Spring has finally arrived and that means the arrival of all of the delicious spring produce! Rhubarb is always a special treat. It grows like crazy even though it only produces for a short window of time. Rhubarb is one of those plants that is incredibly easy to grow and will continue to come back and produce year after year. It’s a great way to add another vegetable to your garden and to your diet.
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Easy Rhubarb Recipes for Spring
Today I’m rounding up some deliciously easy rhubarb recipes for you, perfect for that rhubarb growing in your garden or any that you might find at the farmer’s markets or grocery stores this time of year.
May is when our rhubarb gets started, and June is when it really hits its stride, so now is a great time to gather up all of the spring dessert recipes that you want to make.
We love rhubarb, and I have a large patch that we tend each year to produce as much as possible. While this plant doesn’t grow in every climate, it sure grows in abundance here in the north.
Let’s dive right in to the recipes!
Easy Rhubarb Recipes
Rhubarb Smoothies
Rhubarb Smoothies are a quick and easy way to use your rhubarb and sneak an extra vegetable into your day. This recipe post also gives instructions on properly harvesting rhubarb, just in case you were wondering!
Rhubarb Bread
Strawberry Rhubarb Bread is a yummy quick bread treat that the whole family will enjoy. This bread is perfect for breakfast or even for a mid-day snack.
Rhubarb Cake
This Buttermilk Rhubarb Cake Recipe is my family’s absolute favorite! This is typically the first rhubarb recipe I make yearly to kick off the beginning of the rhubarb season.
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Bars
This Old Fashioned Rhubarb Bars Recipeis one of my favorite rhubarb recipes. They are easy to make and you can easily make them gluten free!
Brown Sugar Rhubarb Cake
Now if you really want a treat you might want to give this Brown Sugar-Topped Rhubarb Cake Recipe a try! I’m thinking this would be perfect for a spring birthday cake or topped with vanilla ice cream.
Rhubarb Cornbread
If you are gluten and dairy free you might enjoy this Vanilla Rhubarb Blue Cornbread. I think my boys would love this recipe, so I’m going to have to give it a try.
Rhubarb Custard Pie
Ok, this Rhubarb Custard Pie looks incredibly easy…only 7 ingredients? I think I’d use my Butter Pie Crust with it instead of store-bought, but other than that, the recipe looks great!
Rhubarb Vinegar
This recipe looks so interesting that I had to include it. Have you ever made Rhubarb Vinegar? I think it would be a great way to use up extra tart Rhubarb and might be really good added to homemade salad dressings. What do you think?
Rhubarb Crumble Recipe
This is another one of my very favorite rhubarb recipes… this Rhubarb Crumble Recipe! It’s so easy to make, and it’s even gluten-free.
Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade
Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade would be a wonderfully refreshing drink for summertime! My kids love lemonade on a hot day.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
If you want to use your rhubarb in an upcoming brunch, you might want to give this Rhubarb Coffee Cake a try!
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Does your family enjoy a good peach or apple crisp? Change it up this spring and make a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp instead! Cobblers or Crisps are one of my favorite ways to use summer fruit.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Jam and Jellies are always a staple in the summer, and making one with rhubarb is no exception! Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is easy to put together (no pectin needed!), and you can preserve the extras to enjoy all winter long.
You could also use this as a rhubarb sauce topping for pancakes, biscuits, oats, or other breads or desserts if you don’t cook it down as much as use it more like syrup.
Rhubarb Kale Salad
Here’s a way I would not have pictured using rhubarb! This Rhubarb Kale salad looks like a nice, fresh, springy way to use the spring produce.
Canning Rhubarb
Now if you’ve made it to the end of this list and tried all of the easy rhubarb recipes that your family would enjoy, but you STILL have more rhubarb to use up, you can always start Canning Rhubarb! You can add a little lemon juice to your cans to help them keep their bright red rhubarb color.
It’s really actually very easy and can be done in no time. You can always freeze rhubarb, but I love how canning rhubarb helps to pre-cook the rhubarb so that it’s much easier to add to recipes like rhubarb muffins. I also make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie filling, but I haven’t uploaded that recipe yet. I will try to this summer!
This list of easy rhubarb recipes is making me hungry now, how about you?
What is the healthiest way to eat rhubarb?
Although rhubarb recipes can contain quite a bit of tartness, the healthiest rhubarb recipes would be those that contain the lowest amount of sugar. It depends on what you want the flavor to be like!
If you prefer, add other fruits along with the rhubarb to cut down on the tartness without adding more sugar. Fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are always a good addition!
Do you need to peel rhubarb before you cook it?
Rhubarb doesn’t HAVE to be peeled before eating or cooking, but some varieties and some of the larger, thicker stalks would taste best and have a better texture if peeled before use. The smaller, tender stalks do not need to be peeled.
Should rhubarb be cooked before eating?
You can eat rhubarb raw if you really want to! It’s safe either way. Just don’t eat the leaves, as they are poisonous.
What is the best way to freeze fresh rhubarb?
Rhubarb can be washed and cut into pieces before being placed in a freezer bag and frozen until needed. There is no need to blanch rhubarb before freezing it.
What should I do when my rhubarb starts to flower?
Cut off the flower buds to keep your rhubarb growing as long as possible. The only reason to let the flowers bloom out would be to collect the seeds.
What do you use canned rhubarb for?
Canned rhubarb can be used in most of the recipes above. You could also use it in other desserts, such as rhubarb upside-down cake, and rhubarb compote, or even use it as a savory topping over pork cooked in the oven or other similar dishes!
What are some of your favorite easy rhubarb recipes that you love to make in the spring?
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Merissa has been blogging about andliving the simple lifesince 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to the 100-acre farm and ministry on theAbout Page. You can send her a message any time from theContact Page.
This blog post on Rhubarb Recipes was originally posted on Little House Living in March 2016. It has been updated as of May 2023.
