Easy Rhubarb Recipes for Spring (Crisps, Cakes, Jams and More)

I seriously wait all year for rhubarb season. Not only is it a harbinger of spring, but I dearly love rhubarb and am eager to see it in the market as soon as the weather warms up a bit. Tart and crisp, it's unapologetically itself, lovely paired with strawberries, of course, but also baked into a tender cake or batch of scones, turned into jam, or cooked down into a rhubarb simple syrup that's just wonderful stirred into cocktails and mocktails.

In this post, you'll find a collection of my favorite rhubarb recipes to make the most of the fleeting season. I've put together a mix of easy bakes like gluten free rhubarb muffins and gluten free rhubarb bread, cakes like a gluten free rhubarb upside down or a rhubarb cream cake that's made with all-purpose flour.

I've also included my favorite rhubarb compote recipe, a pretty in pink rhubarb gin cocktail, and a batch of strawberry rhubarb freezer jam, plus so many more options to make the most of rhubarb.

Why I Love Rhubarb

How do I love rhubarb? Let let me count the ways ... It's:

• Unique. Is there another vegetable that performs like a fruit when paired with sugar (or honey)? Rhubarb IS a vegetable, despite it showing up in mostly sweet preparations. It's the opposite of tomatoes, which are a fruit yet are used mostly in savory dishes!
• Seasonal. I love that rhubarb isn't available all year round. This makes it special and something to be celebrated (NOT that strawberries aren't also celebration-worthy, it's just that you can find them even in the midst of winter. Whether or not they're any good is another story. But rhubarb - you won't be able to get it in January, no matter what.). So to me it truly sings of late spring and summer.
• Pretty. What can I say ... those pretty pink-red stalks of rhubarb win me over every time. And heck, even if they are green, I still love them.
• Versatile. Want more texture? Bake up a rhubarb galette with stalks of rhubarb cut into matchstick shapes - the will retain their shape and texture in the oven. Want something that melts into the crumb? Muffins or a cake will create slow-baked jammy pockets of rhubarb. And of course, it's wonderful cooked down into a silky compote or pot of jam.

Baking with Rhubarb Tips

• Choose firm rhubarb. This is important! Always choose firm stalks of rhubarb. Avoid limp or soggy stalks.
• It doesn't have to be pink. While we may have an impression of rhubarb as being boldly pink or red, chances are that most of the rhubarb you encounter on plant or in the store will be green-pink or even green. Don't worry; it will still hold that unique rhubarb flavor we love regardless of its color.
• Timing matters. The first stalks of the season may be more slender, and they will taste a bit sweeter, too. You may find that later in the season you need to add a bit more sugar to your jams or cakes because the rhubarb may be on the tarter side (conversely, if you like the tarter, bolder flavor - lean into it!).
• Pair with fruit. Rhubarb is so nice on its own, but it's also spectacular paired with sweet fruit like strawberries, bananas (see my gluten free rhubarb banana bread!), raspberries, blueberries, and stone fruit.
• Flavor friends. I love adding orange zest to my rhubarb cakes or muffins, and lemon zest works, too. Other flavor additions that go nicely with rhubarb include vanilla, honey, ginger, cinnamon, and almond.