Even if you have looked at those beautiful light green and blush-colored stalks from afar, but never purchased them, don’t let the fact that rhubarb is in the title deter you! Buy some during your next market trip. You can definitely make these. They are not too sweet, highly delicious and have a perfectly satisfying crunch on top.

These beauties are adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Bars.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Bars 

The Crumble:
1 c. rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. + 1 TBSP spelt flour (just use more all-purpose if you don’t have spelt; I use it for its nutty flavor)
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. + 2 TBSP melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt

The Filling:
1 c. small-diced rhubarb
1 c. raspberries, quartered
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 TBSP organic cane sugar
1 TBSP arrowroot (corn starch works if you don’t have arrowroot)

Topping:
1/2 c. crumble
1/4 c. sliced almonds
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 375 F. Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Dice rhubarb and raspberries and put in a small bowl. In a medium-sized bowl, mix oats, all-purpose flour, spelt flour, light brown sugar, pure maple syrup, melted coconut oil and sea salt. Scoop out a 1/2 c. worth of the crumble, and set aside. Your mixture shouldn’t be too wet. Add another TBSP of spelt flour and stir, if needed. Otherwise, press the mixture evenly into the bottom of your pan.

In your bowl with the fruit, add the cane sugar, lemon juice and arrowroot (or corn starch – they both work as a thickening agent), and give a light stir. Pour fruit mixture over the crumble crust in the pan and press down evenly.

Add the sliced almonds and vanilla to your 1/2 c. crumble topping and stir. Scatter the topping over the fruit – there will be some spots where you can still see the fruit poking through. Gently press the topping in to place.

Bake for about 35 minutes – you want the top to be fragrant and golden. After you pull the pan out of the oven, let cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator. They will continue to firm up. Wait a good 30 minutes or so before you pull them out to cut. We store ours in the fridge to keep their crispness. Share with people you really, really like.