35 Rhubarb Recipes To Enjoy Before the Season Is Over

Rhubarb is often treated like a fruit, although it is technically a vegetable. That’s because it’s extremely tart and often cooked with sugar (or other fruit) to balance out the flavor. It’s just as useful in savory dishes, however, as it is in desserts—which is why you’ll find a wide variety of ideas in this roundup. From meaty braised short ribs to summery fruit crisp, we love taking advantage of our seasonal bounty of rhubarb (after freezing some for future use, of course!). Grab the thinnest stalks you can find (they’re more tender and less fibrous) and use them to make these amazing muffins, for starters. Each one is super light and fluffy, studded throughout with tangy bits of bright pink rhubarb. Before baking, the batter is sprinkled with a salty-sweet crumble, resulting in a hit of crunch with every bite.

Strawberries and rhubarb are a quintessential spring pairing and making jam with them is a wonderful way to preserve some of their bright flavor long after the season is over. In this recipe, we've bumped up the tart rhubarb to help balance the sweetness of the strawberries and sugar. We've also suggested ways to boost the flavor with simple mix-ins. This jam makes a delicious topping for ice cream or yogurt, or a simple and elegant way to fill a cake in place of frosting.

If you're looking for a simple-yet-impressive dessert for spring entertaining, this is it. Each individual element is a breeze to make and both the meringue shells and fruit topping can be made in advance, leaving you with little to do when your guests arrive.

Sweet-tart rhubarb meets a subtle kick of heat in this glossy glaze that transforms simple pork tenderloin into something striking. Paired with charred spring onions, it’s a fresh, flavor-packed dish that feels just a little unexpected.

Rhubarb, the delicious spring and summer treat, shines in this brown betty cooked right on the grill.

If you make one thing this rhubarb season, it needs to be these cookies. They are crunchy and salty on the outside and tender and chewy on the inside. They also have surprises like sweet white chocolate chips and crunchy chopped walnuts hidden in every bite. But the star of the show is the tangy, soft and beautifully pink rhubarb that is strewn throughout.

We start to see giant leaves and shoots of rhubarb in spring. What better way to celebrate the vibrant ruby colored stalks than to grill them in a foil pack? Paired with strawberries and a few other ingredients, the rhubarb cooks down into the perfect sweet and tangy compote for grilled pound cake.

Greek yogurt is the secret to this rhubarb cake, producing a sweet and tangy batter. The crunchy topping — spiced with nutmeg and ginger — gives off serious coffee cake vibes. It's perfect for breakfast with a mug of tea and makes a showstopping and delicious dessert for a dinner party.

These adorable homemade toaster tarts are perfect when you're craving a nostalgic treat — with a grown-up twist. They're packed with amazing flavor, thanks to the tart fresh rhubarb and sweet cheese Danish filling — and the pastry dough bakes up flaky and melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Dollop rhubarb jam on your short ribs midway through cooking. By the time the ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, the jam will have reduced into a deliciously thick and syrupy glaze.

Ina dresses up the classic spring combination of strawberry and rhubarb with a buttery oat topping and orange zest and juice.

Although rhubarb and strawberries are a popular duo, Valerie skips the berries for these simple dessert bars. Valerie says it's because "I think rhubarb deserves to be its own star."

This is just the thing to make when spring rhubarb is plentiful, slender and pink. (The rosier your stalks, the prettier the dessert.)

If you're a fan of good, old-fashioned pie, you'll love this recipe. It requires a bit of work to make but is completely worth it. The homemade crust is flaky and buttery, and the strawberry-rhubarb filling is perfectly sweet and delicious.

Valerie’s rhubarb spritz is almost too pretty to drink! To achieve the perfectly pink color, she simmers rhubarb with sugar and lemon to form a syrup, which she combines with elderflower liqueur and chilled prosecco or club soda.

Serve this oat-and-hazelnut-topped rhubarb crumble warm, with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Molly’s baked donuts are almost too cute to eat! She tops each donut with a colorful glaze and pretty sprinkles.

Sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb are a pair that always harmonizes beautifully. Serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream for the perfect spring dessert.

You might love rhubarb in your pies, but follow GZ's lead and use it to make cocktails, too. He boils it down in a sweet syrup, then pairs it with a splash of pomegranate juice and two kinds of rum.

Turn pretty, pink rhubarb into an incredibly elegant upside-down cake. Simply invert the cake onto a platter to show off the colorful design.

Molly balances the tartness of the rhubarb by roasting it with sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt, then serves the fruit directly on top of a sweet coconut pudding.

Ina’s beautiful crostata is the perfect treat to serve a crowd. It’s much easier to make than pie, but looks (and tastes) just as delicious.

Rhubarb isn’t just for desserts. When reduced to a sauce with grapes, mustard and just a few spices, it becomes a delicious glaze for tender, salty ham.

The name may be unfamiliar, but a slump is in the family of cooked or stewed fruit with raised dough on top; a cousin to the cobbler, a slump is topped with dumplings instead of biscuits. The effect is like pie, but easier to make.

Sliced strategically, a stalk of rhubarb turns into an angular work of art when artfully arranged on a frangipane tart filling.

Similar to a coffee cake, Geoffrey’s strawberry-rhubarb dessert is topped with a cinnamon-sugar streusel and baked until golden. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for a truly decadent spring dessert.

Layer a mixture of cooked rhubarb and strawberries with vanilla cake and freshly whipped cream.

A simple syrup helps to cut the tartness of the rhubarb in this refreshing seasonally-inspired margarita.

Strawberry, lemon juice and rhubarb come together in this rustic crumble. Add a dollop of whipped mascarpone topping for an elegant touch.

Rhubarb, technically a vegetable, is known for its very tart flavor and the fact that only the stalks are edible. There are many varieties of rhubarb which account for how the stalks vary in color from a deep red to a pale green. Although the flavor is delicious on all kinds, this pie looks prettiest with the red-stalked varieties. Look for thinner stalks, they will be more tender and less fibrous than thicker stalks.

Stew slightly sour rhubarb with sugar, honey and cinnamon until it's soft enough to spoon over vanilla ice cream.

This isn't your ordinary pink lemonade, thanks to GZ's use of all-natural colorings and flavors: a rhubarb-steeped syrup and a strawberry puree laced with fresh basil.

This fresh fruit salad is well worth a trip to the farmer’s market. Assorted berries, mint and basil are tossed together and dressed with a sweet-tart rhubarb syrup.

For a special occasion, dress a simple Bundt cake up with a sweet rhubarb glaze.