Perfectly tart spring rhubarb plays center stage in these light and buttery rhubarb cookies. A from-scratch vanilla rhubarb jam is a delicious way to enjoy one of the first fruits of the season!
Here in the Midwest, the early farmers markets are light on fruits, but rhubarb is the first sign that spring has officially sprung. While rhubarb is often paired with other fruits like strawberries to tone down the tart flavor, these rhubarb cookies let rhubarb do the heavy lifting with only some vanilla to add complimentary aroma.
Strawberries are often available at the same time as fresh rhubarb. Try these Strawberry Lemon Bars next!
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Ingredients
These cookies use a relatively short list of simple ingredients. Once you snag your rhubarb stalks you'll likely have everything else in your pantry ready to go.
I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Rhubarb - You'll need about a pound of rhubarb and will want to choose stalks that are firm and free of blemishes. The color will vary quite a bit, but won't affect the final flavor.
- Butter - I use salted butter for this recipe (I buy all of my butter from Costco). These cookies use butter as primary flavor, so make sure yours is fresh. Allow your butter to come to room temperature before starting the cookie dough.
- Powdered and Granulated Sugars - Powdered sugar (or Confectioner's Sugar) goes in the cookie dough, and the added cornstarch makes the cookies light and tender. Granulated sugar is used to roll the balls of dough in before baking to make them sparkle as well as in making the jam.
- All-Purpose Flour - Make sure to weigh your flour or use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup and scrape the cup level with a knife.
- Eggs - Use large eggs for this recipe.
- Vanilla - Vanilla extract is used in both the cookie dough and the jam.
Prepare the Vanilla Rhubarb Jam
This jam is made up of only three ingredients but they shine when mixed together.
Cut the rhubarb stalks in half lengthwise if they are thick. Then dice into ½-inch pieces which makes the fibrous threads manageable when piping the jam into the cookies.
Combine the sugar and the rhubarb in a shallow saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar starts to dissolve and the rhubarb begins to release its juices.
Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook the jam over medium heat, maintaining a continuous boil, for seven minutes. The jam will be pale to dark pink in color the rhubarb will break down into soft threads.
Set the jam off the heat and allow it to cool while you make the cookie dough. When the jam is cool, stir in the vanilla extract.
Prepare the Cookie Dough and Bake
Preheat the oven to 375F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cream the butter for 3-4 minutes, until it is light and fluffy and pale in color.
Add in the flour and powdered sugar and mix on low speed to incorporate the butter. The mixture will be crumbly.
Add in the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until a dough forms. If it is colder in your kitchen, you may need to press the mixture together with clean hands to help the dough form.
Use a cookie scoop or measure out tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough into balls.
Roll the balls of dough in the granulated sugar.
Using a ½-teaspoon measure or a small melon baller (or your thumb!), make a well in the center of each cookie. Coat the spoon in granulated sugar if it sticks to the cookie.
Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart on the sheet pan.
Transfer the jam into a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip off one end. Pipe the jam into each well, being careful not to over fill the cookies.
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for 1-2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to completely cool. Beware, the jam is very hot and will burn if you touch it.
Substitutions and Variations
This is a simple cookie dough that will tolerate some additions or substitutions in flavor. Try any of these variations or mix and match for new flavor combinations.
- Vanilla Paste - If you have vanilla paste on hand instead of vanilla extract, use it here! Those little specks of vanilla are so pretty in these simple rhubarb cookies.
- Store-bought Jam - Feel free to use any other jam or preserves in these cookies. You'll want to dilute the jam with water to thin it a bit and make sure it is a pipeable consistency.
- Add Citrus Zest - Zest fresh lemon or orange directly over the creamed butter to add a bright citrus note to the cookie dough.
Need a little more guidance in changing up the flavors? Check out this Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies recipe!
Equipment
With softened butter this recipe comes together easily with a hand mixer. If I already have it out, I'll use my Kitchen-Aid mixer, too.
You can, however, make these rhubarb cookies with just a wooden spoon and bowl! Make sure you start with truly room temperature softened butter and stir it vigorously to cream the butter. Stir in the flour and powdered sugar until it is well incorporated. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl before adding them to the butter mixture and stir until everything comes together.
Storage
Baked rhubarb cookies will keep for 3 days at room temperature when stored in an airtight container. We keep them on hand for about 48 hours maximum in a cookie jar before they disappear!
If you'd like to freeze the dough for later use, my favorite way to prepare the cookies is to freeze the sugar-coated balls. Freeze them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and then transfer them to a zip-top bag. When you are ready to bake them, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
The cookies will have to come to room temperature before baking so that you can press the thumbprint wells in each cookie. If the dough is too cold, it will crack. Once filled with jam, bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Top tip
Store layers of the baked cookies between sheets of waxed paper or parchment to prevent cookie crumbs from sticking to the jam thumbprints.
FAQ
This jam is excellent on buttered toast, in a cream cheese and jam sandwich, or in a simple puff pastry jam tart. It will even make an excellent cocktail when mixed with gin or vodka and soda water.
Use the USDA's National Center for Home Food Preservation tool as a guideline.
Any extra jam can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.
The color of the jam depends on the rhubarb stalks you use when making it. If you find smaller, deep red stalks your resulting jam and cookies will have a ruby red color. Stalks with more green color will make a pale blush colored jam.
Related Recipes
There are lots of other cookies and bars to try on the site! Here are some favorites:
Recipe
Rhubarb Cookies with Vanilla Rhubarb Jam Thumbprints
Ingredients
Vanilla Rhubarb Jam
- 3 cups rhubarb (½-inch dice, about 12 ounces)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Rhubarb Cookies
- 1½ cups salted butter (softened)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (15 oz.)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Vanilla Rhubarb Jam
- Add rhubarb and sugar to the bottom of a saucepan. Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb starts to release its juices.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to cook over medium heat, maintaining a boil, for 7 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the jam form boiling over.
- Once the jam is thick and glossy and the rhubarb has broken down into soft threads remove the jam from the heat and allow it to cool. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Rhubarb Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter until it is light in color and fluffy in texture, about 3 minutes at full speed with an electric mixer.
- Add the flour and powdered sugar and mix on low speed until well incorporated and crumbly.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together. If necessary, use your hands or a wooden spoon to bring the mixture completely together into a ball.
- Roll out tablespoonfuls and coat them with granulated sugar. Place them on the prepared sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Using a small ½-teaspoon measuring spoon, melon baller, or your thumb, make a well in each cookie. Coat the spoon in sugar to prevent sticking.
- Fill a piping bag or zip bag with the jam and pipe the jam into the well, being careful not to overfill.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts calculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie @ Plan. Eat. Post. Repeat. says
Please comment if you have any questions about this recipe!
Cheryl Overholser says
Such a refreshing spring cookie. Creamy, decadent, and simply delicious.
Cassie Waltman says
Thank you for making one of my recipes, Cheryl!