Easy Rhubarb Butter ~ at the first sighting of fresh rhubarb every spring I make up a batch of this sweet and tangy fruit spread ~ slather it on toast, muffins, biscuits, or just eat it by the spoonful!
I’m madly trying to get the most out of the short rhubarb season. The other day when I asked my produce guy for some he went in the back and brought me out a HUGE armload of stalks. We’re leaving town this week so I need to preserve it for later. And I’ve always loved old fashioned fresh fruit butters, I love the smooth, silky texture, and I love the way the flavor is intensified.
Fruit butters don’t require sugar like traditional jams, and so the essence of the fruit comes through stronger. The only reason I used a little sugar in this recipe is that rhubarb is super tart. You can do this with lots of different fruit, from apples to peaches and plums. Berries too, but you’ll want to strain out the seeds. I have an incredibly silky Cranberry Butter recipe that you can make in the slow cooker. And in summer, don’t forget to make a batch or two of my amazing Peach Butter!
More reasons to hoard rhubarb!
Rhubarb is such a unique flavor, and it’s around for such a short time, I go a little crazy with it during the season:
- Rhubarb Jelly
- Rhubarb Curd
- Rhubarb Crisp with Cardamom and Vanilla
- Easy Rhubarb Breakfast Cake
- No Bake Rhubarb Dream Bars
With no pectin, and very little, if any, sugar, this is an easy way to preserve fruit. You can blend varieties, or just stick to one. You can add spice or flavoring, too. I added cardamom to my rhubarb, but next time I’m going to use a vanilla bean.
Reader Rave ~
“Thanks for this recipe! I made it in my instant pot with ginger as the spice in the quantity you called for and it’s awesome. Slightly tart, slightly warm. Delicious!” ~ Wysteria
Easy Rhubarb Butter
Ingredients
- 1 lb rhubarb, which is approximately 3-4 cups chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- squeeze of fresh lemon
- optional: 1/4 tsp cardamom or cinnamon, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Rinse the rhubarb and trim the ends Slice it into 1 inch pieces and put in a heavy bottomed pot along with the sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of water and the lemon juice, and stir to combine.
- Heat, stirring constantly, until the rhubarb starts to give off juice and the mixture comes to a boil. Boil gently for about 20-30 minutes, until the rhubarb is very soft and mostly broken down.
- Puree the mixture, in batches if necessary,. Be careful when pureeing hot liquids, as they can 'explode' up through the spout of the processor or blender.
- Put the puree in a clean pan back on the stove and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it gently bubble away until reduced and thickened about another 20 minutes, Stir often, and be careful not to let the fruit scorch. If you are using the spice or vanilla bean, stir it in now.
- Spoon the finished butter into a glass jar. Let cool, then cap and refrigerate. It will thicken further as it cools. You will have about a cup.
notes and variations
- If you want to make a larger batch, you can freeze this, and you can also can it. I just keep it in the fridge, it will be scarfed up within a couple of weeks.
- There is no firm rule about how long to cook the pureed fruit. The longer you cook it and reduce it down, the thicker it will be. It's a matter of personal taste.
Thanks for pinning!
53 Comments
Amber Briggs
July 6, 2020 at 11:09 amIs there a way to cook this in a crockpot instead of the stove?
Sue
July 6, 2020 at 12:02 pmYes, same method, it will just take a lot longer.
Angie
June 14, 2020 at 7:09 pmCan this be made with a sugar substitute for diabetics?
Sue
June 15, 2020 at 5:14 amThat should work fine.
Dobrinka Nikolova
June 12, 2020 at 1:21 pmWe subscribed for a farm delivery for June and one of the items in the box was a rhubarb. I worked with rhubarb for a first time and I tried first your rhubarb cake and then – the butter. The result was excellent! I have two more weeks of rhubarb coming our way and plan to check on more easy recipes for it 🙂 Thank you!
Mel
May 20, 2020 at 7:44 pmI’m anxious to try this. Could you use an emulsion blender instead of a food processor or blender? Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I love anything rhubarb!
Sue
May 20, 2020 at 7:55 pmYes, that will work.
Beth
May 9, 2020 at 6:04 amOh, looks delicious! How many stalks in a pound I received Rhubarb from a CSA and have no idea of the weight.
Sue
May 9, 2020 at 8:59 amHi Beth ~ a pound of rhubarb will be about 3-4 cups chopped, I just added that to the recipe.
Beth
May 14, 2020 at 9:56 amSorry, I should have noticed it said that. I made it. It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious!!
Mary
April 4, 2020 at 12:23 pmAfter being rhubarbless for the 4 and a half years since leaving my beloved Alaska, I finally found some prime rhubarb at the farmer’s market yesterday (it just will not grow where we live now!) and ended up here for a rhubarb butter recipe that hopefully requires less sugar than the one I’ve always made, and I found it. As the Covid19 pandemic is in full swing at the moment, I didn’t want to use up any more of my precious and small sugar supply than I had to, so I made this with the Trivia/cane sugar blend I found forgotten in my cupboard. Even though the directions on the package said to sub half as much blend for the sugar in a recipe, it still turned out perfect, yay! Thank you for a spot-on recipe; you have a new recruit, Sue! I foresee a long and happy relationship between us!
Julie
October 19, 2019 at 5:55 pmI made this as directed with the addition of cardamom and pure vanilla extract and it was DELICIOUS! My only suggestion is to make a double recipe because a cup of this won’t last long enough. Thanks for a great recipe!
Brooke
May 12, 2019 at 2:17 pmWould this work well with leftover pulp from making rhubarb jelly? The recipe I was given just uses the juice from the rhubarb and there’s a bunch of pulp leftover and it seems very wasteful to just throw it away. I’m looking for a way I could use it up.
Sue
May 12, 2019 at 2:31 pmI think you really need all the rhubarb for this recipe to work and taste right Brooke. You might try adding your pulp to smoothies.
Wysteria
September 12, 2018 at 9:07 amThanks for this recipe! I made it in my instant pot with ginger as the spice in the quantity you called for and it’s awesome. Slightly tart, slightly warm. Delicious!
Sue
September 12, 2018 at 9:08 amThat’s great to know you can make it in the Instant Pot, I love that thing! Thanks Wysteria (love your name!)
Fran Ciarlo
May 4, 2019 at 9:41 pmhow long did you cook it in the iP?
Jenn
September 10, 2018 at 12:12 amWould replacing the sugar with honey change the end consistency? Or would it just need to cook a bit longer?
Sue
May 9, 2020 at 9:00 amHoney should work fine in place of sugar, and I don’t think it will effect the cooking time.
Shelley
August 23, 2018 at 9:48 amI decided to make a double recipe in my crockpot and here is what I discovered. The water is not needed. After cooking on high for a couple hours the rhubarb had released a lot of water and it was very soupy. I added more rhubarb and let it cook until the new rhubarb was soft, then used my immersion blender to purée everything. Then I added more sugar to taste. My rhubarb is a green variety so I added a few drops of red food colouring to make a more attractive color. At this point I left the lid off the crockpot and continued cooking on high, stirring every hour or so. At bedtime the mixture was still too loose so I turned the crockpot to low, put the lid on and went to bed. I had to get up in the middle of the night so I checked on the butter. It was still very loose and was turning a darker color so I turned the pot off and allowed it to cool, hoping it would thicken as it cooled. Alas, it did not. I now have it in a saucepan on the stove and will see if I can eliminate some of the moisture that way. Unfortunately the color is no longer very attractive. I was hoping for a pretty pink butter for toast and thumbprint cookies. If I was to try again I would eliminate the water (if using the crockpot) and wait to alter the color until I was closer to desired consistency.
Shelley
August 23, 2018 at 8:04 pmSo after a slow simmer in the stovetop the rhubarb butter has thickened up. I added one and a half tablespoons of pure vanilla extract and added a little bit more sugar. It tastes and smells delicious. I should have measured it before I packaged it but I would say that after doubling and adding a little bit more rhubarb in hopes of offsetting the excess liquid I’ve ended up with approximately 3 cups. I’m freezing some for the filling for thumbprint cookies for my holiday cookie platters.
Sue
August 24, 2018 at 5:40 amThanks for the full report Shelley, and your holiday cookies sound like they’ll be delish.
Shelley
September 22, 2018 at 9:20 pmIt is really tasty and the vanilla added a lovely fragrance as well. I only wish it was as beautifully coloured as yours Sue. Thank you for the inspiration.
Sue
September 24, 2018 at 12:59 pmRhubarb comes in so many different shades, Shelley, and I’m guessing yours was a little on the green side? The flavor shouldn’t be affected, though!
Robyn Alden
August 11, 2017 at 3:46 amWhere can I find glass jars like the one filled with the butter, with the clip and glass lid?
Sue
August 11, 2017 at 8:20 amThose are Weck canning jars, Robyn, and they come in all shapes and sizes. It’s a German company ~ here’s a link to them on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thvifrthgris-20&keywords=weck jars&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=92e67a7fb5aa49baad700eba3d1030f6
Marcy
May 17, 2017 at 5:03 pmI am wondering if this could be made (step #2) in a crock pot? Any thoughts?? Thanks!
Sue
May 17, 2017 at 5:25 pmHi Marcy ~ yes, I’ve made several fruit butters in the crock pot, my Cranberry Butter is one, here’s the recipe for reference: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-crock-pot-cranberry-butter/ You might want to add a touch of water if you’re going to leave it in the crock pot for a long period.
Megan
February 23, 2017 at 8:15 pmHave you ever tried adding strawberries to this. I’m just wondering how it would come out or how much to add. I was thinking 2 parts rhubarb one part strawberry but I haven’t made fruit butter before so I wasn’t sure how this would change the texture.
Sue
February 23, 2017 at 9:14 pmI don’t think you can go wrong, Megan, because I’ve made all kinds of fruit butters…I say go for it, either in a 2 to 1 or even 1 to 1 ratio!
Terri
March 20, 2017 at 7:10 pmYes it will be wonderful . I mix strawberries with Rhubarb all the time .love a strawberry and rhubarb sauce I grew up on . Slice rhubarb and strawberries and put in sauce pan . Cook on med-low till they cook down . Add sugar to taste . Great over ice cream or just along it’s also great with bananas or apples
Sue
March 20, 2017 at 8:39 pmSo simple yet so delicious!
Christina Marie
August 10, 2016 at 3:46 pmCould I use honey instead of the sugar?
Sue
August 10, 2016 at 4:03 pmI think that should work, Christina — let us know your results!
Stephanie
May 11, 2016 at 6:20 pmUnbelievably good. Like this way better than Rhubarb Jam. Used Vanilla in mine. Waiting on the toaster for a second helping. Thank you!
Sue
May 11, 2016 at 6:24 pmI’m so glad you like it Stephanie, I agree, fruit butters are much better than jam 🙂
Mary
March 14, 2016 at 6:46 pmI’m wondering if you can use frozen rhubarb & if so how much would a pound be in cups? Also wondering about using the crockpot instead of stove for final cooking? It would be so much less likely to scorch. I need to use up my freezer rhubarb before the fresh starts soon.
Kayleigh
July 20, 2015 at 5:49 pmAny tips for canning it? It sounds divine, and my rhubarb patch still has some life left!
Sue
July 20, 2015 at 6:05 pmI’m so sorry, I’m not much of a canner, Kayleigh!
Stephanie
June 4, 2014 at 11:05 amThis will never make the freezer. I could eat it with a spoon. I added a wee bit more sugar in the second “cooking” process as mine was a bit too tart. Mine is cooling and I added a vanilla bean. I’m taking it with homemade cream scones to my friends house tomorrow. YUM and thank you!!!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
June 3, 2014 at 5:28 pmGorgeous, I’d love this on ice cream or spread on fresh bread!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
June 3, 2014 at 3:09 pmRhubarb butter?!? I need it in my life. Stat!
Amy @ Elephant Eats
June 3, 2014 at 1:46 pmMmmm, this sounds delicious and I love the color 🙂 I bet it’s amazing with cardamom!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
June 3, 2014 at 1:33 pmWoah. That looks amazing! I bet it is so sweet and tart and delicious on a slice of toast!
Kitchen Belleicious
June 3, 2014 at 6:41 amlooks like we were both in the butter frame of mind this past week! Love your butter though. it is silky and smooth and sweet. Best thing to top a warm out of the oven scone or biscuit with
Kate
June 2, 2014 at 7:21 pmMMmmmmm
Love the color.
I especially like the styling of your lead photo.
The Kerr mason jar, the coffee cup and the vintage knife bring such old home memories to mind.
Delightful.
Velva
June 2, 2014 at 6:30 pmThe rhubarb butter is a beautiful thing!
Velva
Eileen
June 2, 2014 at 3:06 pmThis butter sounds amazing! I bet it would be excellent as a quick filling for a lemony cake…or maybe almond? Or both! 🙂
Lynne
June 2, 2014 at 2:09 pmPerfect timing!
I cut massive amounts of Rhubarb out of my garden last night and this sounds wonderful 🙂
I’ll freeze some and especially enjoy it during the -35 C snowy winter, a reminder that spring will come again just when I’ll need it the most!
Too bad you didn’t live here, I always have tons of Rhubarb and can’t seem to give it away unless it is in the form of Rhubarb Coffee Cake 🙂
Sue
June 2, 2014 at 2:24 pmOh I would LOVE to get some neighborly rhubarb!
Lynne
June 2, 2014 at 4:09 pmHi Sue,
I just made the Rhubarb Vanilla Butter (used 3 lbs of rhubarb & still have a lot left in my yard) and it is absolutely amazing!
It reminds me of the stewed rhubarb my grandmother made, I ate copious amounts of it on toast and also on ice cream when I was little.
I could never quite duplicate the flavour of hers and this is as close as I’ve ever gotten. Heaven on a spoon 🙂 Thank you!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
June 2, 2014 at 9:52 amThis is wonderful – I recently made Kumquat marmalade and thought it was way too sweet. I didn’t even post it on the blog. It was pretty but I would have preferred rhubarb butter! Love the color and I know it is tasty. Have a great trip!
Catherine
June 2, 2014 at 9:06 amRhubarb butter sounds wonderful. Blessings, Catherine