Rhubarb brownies combine rich fudgy chocolate and brown butter batter with bits of fresh rhubarb. It may sounds like a strange combination, but trust me it works!
Thinking about gooey fudge-like brownies is enough to make a sweet tooth swoon on their own. Adding bits of garnet colored rhubarb adds extra moisture and a bit of zing that provides great balance.
These brownies may quickly become one of your favorite ways to enjoy spring’s bounty of rhubarb. They definitely made a good impression here!
A few weeks back we were talking about spring produce on the Cooking With Carlee Facebook page. Everyone was discussing what spring crops they were most looking forward to.
That is when a regular around those parts suggested she was looking forward to rhubarb so she could make rhubarb brownies. I had never had rhubarb and chocolate together and I’ll be honest that the combination struck me as odd.
But I trust Amy and her food judgment, so I knew I had to give them a try. We don’t have any rhubarb, but my parents do and MiMi was nice enough to harvest some stalks for us.
The brownies
Of course to have tasty rhubarb brownies, you need a good base recipe for brownies. This recipe starts with browned butter, giving one more layer of flavor.
To brown the butter, just cook it over medium low heat until the milk solids start to take on a golden color. It will start to smell toasty as well.
Once it starts taking on a bit of color, you will want to stir frequently to avoid scorching. Brown butter is amazing, but burnt butter is a tragedy.
I browned my butter in a enameled cast iron braiser. The light colored interior made it easy to accurately judge the color and there was plenty of room to whip up the batter in the pan as well.
Once the butter is browned, just stir in a few simple ingredients like brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder and an egg and you will find yourself with a thick chocolate batter. Toss in some chopped rhubarb and transfer it to a greased eight inch square pan and you are ready to bake it off.
The results are rich and fudgy. The rhubarb adds great visual appeal and just the tiniest bit of tang. They are fabulous on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A bit about rhubarb
Some people get nervous around rhubarb because they aren’t quite sure what to do with it. Plus there is that bit about the leaves being poisonous.
And while that is technically true and is something to be aware of, don’t let that scare you off. From what I’ve read, you would have to eat as many as eleven pounds of the leaves for them to be fatal.
Now that is one heck of a pile of leaves! I’m not telling you that to be flippant about the risk, but more so to right size it.
The stalks are what you are after anyway, so chop off the leaves and get to work. They are tart, but so pretty and tasty in baked goods.
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I’ve never really tried the raw stalks, but I have heard of people dipping the ends in sugar and taking a bite. I can imagine that being a real sweet and sour combination.
I tend to cook rhubarb. I love the pink hue and tart balance it brings to the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these gluten free?
Sure! Just use gluten free flour or almond flour and bake as directed. They will still be chocolaty, gooey and delicious.
How do you store brownies?
These brownies disappear quickly around here, but you can store them at room temperature for 3-4 days. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes! And invite me over to help you eat them. Just double all of the ingredients and bake the brownies in a 9×13-inch pan.
Add a couple of minutes to the bake time and you will be enjoying all the rhubarb brownies you can eat!
Amy’s Rhubarb Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup chopped rhubarb
Instructions
- Gently cook ½ cup butter over medium-low heat until it starts to get a light golden color. Stir frequently once it starts taking on color to avoid scorching it. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, grease an 8-inch square baking dish and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, stir together the 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ¼ cup cocoa powder.
- Stir 1 egg and 2 Tablespoons milk into the browned better. Then stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in the ¾ cup chopped rhubarb.
- Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until set.
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I LOVE this – I live in Washington State and unlike my brothers I grew up loving rhubarb – this is so good I’m doubling it from now on – my question is can I use Whole Wheat flour next time?
I am sure you could. I would start with just replacing 1/4 cup or so of the flour and see how you like it. You could always increase the proportion until you find your perfect mix. If you want to jump to trying using all whole wheat flour, I would reduce the total amount by a Tablespoon or two to help keep them from feeling dry.
Rhubarb has to be in my top five favorite fruits, I mean vegetables! What a combo of flavors!! I wish I could get it reliably here in GA.
Mollie
Luckily the rhubarb does well for us here. So we grow our own now but you can also get it in the grocery store freezer section. Maybe you can lobby your favorite grocery store to start carrying it.