Rhubarb cookies may be an unexpected way to use your favorite spring veggie (yes, I said veggie!) but they are a tasty, mildly sweet treat! They remind me a bit of your favorite oatmeal cookie, with a tangy twist.
What does rhubarb taste like?
Rhubarb is a vegetable with a texture like celery and a tart flavor, somewhere between lemon and sour cherry. Most often rhubarb is cooked down to ease its mouth-watering acidity, but you can enjoy it raw too.
How to make rhubarb oatmeal cookies (step-by-step Instructions)
These Rhubarb cookies are a fairly straight forward cookie recipe, with two atypical steps, pay attention 🙂
- Chop the rhubarb and toss it with arrowroot powder, set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg and vanilla.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Fold in the starch coated rhubarb.
- Chill the dough! This is a really important step (don’t skip). Due to the water content of rhubarb (after all…it is a plant!) Chilling the dough helps the cookies bind together better.
- Bake for 10 – 14 minutes, until they’re lightly browned on the bottom.
- Cool completely. Storing them away too quickly will create steam, that will cause the cookies to be crumbly!
Can you eat the leaves of a rhubarb plant?
No! The leaves of rhubarb contain oxalates, about 75% of urinary stones contain oxalate. Too much of these “anti-nutrients” can build up and cause issues, such as binding to minerals or causing kidney stones.
Interestingly, there’s a type of gut bacteria, called oxalobacter, that helps to break down this nutrient but it’s still recommended to avoid the consumption of rhubarb leaves.
More ways to use rhubarb (beyond the sweets)!
Don’t limit rhubarb’s potential. It’s a versatile plant that can be both sweet and savory.
My favorite sweet options:
- Rhubarb cookies (of course!)
- Rhubarb strawberry jam
- Banana rhubarb muffins
- Rhubarb berry crisp
- Rhubarb smoothie
My favorite savory options:
- Fermented Rhubarb
- Roasted rhubarb (lightly roasted) with a root veggie like carrots or sweet potatoes
- Rhubarb chutney (with cheese)
Is rhubarb good for you?
Yes, rhubarb is a veggie and provides fiber, calcium, vitamin K and phytonutrients like anthocyanin and lycopene, best known for their anti-cancer and cardiovascular benefits, respectively.
Rhubarb has long been used as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic (reduces scar tissue) and anticancer medicine in China. It’s actually considered an herb in Chinese medicine.
Storage
Don’t store your cookies away too soon! Allow your rhubarb cookies to cool completely before storing away. This helps to avoid steam that will cause the cookies to become moist and soggy.
They store well in either the refrigerator or in a cool, dark place in your pantry. As always, store your cookies in an airtight container. They’re best within 2 -3 days, but I found them to be tasty even up to a week.
Where can I find rhubarb?
I grow it (in zone 6) and find it a very easy, low maintenance perennial (which means it comes back year after year).
If you’re shopping for rhubarb you can find it in the produce aisle during the spring time, or the farmers market.
Even though the leaves are inedible; I have seen it sold with leaves still attached, probably for aesthetic and preservation reasons.
What do rhubarb oatmeal cookies taste like?
These cookies are a lot like the Quaker Oats oatmeal cookie recipe. That means they’re soft, relatively pillowy and have a really nice, mildly sweet flavor.
Don’t expect crispy cookies. These cookies are more soft and puffy, thanks to the higher water content from rhubarb which creates steam under heat. But the bottoms do have a nice girth to them.
Bonus: These cookies have 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber (with just 9 grams of sugar). Sounds similar to store bought “health” bar. 🙂
Troubleshooting soft and crumbly cookies
Moisture is the reason you may experience crumbly cookies. Rhubarb has a 94% water content. When heat is applied to rhubarb, it releases moisture.
You can mitigate this a few ways.
- Chill the dough first, just for 10 or 20 minutes is sufficient.
- Apply a moisture absorbing starch (like arrowroot) to the rhubarb before incorporating into your dough.
- Toss the rhubarb with 2 teaspoons of arrowroot starch (or cornstarch) before folding it into the batter. This will help absorb extra moisture during baking and keep the cookies from turning soggy.
- Finally, try to get a consistent rhubarb to dough ratio. Rhubarb pieces can’t bind to each other, so try to ensure rhubarb is evenly dispersed throughout each cookie.
I‘ve tested this recipe several times, and each time my friends and family rave! However, you may experience some issues, maybe due to climate or rhubarb freshness, so I hope one of these suggestions is helpful!
FAQ’s
Can I use frozen rhubarb?
Yes, but let it thaw first, if needed pat dry with paper towels and be sure to toss with arrowroot.
Can I make these vegan?
Yes, you can use a vegan butter substitute and a vegan chia egg. You make a chia egg with 3 tablespoons of whole chia seeds and 2 – 3 tablespoons of water.
Can I skip the ginger/cardamom?
Of course, you can substitute these spices for others, more cinnamon, or omit altogether, make it your own.
What can I do with a lot of rhubarb?
First, check out my suggestions above. Also, find my video on how to freeze rhubarb – it’s so simple!
Rhubarb Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Scraper spatula
- Cookie scoop
- 2 Medium bowls
- Measuring Scoops & Spoons
- whisk optional for dry ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup chopped fresh rhubarb, 1/4″, raisins sized pieces, about 1 large stalk
- 2 tsp arrowroot starch
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened*
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups oats quick cooking optional, but I like the texture of old fashioned (gluten free!)
- ¾ cup gluten-free flour blend
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp dried cardamom
- 1/2 tsp dried ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the rhubarb into raisin size pieces, small enough where they incorporate nicely into the dough. In a small bowl, toss chopped rhubarb with arrowroot powder, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Cream until the butter lightens in color, about 2 -3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, mix thoroughly.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl add the oats, gluten-free flour, spices, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture until just combined. Fold in the rhubarb.
- Using a cookie scoop, (golf ball size), scoop dough out into 18 to 20 rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden brown and set in the center, 11-14 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool (5 minutes or so) on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- due to the moisture of the fresh rhubarb some cookies may fall apart slightly, I found this to be true if the rhubarb wasn’t evenly dispersed throughout each cookie. Refer to the blog post for troubleshooting.
- optional reduce rhubarb to 1 cup and add ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- Store in an airtight container, I found both the fridge or the pantry to be suitable. Best within 2 – 3 days.