41 Rhubarb Recipes to Add to Your Spring Agenda
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Looking for the best rhubarb recipes to put those pretty pink stalks to use? The delightfully sour treat is at its peak from April to June, so it’s perfect for your Passover or Easter menus, Mother’s Day celebrations, or, honestly, any spring dinner. The season is short, so as soon as you spot them at your local farmers market, make a game plan.
Rhubarb’s tart, slightly floral flavor shines in desserts (like rhubarb turnovers, crumbles, or custard cakes), but it’s also great in compotes and cocktails. When choosing rhubarb for these recipes, look for sturdy stalks that are red or dark pink. Green stalks are fine, too, but don’t quite have the same visual appeal. There’s also a belief that the redder the stalk, the more robust the flavor. Now that you know what to look for, let’s dive into how to prepare rhubarb. Scroll down for our favorite rhubarb recipes for the spring.
Read More: What Is Rhubarb
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou1/41Tahini Chiffon Cake With Burnt Honey Cream and Poached Rhubarb
In the first rhubarb recipe on this all-star list, cardamom-poached magenta batons are the star-crossed complement to a so-light-it-could-float chiffon cake. Tahini brings pure sesame flavor and a crust of sesame seeds adds bonus texture and stunning visuals.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele2/41Rhubarb Crisp
A fruit crisp is one of our favorite low-maintenance dessert options. In this rhubarb recipe, you’ll toss the vibrant pink stalks with crystallized ginger and orange juice, then top the mixture with pecan-oat crumble.
Photo by Gentl & Hyers3/41Strawberry-Rhubarb Spritz
Not sure what to do with that market haul of rhubarb stalks? Stew them into a tart simple syrup, then shake up a batch of these pink spritzes.
Photo by Alex Lau5/41Rhubarb Compote
This tart rhubarb sauce is quite good on simple toast, but spoon it over a slice of cheesecake and you’ve got a true winning dessert on your hands.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott6/41Roast Chicken With Rhubarb Butter and Asparagus
Brush the juices from rhubarb stewed with ginger, honey, and orange juice over a butterflied chicken before heading out to the grill for the spring-iest dinner you’ll eat all rhubarb season. You’ll also mash the cooked rhubarb into butter to toss with tender grilled asparagus spears.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore7/41Whipped Ricotta Toast With Date and Rhubarb Compote
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova9/41Coconut Custard and Rhubarb Tart
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce10/41Coconut-Cardamom French Toast With Raspberry-Rhubarb Compote
Layered with rich coconut filling, soaked in velvety custard, and topped with a vibrant fuchsia raspberry-and-rhubarb compote, this French toast is the perfect option for Mother’s Day brunch.
Photo by John Kernick12/41Rhubarb Turnovers
Cook fresh rhubarb into a tangy jam, then stuff it into flaky pastry pockets. Pack these along, cooled, for a picnic or serve them warm with equally tangy buttermilk-lemon granita.
Photo by Alex Lau13/41Rhubarb–Brown Butter Bars
Rhubarb turns jammy in these handheld bars, brightened by dried hibiscus flowers and anchored with nutty blanched hazelnuts and brown butter.
Photo by Alex Lau15/41Quick-Pickled Rhubarb Salad
Tame rhubarb’s signature tartness by pickling the stalks in red wine vinegar. Toss these pickles in salad, add them to a cheese board, or serve them with cocktails.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich16/41Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette With Buckwheat Crust
Romulo Yanes17/41Spicy Chicken Thighs With Rhubarb-Cucumber Salsa
This tart, crunchy salsa is a perfect complement to baked chicken, but it’d be equally delicious with grilled pork chops or salmon.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop and Food Styling by Ali Nardi18/41Strawberry Rhubarb Compote With Matzo Streusel Topping
This Passover dessert recipe would be equally welcome at any spring cookout. If you can’t find matzo cake meal, grind batches of regular matzo meal in a clean electric spice grinder until it reaches the consistency of flour.
Photo by Andrew Purcell19/41Lemony Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler
Each element of this fruity dessert is cooked on its own: The fruit in a slow cooker (after which the juices are reduced on the stove) and the lemon drop biscuits in the oven. This way, you can store separately and assemble at will.
Photo by Romulo Yanes20/41Rhubarb Tart With Orange Glaze
A sweet citrus glaze offsets the rhubarb’s tartness—and thanks to frozen puff pastry, you can get this stunning spring dessert on the table in no time.
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott21/41Buttermilk Panna Cotta With Rhubarb-Strawberry Jelly
Buttermilk gives this panna cotta a slight tang, complemented by the sweet and sour flavor of the fruity topping. Serve with buttery shortbread cookies for added crunch.
Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott25/41Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad With Mint and Hazelnuts
Strawberry and rhubarb stay raw and crunchy in this super simple fruit salad. It’s perfect for brunch, but you could also serve it over ice cream or panna cotta for dessert.
Patricia Heal26/41Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble
Crown tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries with a crunchy oat-and-hazelnut streusel. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is the perfect finishing touch.
Photo by Alex Lau28/41Slow-Roasted Rhubarb
Macerate rhubarb stalks with sugar, fresh ginger, and the scrapings of a vanilla bean until the stalks release their juice. Then roast them until tender and spoon over pound cake, yogurt, or ice cream.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone29/41Coconut Milk Custard With Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
Peter Frank Edwards30/41Rhubarb Galettes With Hazelnut Frangipane
These individually portioned rhubarb galettes hide a secret under their rosy stalks: Velvety hazelnut frangipane, a custard made with ground nuts—and, in this case, buckwheat flour and a trickle of rye whiskey.
Tatsuro Nishimura, food styling by Rhoda Boone31/41Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Smoothie
The flavors of a strawberry rhubarb crumble mingle in this satisfying smoothie, made thick, creamy, and more satiating by uncooked oats.
36/41Strawberry and Watercress Salad
Toss peppery watercress with crisp raw rhubarb, sweet berries, and floral poppy seeds in this light, fresh spring salad.
37/41Apple-Rhubarb Crisp
Chris Gentile38/41Rhubarb-Mascarpone Mousse Cake
Sandwich two layers of yellow cake with store-bought strawberry or strawberry-rhubarb jam, then cover the cake with a light-as-air rhubarb mousse and top with a jewel-toned rhubarb glaze. It’s lighter than rhubarb cheesecake, but just as tangy.
Lisa Hubbard39/41Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote With Fresh Mint
Serve the simple, quick fruit compote with ice cream, lemon curd, angel food cake, pancakes, or waffles. It’s a rhubarb recipe to keep on hand until the end of the season.
