Rhubarb & Orange Oaty Crumble with Custard - Gluten Free

We love a good crumble in this house but some people in the family are Gulten intolerent so this is a great recipe and also gives you something to do with the Rhubarb Harvest!!

Are oats gluten-free?

The short answer is yes — pure oats are naturally gluten-free. However, regular oats can become contaminated with gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley and rye during growing, harvesting, transport or processing.

So, if you are avoiding gluten, always check the packet carefully and choose oats labelled gluten-free if you need to avoid gluten strictly.

This is particularly important for anyone with coeliac disease, as even small amounts of gluten can cause problems. If you have coeliac disease, always follow the advice given by your healthcare professional.

And once you've found the right oats, you can get on with the important business...

making crumble! 

This is one of those wonderfully simple desserts that makes the most of homegrown rhubarb. It's sweet, a little bit sharp, deliciously gingery and topped with a lovely crunchy oat crumble.

And yes, it's completely vegan-friendly too.

🍊 Vegan Rhubarb & Orange Crumble

The orange juice adds a lovely sweetness to the rhubarb while the ginger gives it just a little bit of warmth.

I love serving this with vegan custard — and I'm not ashamed to admit that I usually use a carton of Alpro Custard.

Could you make your own custard? Absolutely. Do I bother? Not usually! 

Ingredients

For the Crumble

175g / 6oz fine oatmeal

125g / 4oz Demerara sugar

125g / 4oz porridge oats

125g / 4oz vegan butter

I like to use Flora, but use your favourite vegan butter.

Note -  If you need the crumble to be gluten-free, make sure both your oatmeal and porridge oats are specifically labelled gluten-free.

For the Rhubarb Filling

6–8 rhubarb stalks, cleaned and chopped

4 tablespoons golden caster sugar

Juice of 2 oranges

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons water

1 carton vegan custard, such as Alpro Custard

How to Make Rhubarb Crumble

1. Make the crumble topping 

Add the oatmeal and porridge oats to a mixing bowl. Rub or mix in the vegan butter, just as you would when making a traditional crumble.

Don't go mad with it, though! You want a lovely crumbly mixture rather than one giant oat-and-butter lump. 😂

2. Add the sugar

Stir the Demerara sugar through the oat mixture until everything is evenly combined. Set your crumble topping aside while you prepare the rhubarb.

3. Cook the rhubarb 

Add the chopped rhubarb to a saucepan along with: 

• the orange juice

• water

• ginger

• golden caster sugar

Bring everything gently to the boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer until the rhubarb has softened. Keep an eye on it — you want soft rhubarb, not rhubarb soup!

 4. Add the custard

 Once the rhubarb has softened, transfer it to an ovenproof dish.

Pour over the vegan custard. Yes, you could make your own custard... But why bother when there's a carton in the fridge?

5. Add the crumble topping

Spoon the crumble mixture evenly over the top of the rhubarb and custard.

Don't press it down too firmly. Keeping it loose helps you get those lovely crispy, golden bits on top.

6. Bake - Place the crumble into a preheated oven at: 180°C / 350°F

Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Keep an eye on it towards the end as ovens vary.

Growing Your Own Rhubarb

If you're growing rhubarb in your garden, this is a brilliant way to use up a good harvest.Rhubarb is one of those plants that can look a little bit ridiculous when it's happy — enormous leaves, long stalks and suddenly you've got more rhubarb than you know what to do with! Luckily, crumble is an excellent solution.

You can also freeze chopped rhubarb, so you don't have to eat crumble every day during the rhubarb season.

Although... I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing. 

                  Find my Rhubarb Grow Guild >>> HERE

 Why I Love the Orange & Ginger Combination

Rhubarb can be quite sharp, so it needs a little sweetness to balance it.The orange juice works beautifully with the rhubarb and gives the filling a lovely citrusy flavour, while the ginger adds a gentle warmth. It's a simple combination, but it makes this crumble taste a little more special than a standard rhubarb crumble.

 From the Organic Yarden to the Kitchen

There's something particularly satisfying about turning something you've grown yourself into a proper pudding.

   The rhubarb starts off in the garden, gets chopped up in the kitchen and ends up bubbling away underneath a golden, crunchy oat topping. That's exactly what I love about growing food. You don't need acres of land or a huge vegetable garden to grow something you can eventually eat. Even a few rhubarb plants can give you a fantastic harvest — and provide you with a very good excuse to make crumble!

Now who's putting the kettle on?