This post may contain affiliate links.
These Rhubarb Cookies are the perfect afternoon snack or dessert on-the-go. They’re soft, sweet, studded with rhubarb and topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting! Move over rhubarb crisp, there’s a new kid in town!
Jump to Recipe
Growing up, we always had rhubarb in the garden. And I always looked forward to rhubarb season, early summer here in the Midwest. From rhubarb crunch to rhubarb jam and everything in between, I loved it all!
A few years ago, my sister in law Krista introduced me to this Rhubarb Cookie recipe. It was a new concept for me, but after one bite, I was sold.
I loved the soft texture of the cookie with juicy rhubarb pieces and the flavor combination of rhubarb and cream cheese frosting! It’s become one of our family’s favorite rhubarb desserts and I couldn’t wait any longer to share it with you!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter – I use salted butter; unsalted will work great, too. Make sure it’s room temperature when you begin.
- Brown Sugar – Light or brown sugar will work great.
- Eggs – I use “large” eggs when baking.
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Rhubarb – Fresh rhubarb is best, but frozen will do as well! (See note on that in the recipe card below)
- Coconut – You can either use shredded coconut OR oatmeal in this cookie.
- Cream Cheese – I use the full fat cream cheese for this recipe.
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
How do you Make Rhubarb Cookies?
I’d recommend prepping the rhubarb first. If you’re picking the rhubarb stalks fresh from the garden, you’ll cut off the leaf and the bottom couple inches of the stem that detached from the root.
Next, put the rhubarb in a bowl of cold water and run your hands up and down each stalk to remove any dirt. Then rinse off, cut into small pieces (¼ inch-ish) and set aside.
To make the cookie dough, you’ll start off by creaming the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. I find this easiest to do in a stand mixer, but a large bowl and electric mixer will work too.
Then you’ll mix in the eggs and vanilla and finally the dry ingredients.
Lastly you’ll fold the cut rhubarb and coconut (or oats) and drop onto prepared baking sheets with a medium cookie scoop.
Bake one pan at a time in a preheated oven until the edges of the cookies are a light golden brown. Once the cookies are completely cool, you’ll make a simple cream cheese frosting and spread it over the tops of the cookies.
How Should I Store Soft Rhubarb Cookies?
I recommend keeping these in an airtight container in a single layer. If you need to layer the soft rhubarb cookies, add a piece of waxed paper between layers so they don’t stick together! Due to the addition of the cream cheese frosting, you do need to keep these refrigerated.
Because the rhubarb holds so much moisture, these are the best if eaten within 2-3 days. You can also freeze leftover cookies for up to a month.
What makes these Delicious Cookies so soft?
As you can see in the recipe, there is no white sugar, only brown sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses, which keeps the cookies soft and pliable. The chopped rhubarb brings great moisture to the cookies which also helps keep them soft.
Other Rhubarb Recipes You’ll Love
Easy Rhubarb Muffins
Rhubarb Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
- 3/4 cup flaked coconut OR old fashioned oats
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- Beat in the eggs.2 eggs
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well.3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Stir in the diced rhubarb and coconut.1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb, 3/4 cup flaked coconut OR old fashioned oats
- Drop by rounded tablespoons on greased baking sheet (parchment-lined would make for even easier cleanup). Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
- Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.4 ounces cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Spread over the cooled cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
Sooo delicious! Very rich, but perfect with the refreshing tart bits of rhubarb. Even great without frosting. I used all butter in place of the shortening and a 50/50 ratio of coconut and oatmeal 🙂. I wasnt sure my rhubarb was quite ready to be use, but thought I could manage to steal a few stalks for this recipe and I’m glad I did!
Hey Kelly! So glad to hear you loved the cookies! Don’t you just love rhubarb season?! 🙂
Kelsey — these look divine!! I’m a total rhubarb nut (even have a whole board on Pinterest for Rhubarb) LOL! Thanks for sharing on Weekend Potluck!
Yum! Our family loves rhubarb desserts and these look fantastic. Can’t wait to try them!!!
Thanks Deanne!! I’m SO glad my sister-in-law passed this recipe onto our family!
Made according to recipe. Really good. I would add a little more rhubarb next time. But loved them the way they are also. I love coconut so this was perfect combined with rhubarb.
So delicious love rhubarb ,I put 3 cups of rhubarb instead of 1 1/2 cups .They were great .Thanks for the recipe
.
So glad you liked these, Bernadette!!
Love these! I switched out the frosting for white chocolate chips and they were perfection!
Awesome!! So glad to hear you enjoyed these, Cheryl! -Kelsey
The cookies taste good, but mine didn’t flatten. Can’t wait to taste the cookies after I frost them.
Hmmm…I’m not sure why that would be! Hopefully you will taste them and change your mind to a 5-star rating!! 🙂
Excellent flavor easy to make the frosting makes them!
These cookies were amazing. Easy to overcook them so I made sure and watched them as the time got close to 10 minutes. Very moist… and addicting. This made a lot of cookies but they didn’t last long at all with my friends over for the evening. I’m guilty of eating more than 4 in a sitting LOL.
I added another half cup rhubarb – delicious!
Can I use frozen rhubarb in the cookie recipe instead of fresh rhubarb?
Yes! I’d let it thaw out completely and let the excess moisture drain out. Pat it dry and fold it in! :). (Try baking just one cookie first – if it’s too flat, add a little flour and continue!) ~Kelsey
I bake every week for my husband’s Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Everyone LOVED them! They said it was their favorite. The only thing wrong was there weren’t enough because everyone wanted more! I do worry when I have to use frozen rhubarb this winter. Hoping the water content doesn’t mess them up.
Enjoyed making, baking and sharing these. Great with or without frosting. Thank you definitely a 5 star recipe 😊