Easy Rhubarb Dessert Recipe With Jello
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This Rhubarb Dessert Recipe with Jello is a dessert that’s tangy, sweet, and oh-so-simple! This simple rhubarb treat mixes the tangy taste of fresh rhubarb with the sweet flavor of Jello. It makes a quick dessert that is full of flavor. Perfect for spring gatherings or whenever you need a quick crowd-pleaser. A spoonful of this, and you’re hooked!
Rhubarb Dessert Recipe can be served hot with a scoop of ice cream or cooled and cut into rhubarb bars. Regardless of what you do, it’s going to be delicious! And, it’s perfect for a smaller crowd.
I’ve heard a lot of people say they don’t like rhubarb. This Cherry Rhubarb dessert might change their minds.
When you sweeten and cook rhubarb such as in this easy rhubarb dessert recipe, it changes the flavor to a smooth sweet treat.
One more thing I love about this Cherry Rhubarb dessert is that it bakes in an 8×8 pan. This size is perfect for small gatherings.
What is rhubarb anyway?
I wasn’t sure, but I discovered it depends on where you live!
According to the Huff Post, “rhubarb is technically a vegetable but is legally considered a fruit.
In 1947, a New York court called rhubarb a fruit. This was because it is usually cooked like a fruit in the United States. It is also said that this decision helped businesses that imported rhubarb avoid extra taxes
Rhubarb is Poisonous! – Kind of…
That’s what my son told me. He’s an engineer and brilliant in my opinion but he doesn’t know his rhubarb facts. Here are a few rhubarb facts:
- The leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous. However, the stalks are not and can be eaten raw. One of our readers uses the leaves in her garden to keep the weeds down…brilliant!
- Color has no effect on the flavor of rhubarb. It can be light green, pink, or red.
- Rhubarb freezes well. You can freeze it in stalks or chopped up. There isn’t any need to cook or blanche it beforehand.
Rhubarb is HEALTHY! – TRUE
According to the Natural Food Series, “Rhubarb has many health benefits. It can help treat Alzheimer’s and fight cancer cells. It also promotes circulation and supports weight loss. Rhubarb strengthens bones and helps with digestion. It can combat heart diseases and regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, it maintains kidney health and prevents early aging. Rhubarb is a good source of antioxidants.”
I’ve got to start eating more rhubarb! I wonder if I can call this Rhubarb Cherry Dessert recipe a healthy food! Probably not.
Rhubarb Bar Recipe Ingredients
Please note, that the printable recipe card has the full list of ingredients, quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.
All-purpose flour– You can use bleached or unbleached flour. One doesn’t act or taste any differently from the other. Unbleached flour is less processed since it doesn’t go through the bleaching step.
Salted Butter – We use real butter but you can substitute it with a butter substitute. That may affect the flavor, however. You want the butter to be at room temperature meaning that when pressed with your finger it leaves a dent, not melted or runny. Using room-temperature butter creams much better than cold butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/8 teaspoon or a pinch to the topping.
We use fresh Rhubarb. If you use frozen rhubarb, thaw it and pat it dry. You don’t want to add extra liquid to this recipe
Baking powder gives our crust the right texture. We recommend that it be replaced every 6 months or tested for potency. We show you how in our Basic Baking Techniques document.
Using fresh grade A large eggs in this recipe creates structure and helps thicken the filling.
We use such a small amount of Milk, that the variety will not impact the results. You can use any variety including milk substitutes.
We recommend cherry or strawberry Jello. The flavors go well with the tart rhubarb. Note that we only use the Jello powder. We do not make the Jello. Sugar-free Jello can be substituted but it may change the flavor.
Tip: Our friend Noreen added that 7 to 8 cups of rhubarb is about 2 pounds. So, we need about 1 pound for this recipe. Thank you, Noreen!
How To Make Rhubarb Dessert with Jello
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan.
Make the crust by mixing the ingredients listed together. Press the crust into the bottom of a prepared 8×8 pan.
Sprinkle the rhubarb over the crust and then pour the jello powder over the jello.
Make the crumble topping by combining the ingredients and mixing them with two forks or your fingertips until crumbly. Spread over the rhubarb jello layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the topping starts to get too brown cover it lightly with aluminum foil.
FAQ’s
How to Store
Rhubarb Dessert should be stored lightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To thaw loosen the cover so condensation doesn’t make the dessert soggy and place it in the refrigerator.
We recommend warming this dessert in the microwave before serving it with ice cream or whipped topping.
Hostess Tips
You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the crust into the prepared pan.
Slice the rhubarb into equal-sized pieces so that it cooks consistently.
Only mix the topping ingredients until crumbly. You want to be able to sprinkle it over the filling.
If you use frozen rhubarb, thaw it completely and pat the excess moisture dry.
It’s easier to slice this recipe if it’s cold. If you want to serve it warm, consider spooning it out.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Easy Rhubarb Dessert Recipe with Jello
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 tbsp sugar heaping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- ⅛ tsp Salt Add only if you use unsalted butter – just a pinch
- 1 egg (large)
- 1 tbsp milk you may need 1 more
Filling
- 3 cups rhubarb (1 lb) sliced or chopped
- 3 oz Jello small box cherry or strawberry
Topping
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease an 8×8 pan with shortening or butter.
- Mix the crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of the pan.
- Pour rhubarb over the crust and then sprinkle the jello over the rhubarb.
- In a separate bowl mix the topping ingredients together and then crumble it over the rhubarb layer.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes and allow the pan to cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm or chilled.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
You may want to stock up on rhubarb for these delicious recipes!
- Strawberry Rhubarb Bread with Streusel Topping
- Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie
- Strawberry Rhubarb Coconut Popsicles
- 4 Ingredient Rhubarb Sauce Recipe
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Rhubarb Crunch Dessert
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Definitely an easy recipe for sure. I never change a thing when I do a recipe for the first time. This is really good. I served with a little vanilla ice cream to cut the sweetness. It is a rhubarb recipe afterall. It will definitely be made again.
Thank you so much, Sue. We really enjoy this recipe too. It’s perfect for these warm days.
Everyone in our house loves this recipe, it’s gone within a day
I only use the jello, no sugar. We like it tart
Thanks, Marion! We love this one too. It’s so easy!
I omitted the egg in the crust and pre baked the crust 8 minutes. The rest of the recipe I made as directed for 40 minutes. It was fabulous! My family loved it. I will make it again. Thanks❤️
Great to know, Louella! I love it when I receive comments like this so readers know they can leave out the egg.
I haven’t tried this yet but it sounds yummy. We do a lot of desserts with rhubarb for our clients for Meals. We have a lot of frozen rhubarb. Can we use frozen for this? Has anyone tried it with frozen? Can it be made in a sheet pan and would it have to be a double or triple recipe. I know everyone would love this.
Hi Josephine, great questions! I haven’t used frozen rhubarb. If you do, thaw it on a paper towel to remove excess liquid. You can double this and put it in a 9×13 pan. I don’t think a sheet pan would be deep enough so if you triple it use something like a large sheet cake pan. Let me know what you did and how it turned out! Thank you.
The rhubarb filling was tasty but the crust was so flat and leathery couldn’t even eat it. Too bad because I have a lot of rhubarb to use up. Disappointed
Perhaps you overworked the butter into the pastry or forgot the salt? I use this crust all the time and it’s amazing!
Love this recipe, and have tried it with various jelly flavours.
I used to eat raw rhubarb as a little girl and didn’t think there was anything wrong with it (ie tartness), I guess it depends on what you grow up with. I have one green and one red rhubarb plant in my veggie garden, the red one is clearly more flavoursome and ‘sweeter’ than the green one. It is a cutting of my old neighbour’s mum’s plant, so its origins go back a bit. Perhaps that makes a difference too.
The leaves make great ground over for the veggie patch, keeping the weeds down and putting back some goodness at the same time. Couldn’t imagine life without rhubarb.
Wow, Ella! I loved eating rhubarb raw growing up too and the recipes that use it. Your tip on using the leaves to keep the weeds down is brilliant. I’ll be using that one in my patch. I just put in a couple of new plants last year and can’t wait until they come back next summer. Thank you for your great tips and comment!
Just and note, I had to watch the video to be clear about when the toping goes on. Later could imply after it comes out of the oven for those that might not be regular bakers.
Looking forward to pulling out of even in a about an hour and serving for dessert at todays Pride BBQ.
Thank you so much for your comment! I’ll clarify it for our readers! Enjoy your Pride BBQ and I hope you’ll stop back and let me know how everyone liked it!
Can this be frozen after baking? I like to make up desserts and muffins and have them in the freezer so I just need to thaw them. I’ve made this a couple times and everyone loves it
It absolutely can Angie. The topping may change in consistency by becoming softer, however. Cover it in an airtight container. Thaw it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t get mushy. You can also freeze it before baking and wait to apply the topping right before baking.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! I just made it, and was concerned about the crust getting soggy due to liquid from the rhubarb.Theres barely any.I made mine in a 9″ round glass pie dish.Truly a 5star recipe in my book!
Thank you, Triena! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and stopped to let me know.
I had a small window of time and had fresh rhubarb that needed to be used. So I tried your recipe and was a bit apprehensive about the jello. My rhubarb lovin hubby gave it a big thumbs up and his words were “I liked everything about it, except my piece wasn’t big enough.” Lol
I loved that, Kathy! Thank you so much! I love rhubarb and get my hands on it every chance that I get.
this is a recipe i had and lost it ,it was called ( rhubarb jewel )
Don’t you just love that, Donna? I’ve got a few that my grandmother made that I’m always wishing I could find so totally get what you’re saying. Rhubarb jewel is a name. It’s such a pretty dessert.
Is that 57 gms of carb per the whole pan or per serving? If per serving, how many servings do you figure you get….. 9ish out of the square pan? Looking forward to trying this. It looks simple and tasty!
I can get 8 to 9 servings and the carbs are per serving using 8 servings.
I added strawberries too. This is really good, easy to make. I would make a note that 2 lbs of rhubarb is equal to 7-8 cups. I had to look that up because I got the rhubarb in a sack from my brother-in~laws garden!!!
Thank you, Noreen! Such a great tip. I’ll add it to my info and really appreciate your stopping to comment and trying this easy rhubarb dessert.
I am intending to make this for my contribution to lunch on Thursday. 24th
I want to make with sugar free jello.
Should I use the 6 oz or 3 oz pkg of sugar free jello? Think I will use cherry.
I will try to let you know of my outcome.
I hv Victoria Red rhubarb.
Thanks for tip on planting rhubarb.
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne! Use the 3 oz box and the sugar-free cherry will work great. I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks! Thanks for your comment. I’ll clarify the recipe for our readers experience. ~ Julie
Oooh! I’m making these right now!
I always plant my rhubarb the way my mother-in-law taught me and I get bumper sized rhubarb plants. Dig a bushel basket sized hole, fill it about 1/3 to half way with manure (somewhat aged is best) then cover manure with some soil, position the rhubarb plant and fill in with soil. Water and wait…. KABOOM! Rhubarb plants as tall as your chest and stalks as big as ever. I’ve yet to have it fail and I’ve moved quite a bit and planted rhubarb in every place I’ve lived.
Thank you, Lisa! This is definitely helpful since I’ve killed every plant that I’ve tried to grow.
I just noticed that the video shows adding salt but the recipe doesn’t call for it. It is in the base mixture. Curious.
Just a pinch which is optional if you don’t use salted butter.