Some of our very favourite foods are the ones with a unique flavour that you can enjoy either savoury or sweet. That kind of versatility gives you double the ways to love the flavours you like best, which sounds nothing but great if you ask us! Now, we know there aren’t too many foods that have that unique characteristic, but the ones that do are absolutely worth seeking out and trying all kinds of recipes with. Of all the options in this category, our clear favourite has always been rhubarb!
Just in case you’re intrigued by the taste of rhubarb but you haven’t tried it much yet, or perhaps you love it but you need more ideas to help you enjoy it in different ways, check out this list of 15 completely delicious recipes!
1. Strawberry rhubarb pie
Even though we love the way rhubarb tastes on its own, one of the best features of its flavour is that it blends so well with other things. We tried this precise strawberry rhubarb pie recently, for example, and we can’t believe how deliciously the strawberries and rhubarb complemented each other! Besides the flavourful filling, we thoroughly enjoyed how good the crispy, golden crust that Chow Hound shows you how to make tasted.
2. Rhubarb crumble bars
If you’re a big fan of pie but you’ve been eating a lot of it lately so you’re looking for an alternative that’s still to your tastes, we’d suggest trying a delicious crumble bar like this one from Sweet Anna’s ! The texture of these bars is a little denser than a pie, letting you shake your dessert life up a little bit, but the oatmeal type base tastes similarly to that yummy golden pie crust we were talking about before. Add to that a deliciously sweet but still slightly tart rhubarb filling and you’re in business!
3. German rhubarb kuchen
Are you intrigued by the crumble squares idea but you tend to always lean towards international recipes, just to keep things fun? We don’t always have time to travel thanks to our crazy work and family schedules, so we often use food to introduce our kids and ourselves to new parts of the world. That’s why we recently made this awesome German rhubarb kuchen dessert from Cake Walk!
4. Strawberry rhubarb crumb cake
Have you been eyeing up these different dessert square ideas for a while now but you’re hesitant because usually your favourite desserts have more of a sponge cake texture? Then we have a feeling you’re going to enjoy this kind of hybrid recipe from Jennuine! Besides the delicious rhubarb filling that you really came for, this dessert features a sponge cake centre with a top and bottom layer that’s a little more dense like a dessert square.
5. Rhubarb custard pie
Now that fall has come, it’s pie season for us. That doesn’t mean, however, that we have to make the classic kind of golden crusted pie that we’ve talked about so far! Not everyone in our family is the biggest fan of that kind of pie, but they’ve always loved cream pies so we had to find a rhubarb recipe for that kind of dessert too! That’s why we were so happy to come across this delicious dessert idea from A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn. Rhubarb cream pie might not be the most common kind of cream pie and you might not see it in the average bakery but, if you ask us, that’s part of the reason it’s so great to make at home!
6. Rhubarb galette
If you’ve never tried a galette then we’re sorry to tell you that you’ve been missing out! In that case, if you ask us, then this is definitely the best option on the list for you. A galette is a wonderfully sweet dessert that falls somewhere between a pie and a dessert pizza. We love galettes because the filling makes up most of the dessert, meaning you get a whole lot of rhubarb flavour in each bite, but it’s still quite light even though you get some pie crust in each bite. Get the full details for making your own on Martha Stewart!
7. Rhubarb and strawberry snack
When you set out to research different rhubarb recipes, were you hoping for something a little bit healthier and lighter even though you still wanted something sweet and dessert-like? We know that not everyone prefers heavy desserts that involve a lot of sugar, butter, or crust and sponge textures. In that case, we have a feeling you’ll love this alternative recipe from 2 Little Hooligans! They show you how to combine cute rhubarb with sliced strawberries and sweeten the mixture to taste so it’s almost like a dessert salad.
8. Almond flour paleo rhubarb dessert
Perhaps you actually do like the idea of deliciously sweet baked desserts, but you’re working within particular ingredient limits because someone in your family has dietary restrictions? Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you can’t make rhubarb desserts for your family! This recipe from The Unrefined Kitchen shows you how to make your dessert paleo and gluten free by making it with almond flour.
9. Rhubarb tarts
Are you loving these dessert ideas that involve making a sort of rhubarb jam and pairing it with a delicious golden crust but you’d rather make something more bite-sized that your family can grab-and-go rather than having to cut pieces from a pie and eat with a plate and fork? In that case, we have a feeling these delicious little rhubarb tarts will go over very well! See how they’re made on Oh My Disney.
10. Strawberry rhubarb Jello cake
Lately, we’ve found ourselves completely obsessed with recipes that are made from Jello. Jello powder is an easy and delicious way to add colour and a little extra flavour to a recipe quickly, so we always find these recipes worth collecting and recommending. They might not make rhubarb Jello, but mixing real rhubarb with a little bit of strawberry Jello mix like Beki Cooks Cake did is a great way to make a delicious rhubarb square filling!
11. Homemade rhubarb jam
Believe it or not, not every sweet rhubarb dish you make has to be an actual dessert! We learned how to make our own homemade jams from our grandparents when we were young, so we’ve always had a penchant for making jams that are a little less common and that you might not find in the average grocery store, but rhubarb is undoubtedly one of our favourite kinds to do. Just in case you’d like to do the same but you need some guidance, here’s a great rhubarb jam making tutorial from Cubit’s Organic Living!
12. Hibiscus strawberry iced tea
It might be fall right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dabble in some spring-like floral recipes to remind you of warmer weather and patio afternoons on chilly days! We’re such big fans of this hibiscus strawberry lemonade from Gourmand in The Kitchen that we actually make it all year round. Why do we like it so much, you ask? Well, it might not say so in the name, but the lemonade base is actually made with rhubarb!
13. Braised rhubarb chicken thighs
We might have talked mostly about desserts and sweets in this post so far, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t flavourful savoury recipes out there for you to enjoy too! Rather than reaching for the sugar and butter to make a baked sweet, try picking up some chicken and using your fresh cut rhubarb to make an entrée instead. Chow Hound guides you through the process of making braised rhubarb chicken thighs smothered in richly flavourful sauce.
14. Paleo raspberry rhubarb muffins
Were you intrigued by the idea of a paleo dessert because those recipes usually accommodate several of the dietary restrictions in your family, but the dessert recipe we showed you earlier didn’t quite appeal to you enough? Then perhaps you’d prefer to make your family simple rhubarb muffins instead! We like this recipe from Restored Roots because it mixes the great taste of rhubarb with delicious hints of raspberry, and also because it’s a little more acceptable to grab a scrumptious muffin as breakfast than it is to cute yourself a slice of pie or a dessert square.
15. Roasted rhubarb salad
Are you still thinking about savoury ways to enjoy rhubarb but you’re also caught up in the idea of finding alternative rhubarb recipes that let you enjoy that flavour you love in a healthier way than cooked in a pie? In that case, we think perhaps this last recipe idea might finally be the one for you! Eating Well guides you through the process of combining fresh greens and sliced and roasted rhubarb with goat cheese and dressing to make a mouth watering salad!
