Wondering what to do with your abundant pile of rhubarb? This tart veggie isn’t just for grandma’s pie, these recipes will bring you new and exciting ways to use rhubarb!
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Benefits of Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a tart vegetable that looks a lot like a large celery stalk, that is red or a bright and dark magenta color. It’s quite pretty, actually. To me it looks like it belongs in a fairy land!
If you’re new to the delicious versatility of rhubarb, chances are you’ve likely been introduced to rhubarb pie. Often a grandma specialty, this vintage dessert is full of tart and sweet goodness enjoyed by generations.
Now there are rhubarb recipes of all kinds! I love the whimsical magic they bring to springtime recipes, and the balance their tart flavor brings to desserts and other recipes. They really are unique.
If I was going to compare the taste of rhubarb to anything, it would be cranberries. While some love to totally wash out the tart flavor of cranberries, I like to find a perfect balance! The same goes for rhubarb.
Whether grown in your garden or bought fresh at a farmer’s market, rhubarb has tons of benefits to add to their delightful flavor. They are packed with vitamin K and fiber, and are also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Preparing Rhubarb
Before we get into the rhubarb recipes, it’s important to talk about preparing it. While it’s not necessary to peel it, some recipes call for it. Personally I don’t, as it takes some of the lovely color out!
Make sure to trim and discard any stems and leaves since they are toxic to both humans and animals.
Wash the stalks in cold water, and trim off any tough or woody ends, just like you might with asparagus. If there are any bruised parts, it’s okay to trim those out and use the rest. That’s it! Easy peasy.
Strawberry Rhubarb Recipes
Strawberries and rhubarb have a long history as a perfect pairing, and hey, why mess with perfection?
The sweetness of ripe strawberries are a wonderful balance for the tartness of rhubarb. Plus, the hues of strawberry and rhubarb together are so magical and are perfect for springtime!
1. Strawberry Rhubarb Butter
The strawberries and rhubarb cook down into an amazing tasting tart and sweet butter in this simple recipe. Sweetened with honey instead of refined sugar, this recipe is one of the easiest and healthiest ways to use rhubarb.
Strawberry rhubarb butter is delicious on toast, stirred into yogurt, topped on ice cream, or on a scone.
2. Easy Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp
To sweeten your spring up with a tasty and healthy dessert, make this rhubarb strawberry crisp recipe. Topped with crispy sweetened oatmeal, this is a perfect treat for a spring or early summer gathering.
This recipe has more rhubarb than strawberries for a not-too-sweet jammy taste. If you have it with ice cream or whipped cream, that sweetens it up too!
3. Fermented Strawberry Rhubarb Soda
Naturally fermented sodas are easy to make at home, and this ode to springtime and early summer is a wonderful way to get some delicious probiotic fizz in your life! It’s so easy to make.
Made with a ginger bug, this strawberry and rhubarb soda is naturally fermented and is a super tasty and healthy replacement for soda pop.
Rhubarb Dessert Recipes
It’s popular to sweeten rhubarb to offset the tartness, and making desserts with this veggie can offer a surprisingly delicious and complex tasting result. These are some of my favorites!
4. Rhubarb Snacking Cake
Rhubarb shines its lovely tartness in this tasty snack cake. Topped with a brown sugar crumble, this rhubarb snack cake gives the perfect balance of moist, tart, and sweet.
This delicious recipe is part buckle, part streusel, and part crumb cake all in one snack square. The rhubarb provides a tart and sweet jammy layer that is so summery, you’re likely to make this all season!
5. Rhubarb Pie
With a sweet-tart filling and a perfect flaky crust, definitely put this rhubarb pie on your recipe list this season! While often paired with strawberries in a pie, this one gives rhubarb the entire spotlight.
This pie is an ode to grandma’s day pies, and it’s the perfect way to capture rhubarb season right when it hits! Since it doesn’t grow year-round, you might as well let it shine!
6. Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
I love upside down cakes! So, of course a rhubarb upside down cake is in order as soon as I have fresh stalks available to me. Trust me, this one is delicious!
This cake is super easy to make, so if you need a dessert in short order, this is a go-to recipe. It has perfect sweet and tart flavor for an old fashioned kick that you’ll love.
7. Rhubarb Crumb Bars
These rhubarb crumb bars are a perfect sweet treat for after lunch or snack time, and they are sure to turn any rhubarb skeptics into true lovers! This recipe is a true crowd pleaser.
With a jammy filling between a delicious crust and a crumb topping, this recipe is a true spring treat!
8. Candied Rhubarb Ribbons
This is probably one of the most rhubarb forward things I’ve ever made, if that’s a thing. Rhubarb doesn’t just shine , it’s the main ingredient! It won’t make you pucker with tartness though, it’s sweetened!
Candied rhubarb ribbons are fun to make, and look like they come from a magical fairy land. They make a beautiful edible garnish for a cocktail or cupcake, or they can be eaten on their own like candy.
Preserving Rhubarb
If you want to prolong rhubarb season and it’s springtime sunny flavor, use your garden abundance to make some of these preserved rhubarb recipes. It’s like sunshine in a jar every time you open it!
9. Canning Rhubarb
A great way to keep the quick grow time of rhubarb at your fingertips for use is to can it. Canning rhubarb is one of the best ways to preserve this unique veggie for future tasty endeavors.
If you have limited freezer room, this easy water bath canning recipe is for you. Once shelf-stable, you’ll have all the time you need to make any rhubarb recipe any time of year!
10. Rhubarb Syrup
Making rhubarb syrup is a super quick and easy way to use the abundance in a way that lasts. It has a whimsical pink color that gives spring in every way.
Use this syrup to add a little bit of fairy vibe and sweet-tart taste to yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, drinks, or anywhere your food needs a bit of magic! This stores in the refrigerator or can be frozen.
11. Rhubarb Jam for Canning
A tried and true way to preserve the harvest is to can jam, and this easy rhubarb jam is a perfect way to keep the rhubarb vibe alive year round. Since it’s one of the earliest spring harvests, I usually make this first.
This recipe can be made shelf-stable, or as a freezer jam. Another option if it gets eaten quickly at your house is to just put it directly in the fridge to enjoy right away. It’s easy no matter how you make it!
For Happy Hour
12. Rhubarb Gin Cocktail
I love happy hour, I’m not going to lie! This rhubarb gin sour cocktail is a perfect mix of vintage vibes and fairy like magic! It’s frothy, in season, and the best spring happy hour drink.
Sit outside on a warm evening, and chill down with this relaxing seasonal drink that includes my other rhubarb recipes for syrup and candy garnish. It’s the best way to wind down a day!
13. Homemade Rhubarb Wine
To really get a taste of the subtle tangy notes of rhubarb without too much sweetness, the best drink is this rhubarb wine. In this recipe, you extract the juice out of the rhubarb with sugar, leaving a balanced sweet and tangy base.
This is a fermenting recipe, which requires some simple equipment that is outlined in this recipe. It’s easy to make and as with most ferments, mostly takes a little time! It is a delicious way to celebrate rhubarb season!
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