12 Rhubarb Recipes That Prove Vegetables Can Make Amazing Desserts

12 Amazing Rhubarb Dessert Recipes to Make Your Summer Sweet (and Tart)

Summer's favorite tart dessert vegetable is only around for a little while each year. If you're not already a rhubarb fan, we put together some of our favorite sweet-tart summer treats to convince you.

Rhubarb is a reason to look forward to summer (as if sunshine weren't enough) — it makes delightful desserts and is only here for a limited time. The tart stalks start to spring up in April, and during summer they come into full glory (often paired with sweet summer strawberries) until the end of July.

Strawberry-rhubarb pie is about as classic as summer desserts get, but there are many other ways to transform rhubarb's sharpness into a smooth, dreamy dessert to end a hot summer day. But it doesn't have to be a dream! We pulled our favorites for you to try IRL while you can.

No Churn Rhubarb Ice Cream

No Churn Rhubarb Ice Cream

No Churn Rhubarb Ice Cream by Our Table for Seven
No-churn ice cream is a crackerjack kitchen hack (especially for those who don't have an ice cream machine), but applying it to rhubarb with just three other ingredients raises it from clever to brilliant. All you do is make a quick rhubarb compote, blend it, fold it into whipped cream, freeze it and you have rhubarb ice cream. The method is almost too easy not to try for a cool summer treat.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars by A Farmgirl's Dabbles
I dare you to not fantasize about taking a bite out of these Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars. I mean, is there anyone who doesn't like the sound of cake topped with fruit and a buttery crumble? If there is, I don't know if I would envy or pity that person. Irresistibility aside, these bars do take a bit of effort, but the recipe is broken down into three parts to make it a little easier on you. And I guarantee these will make your summer days a lot sweeter.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake by Saveur
This recipe was in heavy rotation in my house the summer of '13. I made it no less than five times — it's THAT good. The cake has the signature caramelization that pineapple upside down cake is known for, only with tender, syrupy chunks of rhubarb instead of pineapple. It changed my summer. Maybe it'll change yours, too.

Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers

Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers

Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers by Just a Taste
If you want the experience of strawberry rhubarb pie without all the work, let us present to you: Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers. They're basically hand pies, but this recipe simplifies everything. It uses a pared down pie filling and store-bought puff pastry which cuts down on prep time and baking time so you can spend a little more time soaking up summer.

Rhubarb Curd

Rhubarb Curd

Rhubarb Curd by Chatelaine
Rhubarb curd is rhubarb's gateway to the breakfast table. Like lemon curd, you can use it in place of jam on toast or crumpets (my favorite), but you can also incorporate it into desserts: a dollop on shortbread cookies, a layer in a cake, filling in a cupcake, or use it as the filling in a tart. In short: It's very adaptable. It's also pretty easy to make. It's basically a rhubarb custard, but this recipe is a little different from other rhubarb curd recipes because instead of being strained out, the pulp is left in for a bit more texture. To top off all the benefits, start-to-finish, it only takes 25 minutes to prepare.

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Mom's Super Simple Rhubarb Sauce

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Mom's Super Simple Rhubarb Sauce

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Mom's Super Simple Rhubarb Sauce by A Farmgirl's Dabbles
If you're looking for grilled desserts, put this one on your list. It's composed of a simple sauce made with rhubarb and sugar, angel food cake, and whipped cream. If you want something really quick, you can use store-bought angel food cake, slice it, grill it, and top it with the sauce and canned whipped cream. But if you're feeling ambitious, you can make your own cake and whip your own cream.

Lavender Honey and Raspberry-Rhubarb Galette

Lavender Honey and Raspberry-Rhubarb Galette

Lavender Honey and Raspberry-Rhubarb Galette by Half Baked Harvest
The galette is pie's country cousin. It has a rustic appeal and requires less fuss than a pie. It makes using up your abundance of ripe summer fruit a simple endeavor. This particular recipe makes use of fresh raspberries, lavender, and, of course, fresh rhubarb. What is great about galettes is that you don't need a pie plate to get the job done, just a baking sheet. This recipe also lends itself well to gluten-free adjustments: You can easily swap out the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free flour. And if you want to gild this sweet lily, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pavlova

Strawberry Rhubarb Pavlova

Strawberry Rhubarb Pavlova by SugarHero
Pavlova is kind of the perfect vehicle for taming the sometimes abrasive rhubarb. If you're not familiar with pavlova, it's a New Zealand treasure that's two giant meringues layered with whipped cream and topped with fruit. That means it's so sweet that it needs the tartness of rhubarb to make things right. It's also wicked easy and gluten-free, so you'd need some really good excuses not to make it.

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Pudding

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Pudding

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Pudding by Choosing Chia
This is a personal favorite because it does double duty as breakfast and dessert. Not only that, but it's so easy that if you know how to stir, you know how to make strawberry-rhubarb chia pudding. Basically, you stir together chia seeds and coconut milk, let it chill and set up while a strawberry-rhubarb mixture simmers on the stove for a quick strawberry-rhubarb jam. Did I mention that it's vegan? It is. Gluten-free, to boot.

Strawberry, Raspberry and Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry, Raspberry and Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry, Raspberry and Rhubarb Crisp by Completely Delicious
Strawberry, Raspberry and Rhubarb Crisp is another jammy, crunchy way to celebrate the rosy summer stalks. If a galette is a simplified pie, then crisp distills things one step further. It involves just some mixing and a little bit of baking for a proper dessert to celebrate rhubarb season.

Grill Packet Rhubarb Strawberry Parfaits

Grill Packet Rhubarb Strawberry Parfaits

Grill Packet Rhubarb Strawberry Parfaits by Betsy Life
Grill Packet Rhubarb Strawberry Parfaits are for those of you who like the idea of the grilled angel food cake but crave something fancier. It has all the same components (rhubarb, strawberries, whipped cream, angel food cake) only they're layered in a tall glass for an elegant dessert to be served outdoors.

You're welcome.