Vanilla Roasted Rhubarb

This vanilla roasted rhubarb is an easy & hands off way to cook seasonal rhubarb! It goes great with loads of desserts, like pavlovas, ice cream & cheesecakes.

There’s so many different ways that you can cook rhubarb but I find that roasting it is one of the easiest! Here we simply chop rhubarb stalks into even pieces, chuck into a dish with sugar, vanilla & orange juice then roast in the oven until tender & soft. This method of cooking rhubarb is simple, mostly hands & gets the most flavour out of seasonal rhubarb!

Our vanilla roasted rhubarb works great with homemade desserts like meringues & pavlovas, ice cream, cheesecakes and panna cottas. It can be used to make crumbles, pies & cobblers and even works with savoury dishes like barbecued pork chops & grilled mackerel.

If you’re looking for more pudding recipes to try then take a look at our ever growing collection of dessert recipes! There’s something for everyone here, from classic crumbles, sticky toffee pudding & treacle tart, to tiramisu & a whole load of homemade ice creams.

What You’ll Need

• Rhubarb – This method of cooking rhubarb works for both forced rhubarb & regular. If you want vibrant pink rhubarb, you’ll need to use forced rhubarb but if it’s not in season, regular rhubarb works just as well but won’t be as bright.
• Vanilla – Rhubarb & vanilla work really well together & a good quality pod or paste works best for this recipe.
• Sugar – We’re using caster sugar to sweeten the roasted rhubarb & so the fruit makes a syrup in the dish as it cooks. If you’re using regular rhubarb, you may want to use a bit more sugar as forced rhubarb tends to be naturally sweeter.
• Orange Juice – Fresh orange juice adds sweetness & flavour to the roasted rhubarb. We’re using 2 tablespoons of juice, which is roughly 1 orange worth.

How To Roast Rhubarb

Roasting is a super easy to way cook rhubarb & is pretty much hands off! Here, we chop the stalks into equal pieces, add into a dish with sugar, vanilla & orange juice then roast in the oven until it’s tender. The key thing here, is to keep an eye on the rhubarb towards the end of the cook, to avoid overcooking it.

Roasting Rhubarb – Step By Step

1. Preheat an oven to 180°c/356°f.
2. Lightly trim the ends off the rhubarb then cut the stalks into 1 inch pieces.
3. Add the rhubarb into a heatproof dish with caster sugar, fresh orange juice & vanilla (either pod or paste) then stir to combine.
4. Cover the dish with foil then roast in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft & tender but still holding its’ shape.
5. Remove the foil from the dish, let the rhubarb cool then transfer to an airtight container & chill in the fridge until needed.

Tips & Tricks

• For bright pink roasted rhubarb, use forced rhubarb.
• Don’t over cook the rhubarb! It should be soft & tender but still hold its’ shape.
• Roast your rhubarb with some good quality vanilla & fresh orange juice, for the best flavour.
• Chill your rhubarb with the cooking syrup overnight to give it a more vibrant pink colour (this works with forced rhubarb).

Serving Suggesstions

Roasted rhubarb is great served with ice cream, pavlovas, cheesecakes & panna cottas. This method of cooking rhubarb can also be used when making rhubarb crumbles, pies & cobblers. Roasted rhubarb can also be used in savoury dishes but you probably won’t need to use as much sugar. This style of rhubarb would work really well with barbecued meats & fish.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Dessert Recipes To Try!

• Rhubarb & Custard Pavlovas With Crystallised Pistachios
• Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta With Poached Rhubarb
• Individual Tiramisu
• Lemon & Lime Possets With Ginger Crumble
• Cake Crumb Treacle Tart
• Brown Butter Hobnob Cheesecake

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