With white chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of flaky salt, you’ll be delighted at the puckery tartness that’s tucked inside these buttery, chewy Rhubarb Cookies. This easy rhubarb recipe is a must-make for spring and summer!
My love runs deep for this Rhubarb Cookies recipe – just like it does for this super duper easy Rhubarb Dump Cake, and the loveliest Rhubarb Custard Cake and ruby red Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam. This is a very unique cookie, with bright, tart bursts of rhubarb mingling with sweet white chocolate, all surrounded by a sweet, buttery, cinnamon-infused cookie dough. And that sprinkle of flaky sea salt tips this cookie over the edge – ohhhhh my!!
What Makes These Rhubarb Cookies a Hit
Fellow rhubarb lovers, you’re going to want to add this recipe to your baking list – right along with ALL my rhubarb recipes! Here’s why our family adores these cookies:
- Perfect chewy cookie dough. All the add-ins in the world can’t make up for a lackluster cookie dough, so we start with a good one! It’s buttery, soft and tender and chewy, with notes of caramel since it’s made exclusively with brown sugar, not white. Adding an extra egg yolk makes it a little bit richer, and cinnamon pairs beautifully with the rhubarb.
- Surprising – and EXCELLENT – flavor combination. Rhubarb is definitely the star of these cookies. But what makes this recipe stand out even more is how it brings in white chocolate chunks, cinnamon, and Maldon sea salt flakes. Each ingredient offers a noticeable, delightful flavor that makes me wonder, “Why I haven’t I thought of this flavor combo before?!”
- Super easy rhubarb recipe. The rhubarb is added directly to the cookies, fresh, without needing to cook it down on the stovetop first – similar to how we make Rhubarb Muffins and Rhubarb Bread.
- Something new to do with rhubarb. If you’ve got rhubarb growing in your yard, you’ve probably made your fair share of pies and jams. But have you made cookies with it?! I love that this recipe is a fun way to use rhubarb that requires very little time commitment.
What You’ll Need
This recipe relies on simple pantry staples, in addition to the fresh rhubarb and white chocolate. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter and let it come to room temperature.
- Brown sugar – Not only does this add sweetness, it also helps with the chewy texture of these rhubarb cookies.
- Egg – One whole egg, plus an egg yolk, adds rich flavor and soft, chewy texture.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds a warm, sweet aroma.
- Flour – I use standard all-purpose flour.
- Baking soda – A leavening agent that helps the cookies rise slightly.
- Cinnamon – This aromatic, delicious spice adds some warmth to the cookie dough.
- Salt – For balance and contrast; I use Morton kosher salt in my baking.
- Rhubarb – Choose bright pink or red stalks for the prettiest appearance. Learn more about rhubarb: Rhubarb 101.
- White chocolate – I use a Ghirardelli baking bar, but another high-quality white chocolate will also work.
- Sea salt – A sprinkle of flaky Maldon salt adds a contrasting flavor and crunchy texture. It’s pretty, too!
How to Make Rhubarb Cookies
This is just a brief visual overview of the steps for making these rhubarb cookies. The complete instructions are at the bottom of the post.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add the brown sugar and butter to a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg and yolk, along with the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in another bowl, then sprinkle this mixture over the wet ingredients. Fold together.
- Add mix-ins. Fold the rhubarb and white chocolate into the dough.
- Chill briefly. Press a piece of plastic wrap over the dough, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Start preheating your oven to 350ºF near the end of the chilling time.
- Form the cookies. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough and roll them into balls. Set them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You’ll be baking a single sheet at a time, so chill the remaining dough between batches.
- Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are tender and puffy, with a pale, lightly golden color.
- Cool. Sprinkle flaky salt over the cookies, then allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes on the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Tips & Variations
This recipe is easy, but I have a few tips to help you make sure it turns out perfect, along with a simple variation you can try.
- Don’t skip the chilling. It’s tempting to skip chilling the dough, but it’s important for making sure the cookies hold their shape and don’t spread in the oven. This step helps you get awesome chewy cookies!
- Don’t reuse the same baking sheet. Since you’re baking these rhubarb cookies one sheet at a time, you may want to reuse the same baking sheet rather than lining two. But adding cookie dough to a hot baking sheet will lead to burnt bottoms and spreading, so it’s best not to reuse a hot pan!
- Swap the cinnamon for cardamom. Cinnamon is a classic flavor combination with rhubarb, but if you want to go for something a little different, try cardamom, which is also cozy, but has a little edge of citrus to it. Cardamom tends to have a stronger flavor profile than cinnamon, so only add a pinch or two.
How to Store
- Room temperature: These rhubarb cookies will have the best overall texture on the day they’re baked, but they’ll keep well for up to a couple days in an airtight container at room temperature. Just be sure to let them cool completely before storing or they’ll steam in the container and get instantly soggy.
- Freezer: Transfer the cooled cookies to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and store up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature to serve, or warm them in the microwave a bit.
More Rhubarb Recipes
Rhubarb Cookies
Yield: 20 cookies
These easy Rhubarb Cookies are buttery, chewy, and a must-make for rhubarb season. White chocolate and flaky salt make them truly special!
Print
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at softened room temperature
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup ¼"-diced fresh rhubarb (look for stalks with bright/deep red color)
- 2 ounces ¼"-diced Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar (about ½ cup chopped chocolate at ¼" dice)
- 1 teaspoon Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium to medium-high speed. Cream until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes total, scraping down sides of bowl 2 times.
- Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla, then scrape down sides of bowl again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over wet ingredients, and use a spatula to fold together until just nearly combined.
- Sprinkle rhubarb and white chocolate over the top, then fold to just combine.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap over the cookie dough, then refrigerate for 30 minutes for a light chill.
- Place oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop up the chilled dough. Give scooped dough a very quick roll between the palms of your hands to round out its shape, then place dough balls on prepared baking sheet at 2" apart. Balls should be about 1½" in diameter. For the prettiest baked appearance, arrange dough balls so that exposed rhubarb pieces are on top. Press plastic wrap over remaining cookie dough in bowl and refrigerate again.
- Bake 12-14 minutes, one baking sheet at a time. Cookies will be tender and puffy, mostly dry-looking on top, with a pale to lightly golden color.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and immediately sprinkle cookie tops with a bit of lightly crushed sea salt flakes. Let cookies rest on pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
- Cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are baked.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 130kcal Carbohydrates: 17g Protein: 2g Fat: 6g Saturated Fat: 4g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g Monounsaturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 31mg Sodium: 212mg Potassium: 53mg Fiber: 0.4g Sugar: 10g Vitamin A: 175IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 24mg Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
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