Paleo/Primal Rhubarb Crisp -- Gluten and Dairy free

The first really veggie (or is it a fruit?) to be ready to pick in my garden is rhubarb. This nice old rhubarb plant was already in the tiny garden when we moved into our house. Over the years it has been one of my more consistent producers even through the mild wet summers like we had last year. Hopefully this year it will be just as prolific or more so. One of my family’s favorite uses for rhubarb is the rhubarb crunch. In the past I’ve made a crunch topping using oats and flour, but this time I tried the almond flour crumble topping that has become my favorite since my paleo/primal experiment started a few months ago.

I also used Coconut Crystals in place of sugar. According to the package:

When the coconut tree is tapped, it produces a naturally sweet, nutrient-rich inflorescence (juice or "sap") that exudes from the coconut blossoms. This sap is very low glycemic (GI of only 35), diabetic-friendly, contains 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin C, broad-spectrum B vitamins, and has a nearly neutral pH. It is a raw food, gluten free and vegan.

The result is a little different in texture than what I was used to with traditional recipes since it didn't have that oats-and-flour crumble, but it is quite good and was a hit with the whole family.

Paleo/Primal Rhubarb Crisp
Filling:
3 C chopped rhubarb
1 C coconut crystals, honey or other sugar of choice
1 T cinnamon

Crumble:
1/3 C coconut oil
1 T cinnamon
2 C almond flour
1 t vanilla flavoring
1 t salt
1/4 C Cocount Crystals, honey or sugar of choice

1. Mix all filling ingredients in an 8x8 baking dish

2. In a separate bowl, mix all crumble ingredients until the mixture has the texture of wet sand or a little lumpier.

3. Bake filling ingredients at 350F for about 30 minutes until they are bubbly

4. Remove dish from oven and spread crumble over top of filling ingredients.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes removing foil in the last 10 minutes to crisp up the topping.