Since Memorial Day I’ve shifted into full summer mode: eating lots of watermelon, sleeping with the fan and AC on, and craving crisp, refreshing salads. I haven’t had many sweet potatoes lately, but cherry-rhubarb crumble has been a reliable summertime indulgence.
My eating habits change with the seasons—something I attribute to my Nana, who always embraced seasonal ingredients. In summer I favor fresh produce and light meals and avoid foods that don’t feel seasonally appropriate.
I eat more healthfully in summer—green juice every day, plenty of raw vegetables, juicy fruit, lots of water, and fewer nuts. Still, I reserve space for treats. Think of me as an 80/20 eater: most of the time I focus on whole foods, and the rest of the time I enjoy cake, cookies, ice cream, sorbet, and this vegan cherry-rhubarb crumble.
This crumble isn’t a health food. It has fresh fruit and oats, but it also delivers the rich satisfaction of vegan butter and sugar. Paired with vanilla coconut ice cream, it brings a happy food dance to my kitchen. That occasional indulgence is part of what makes summer feel special.
Because this dessert requires the oven, I won’t make it constantly during the hottest days. Still, when I do bake it the results are worth the heat. In cooler seasons I plan to adapt the crumble to other fruits—pears, apples, concord grapes in fall, persimmon in winter, and then back to rhubarb and berries in spring when the season returns.
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Cherry-Rhubarb Crumble
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp coconut sugar, or raw cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 oz Earth Balance, cubed
- 6 stalks of rhubarb, chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 3 cups frozen or fresh pitted cherries
- pint of vanilla Coconut Bliss Ice cream for serving
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
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Add the dry ingredients (reserve 2 tablespoons of the sugar) and the cubed Earth Balance to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture comes together.
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Press about two-thirds of the oat-and-flour mixture into the bottom of your skillet or baking dish to form the crust, saving the remainder for the topping.
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Spread the rhubarb and cherries evenly over the crust.
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Sprinkle the reserved sugar over the fruit.
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Scatter the remaining crumble mixture on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
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Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes, until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling.
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Let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla coconut ice cream.
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