeg so I tend to be a little heavy handed when it comes to those, adjust to your taste. Also, for leftovers I simply store the pie in tupperware or you can freeze it for later– when thawing simply take it out of the freezer, put in the fridge for a couple of hours to start the thawing process, and then pop it in the oven to bake until warmed through.
Recipe inspired by Ina Garten + Kitchn
- FILLING //
- 5-6 stalks (530g) red rhubarb, chopped
- 2 cups (250g) fresh strawberries, halved
- 1 large pear, chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon local honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- juice from 1/2 orange
- CRUMBLE //
- 1 cup (90g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (90 g) rolled quinoa flakes
- 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
- 5 tablespoons organic cold-pressed coconut oil (may use grass-fed or vegan butter), melted
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- a pinch of sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees C).
- In a large cast iron skillet, or oven safe skillet pan, put all of the chopped fruits and seasonings into the skillet, mixing until combined.
- You’ll cook this mixture on the stovetop for about 10 minute or until everything is tender.
- Grind walnuts into a flour using a food processor or nut grinder.
- In a separate bowl, simply combine all of the ingredients for the crumble topping.
- Using your hands, combine into chunks while evenly dispersing the seasonings and dates.
- Pour the crumble topping evenly over the fruit filling in the cast iron skillet (that you’ve been cooking in already). Sprinkle with extra cinnamon or ground walnuts if you’d like.
- Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes, checking at 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and filling is tender.
- Set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes, this will allow the crumble topping to get nice and crunchy.
- Use a large spoon to serve, and serve with homemade banana ice cream or plain before enjoying.
I know you’re all going to love this recipe without a doubt, especially if you’re a lover of the classic strawberry rhubarb pie, this one takes it up a notch in both flavor and nutrition. Be sure to share this with all your fellow gluten free friends looking for an alternative to pie or for those who just love trying some new dishes. Thanks for visiting and reading up on this one!
Hope you have a beautiful day,
xx McKel
