Vegan Raspberry and Rhubarb Crumble

Last week Scotty and I were invited over to another American couple’s flat for dinner.  We brought dessert which presented two challenges for me.  I, as I’ve said before am most definitely not a baker.  Also the dessert needed to be dairy-free.  Naturally I thought a fruit crumble would be the easiest thing to make but how do you make the crumble topping without butter??  As a complete butter lover I’ve been looking for ways to cut out this lovely ingredient out of my life and have been experimenting with coconut oil.  Recent research has shown that coconut oil is not nearly as bad for us as we have been told it is and, in fact, has some very healthy qualities.  So I thought I’d give it a try.

Raspberry and Rhubarb Crumble (Vegan)

• 5 stalks of rhubarb, cut down the middle of each stalk and copped into 1 inch pieces
• 2-3 cups frozen raspberries
• juice from one lemon
• approximately 1/4 cup honey

Crumble Topping

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Put the rhubarb, lemon juice, and honey in a pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb become soft.  

Remove from heat and stir in raspberries.

Mix the dry ingredients for the topping.  Drizzle the coconut oil into the mixture while working with fingers until mixture takes on the texture of fine bread crumbs.  Place rhubarb and raspberry mixture in a glass casserole dish.  Sprinkle crumble topping on top.  

Bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes.  For the last couple of minutes place under grill/broiler to brown topping.  Watch carefully to avoid burning.  Serve with soy custard.

I don’t have pictures of the final baked product but everyone seemed to like it.