25+ Delightfully Tart Rhubarb Recipes

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Recipe

A hint of fresh thyme gives this rustic cake a faint herbaceous quality that complements the warmth of cardamom and ginger and the tang of rhubarb. Be patient when turning the cake out of the pan; it may take several minutes for it to fully release. The surprise ingredient in the batter (mayonnaise) is an old-school trick for creating a supermoist cake. A dollop of Greek yogurt cuts through the richness of the cake—but you can omit it if you’d like.

Mini Rhubarb Ginger Crostatas Recipe

The filling in these pies is on the tart side, so they're especially good with vanilla ice cream. Semolina flour in the dough is optional but adds complexity and crunch.

Roasted Rhubarb with Red Wine and Spices Recipe

This dessert gets its exotic touch from star anise, a licorice-y seasoning that's used in Vietnamese cooking. Find it in your supermarket's spice aisle.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars Recipe

These delicious crumble bars are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Raspberry "Rhubars" Recipe

Tangy rhubarb and sweet raspberries mingle in a portable, make-ahead dessert.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Trifle Recipe

This show-stopping layered dessert will be a hit at your next luncheon or shower.

Strawberry-Rhubarb-Banana Smoothie RecipeBlend low-fat yogurt, Strawberry-Rhubarb jam, frozen berries, and bananas to make this simple breakfast smoothie. 

Roasted Spring Lamb With Fennel, Rhubarb, and Strawberries Recipe

Lamb’s pleasantly gamey flavor pairs beautifully with tart rhubarb, sweet strawberries, and anise-scented fennel. “Frenched” racks of lamb are trimmed so that the bones are cleaned of fat and meat; if you can’t find pre-frenched lamb racks, ask your butcher to french them for you. Look for big stalks of rhubarb at the market; they’ll hold their shape better than smaller ones, which can easily get too soft when cooked.

Rhubarb Relish Recipe

Try this gently spicy relish alongside roasted or grilled meats, or with a cheese plate.

Rhubarb-Basil Shrub Cocktails Recipe

Rhubarb and basil offer sweet and earthy notes to this elegant cocktail. Garnish this lavish glass with a fresh basil leaf for a sophisticated presentation, and is yet another reason to start an herb garden this year! 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad Recipe

This salad is a delightfully unexpected way to use the fresh rhubarb and berries that are just coming into season. The dressing on this bright, beautiful salad is a happy meeting between sweet and tart flavors, the almonds add a nice crunch for variety of texture, and a hint of mint makes a fresh dish feel even more so. Avoid overcooking the rhubarb; it should still have some crispness. This colorful salad would make a beautiful addition to any brunch, luncheon, or even everyday lunch, and it can be served at room temperature or chilled. Fresh rhubarb and strawberries are available through the spring and into the summer months, so this quick, easy side dish can be on your recipe rotation all season long. Reserve leftover rhubarb syrup for sweetening iced tea or drizzling over ice cream.

Rhubarb Jam Cheesecakes Recipe

Pull a cake out when you start making dinner, and it'll be ready for dessert. Now that's sweet!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pretzel Pie Recipe

Remember that strawberry-pretzel salad that showed up at every church supper? We’ve turned it into your new favorite pie with a salty-sweet pretzel crust and added zip from rhubarb. We all love our classic desserts, but sometimes it is fun to change them up a bit and create something new. The frozen strawberries used in the traditional recipe are fine if it is the middle of winter but, since plump, fresh berries available at the Farmers’ Market, we thought they would make a delicious change to this pie.

Roasted Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins with Pistachio Streusel Recipe

Featuring roasted strawberries and rhubarb, a delicate hint of cardamom, and a crisp pistachio streusel, these tender muffins say “spring” like no other. You can use frozen rhubarb when making these brunch-worthy muffins, just be sure to thaw fully and press out excess water with paper towels before roasting. Starting the oven at a higher temperature helps the muffins to brown and rise into a nice dome, and lowering it after 8 to 10 minutes allows them to finish cooking through. 

Raspberry-Rhubarb Crisp Recipe

The irresistible buttery, spiced oat topping and perfect balance of sweet to tart in the fruity filling make this a recipe we reach for every summer. Carolyn Beth Weil, author of Williams-Sonoma Pie & Tart (Simon & Schuster, 2003), created it for Sunset years ago. Serve this fresh raspberry-rhubarb crisp with lightly sweetened softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Lattice-Topped Rhubarb Pie Recipe

If you don't feel like weaving the dough strips through one another for the lattice topping, just arrange 6 dough strips over the pie; lay the other 6 strips perpendicular to the first strips without weaving.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Freezer Jam Recipe

Mom's Rhubarb-Apple Crisp Recipe

Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious apples hold their shape well and won't get too mushy after baking. Brown sugar lends deep molasses flavor to the topping.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Trifle Recipe

This show-stopping layered dessert will be a hit at your next luncheon or shower.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Refrigerated pie dough makes preparing this tasty dessert a snap. Cornstarch and tapioca ensure a velvety filling by thickening the fruit juices. Serve this raspberry-rhubarb pie with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe

Some would say you haven’t truly embraced spring until you’ve made our Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, and we’d be inclined to agree. It’s a simple dessert that relies on the inherent synergy of its ingredients: rhubarb’s bright tang matched with jammy strawberry sweetness, accented by a delicate touch of cardamom, ginger, and orange zest—all topped off with a forever-crunchy, addictively toasty oat and almond crumble. While 1/2 cup of cornstarch might be more than you’re used to seeing for a fruit crisp recipe, note that rhubarb releases a substantial amount of liquid during the baking process. Thus, you need a bit more of the thickening agent in order to yield a lush, syrupy filling rather than one that’s too loosey-juicy. Warm from the oven, this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp wants nothing more than a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe

Our Rhubarb Custard Pie is the perfect union of creamy, decadent custard and soft, tangy rhubarb. The simplicity of this pie brings out the best in rhubarb’s flavor: There’s just enough sugar to counteract the tartness, but not so much that it ruins the integrity of the pie. The freshest in-season rhubarb, particularly ruby red rhubarb, will yield a pretty color that stands out from the custard. Be sure t cover the edges of the pie—this one has a lengthy bake time, and the edges will overbrown if they’re not protected. Serve at room temperature so the custard has enough time to cool and set up. If the pie has been chilled or in the fridge, wait until it warms up to room temperature—cold custard and cold fruit make an odd pairing. A dollop of sweetened whipped cream makes a nice, classic topping, but to add a slightly savory edge, try  crème fraiche or mascarpone cheese.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Recipe

Our Rhubarb Cheesecake is a crowd-pleaser for a reason: The filling is super creamy and maintains the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, while the crust is crunchy and keeps its structure. When baking the cheesecake in a water bath, make sure the water remains at least halfway up the springform pan to prevent cracks and sinking. Jules Destrooper cookies can be hard to find, so you can substitute with 2 ¼ cups of Graham cracker crumbs or another crunchy cookie. If you can’t find fresh rhubarb for the compote, using frozen rhubarb is fine.

Rhubarb Bread With Pecan Streusel Recipe

This tender rhubarb bread has a light citrusy flavor and beautiful flecks of pink rhubarb throughout. The crunchy streusel on top, complete with brown sugar, pecans, and hints of cardamom and nutmeg, takes this bread over the top and adds a delightfully nutty flavor. Be sure to use the freshest in-season rhubarb possible. Color isn’t always the determining factor in ripeness: When looking for ripe rhubarb, look for stalks about the length of your forearm, about 7 to 15 inches. Although some varieties of rhubarb remain green or white when they ripen, most rhubarb found in stores will be deep red in color when cut at its peak ripeness. Pay attention to the cut ends of the stalks—if the ends seem dehydrated, simply trim them until the center of the stalk appears moist and tender. Be sure to fold in the flour and rhubarb to prevent over stirring, which will lead to tougher bread. Allow your streusel to sit for a while so it can break into different-size pieces. Since this is a dense, moist bread, it’s necessary to coat the pan with shortening and flour. Gently pour the batter into the pan and lightly tap the pan on the counter to help guide it into the corners and spread evenly into the pan. After the bread has had a few minutes to rest after baking, gently loosen the edges from the pan with a small offset spatula, paying attention to not tear or damage the sides of the bread.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe

How do you make the warmed up sweet-tart flavors of strawberry cobbler even better? By adding rhubarb to the mix—strawberries and rhubarb’s seasons (April to June) coincide, so it’s only natural to combine them. You’ll want to use the freshest possible strawberries and rhubarb for this: Peak strawberries are completely red throughout and have minimal white cores, while the best rhubarb will have a stalk between 7 and 15 inches—length, not color is the best indicator of rhubarb’s ripeness. Let your strawberry and sugar mixture stand for at least 20 minutes so the tapioca peals can start breaking down and extracting the strawberries’ juices. Don’t add the rhubarb too early, or it’ll break down and create an undesirable texture. Knead the biscuits just until they’re workable before starting your folds to allow for a more tender product. Keep your butter cold before you cut it into the flour, and do not skip resting the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Save leftover filling to spread on toast for breakfast.

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

This is the pie for rhubarb lovers. It’s simple, as to best highlight the fresh, seasonal rhubarb, and the shortcut of using a pre-made pie crust helps shave off some time and frustration. All the ingredients are easy to find, especially in the spring, but be sure to use fresh rhubarb—frozen has too much water. Fresh, seasonal rhubarb will have stalks that are between 7 and 15 inches long—length, not color, is the best way to determine ripeness. Processing the tapioca helps incorporate it, and allowing the mixture to stand before transferring it to the pie shell helps it begin to break down. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Rhubarb Cake Recipe

Our Rhubarb Cake is one sweet (but not too sweet) way to celebrate spring’s seasonal bounty. Even though it’s a cake, the texture is more reminiscent of a quick bread, such as banana bread, meaning it would be a great side dish for breakfast or fantastic if transformed into muffins. We tossed rhubarb in the flour so the pieces wouldn’t fall to the bottom in the oven. The granulated sugar provides just the right amount of sweetness to contrast the tangy rhubarb.