This Rhubarb Raspberry Roly-Poly is one of my favourite winter weekend or dinner party desserts. I love the combination of raspberries and fresh rhubarb rolled in a soft pie-like dough. Serve with double cream or coconut yoghurt (my preference), though the rest of my family say vanilla bean ice-cream is ‘a must.’
Health benefits
This is a healthier version of the sugar and jam drenched traditional roly-poly in one of my nana’s old cookbooks (actually, it is a book filled with cuttings from magazines and lots of handwritten recipes that no doubt a neighbour or friend had shared). It’s still certainly not an everyday food, rather seriously good comfort food for those times when a little deliciousness in life is called for.
Ingredients
Using wholesome ingredients like wholemeal spelt flour, fresh rhubarb, and raspberries, this recipe is both nourishing and delicious. With just a few pantry staples like butter, cinnamon, and coconut sugar, you can whip up this easy dessert in no time.
How to make a Rhubarb Raspberry Roly-poly
Start by making a simple dough, roll it out, then spread your sweet filling of rhubarb and raspberries across it before rolling it up. Slice it into rounds, place on a tray, and drizzle with a sweet syrup before baking to golden perfection. The result? Soft, flaky dough and juicy fruit in every bite.
Serving suggestions and how to store
Serve this rhubarb and raspberry roly-poly fresh from the oven with a generous dollop of double cream, coconut cream, or your favourite vanilla ice cream. Leftovers (if there are any!) can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated for a cozy snack the next day.
Vary Rhubarb Raspberry Roly-Poly to suit
For a dairy-free version, swap the butter for macadamia nut oil and the milk for coconut milk. If you need a gluten-free option, substitute the spelt flour with gluten-free bread flour. You can also get creative with the filling – try pears and ginger for a seasonal twist! Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.
For more delicious, healthy and easy to make wholefood treats, click HERE.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 480 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 180 g butter -chilled and cubed
- 250 ml milk (of choice) (1 cup)
For the filling
- 100 g raspberries (1 cup) fresh or frozen
- 1 bunch/s rhubarb -1cm dice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or rapadura
For the syrup
- 170 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (½ cup)
- 250 ml boiling water (1 cup)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F (fan forced).
- To make the dough: combine the flour, baking powder and sea salt. Add the butter and either rub into the flour by hand or process until well combined with the flour (to form a crumb). Add the milk and mix until a firm, slightly sticky dough is formed. If it is too sticky, add more flour or to dry, add a little more milk.
- Roll out between two pieces of baking paper into a 1cm thick (roughly) rectangle.
- Remove the top piece of baking paper and scatter the filling evenly over the dough then roll it up into a cylinder. Trim the outer doughy edges and cut into approx. 2cm wide slices, carefully placing each slice onto a baking tray, leaving a little room between each one (they will expand).
- For the syrup: combine the sweetener and hot water and mix until the sweetener has dissolved. Drizzle over each roly-poly.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the dough has risen and browned slightly (and most of the syrup has reduced).
Serve
- Hot out of the oven with double cream, coconut cream or dare I say it (my kids and hubby are cheering me on)…a good quality vanilla ice-cream.
Note
- Making a good dough, especially gluten free requires TLC and a keen eye to achieve the right consistency in the dough. Once you've got the knack, you'll not look back.
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variations
Dairy-free and vegan
Replace the butter with 100ml of macadamia nut oil and milk with the approx. the same quantity of coconut milk. (Sorry I have run out of time and I have not recipe tested this yet). I'd recommend adding the coconut milk gradually to form the right consistency in the dough.Gluten-free
Replace the spelt flour with a good quality gluten-free bread flour.Low-fructose
Replace the coconut sugar with a pinch of stevia powder and chose the rice malt syrup as your sweetener for the syrup (and definitely skip the ice-cream)!A different filling
Absolutely possible, the limit is your imagination. I love playing with various spices in the syrup too like ginger, cardamom, cloves etc; Pear and ginger are divine and in season now.Lighter dough
You can substitute white spelt or half/half for a lighter consistency.I'd love to hear how you like this recipe. Please post a comment or rate it now.
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Rosie says
This is a favorite of mine and mum makes whenever we visit!! Will definitely attempt this and see how it compares to my great grandmothers recipe!
Georgia Harding says
Hi Rosie, yes this is a classic. This version is perhaps a bit more rustic but I hope you enjoy it too. G x
Judy says
Do you think this could be made a couple of days in advance and reheated successfully?
Georgia Harding says
I can’t see why not Judy. I have eaten it the next day and it was still yum G x
Rachael says
How many grams in a “bunch” of rhubarb, please? Or how many stalks? The rhubarb I’m using is from a friend’s garden and so doesn’t come by the bunch. Thanks 🙂
Well Nourished Team says
Hi Rachael, its approximately about 3 – 4 stalks depending on the thickness.