This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Rhubarb Pudding Cake (Plus 9 More Yummy Rhubarb Recipes)

I was looking for something different to do with rhubarb when I came across a fruited pudding cake recipe in the Favorite Recipes of America – Desserts cookbook from 1968.

The original recipe calls for “any fruit, fresh or canned”, so I figured “Why not rhubarb?” Thus, this old fashioned rhubarb pudding cake was born.

The recipe is quite sweet, even with the tartness of rhubarb. You can cut back on the sugar if you like.

This rhubarb pudding cake recipe has a delicate sugar crust, and rich pudding bottom. It’s super easy to make using fresh or frozen rhubarb, and can be made gluten free and dairy free.

Rhubarb Pudding Cake on a white plate

The boys are not huge rhubarb fans, but they love this recipe. This is the sort of thing my grandmother would have made. I hope you and your family enjoy it, too.

Rhubarb Pudding Cake Recipe – Step by Step

You can use a little extra rhubarb for this, or mix in other fruits like strawberries or chopped apples.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of rhubarb, chopped
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup sifted flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2/3 cup boiling water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cover the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with fruit. (I prefer an 8 inch or 9 inch square glass baking dish. You can also use a deep dish glass pie plate.)

Mix 3/4 cup sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, extracts, milk and flour together. Add a little more milk if it is too thick to pour; pour over fruit.

Mix remaining sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; sprinkle over mixture in pan. Pour boiling water over the top. ( I know this sounds strange, but trust me, it works to create a pudding around the rhubarb in the bottom of the pan.)

Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Yield: 9 servings.

The sugar topping creates a glaze on the top of the cake, something like a creme brûlée. It also creates the pudding at the bottom.

Serve warm with ice cream, if desired. Or let your rhubarb pudding cake cool a bit, and then slice and invert on a plate. This shows off the pudding.

You may also substitute a gluten free flour blend, such as Namaste Gluten Free Flour. With the Namaste flour, I bake an extra ten minutes. Friends made the recipe dairy free by substituting coconut milk with good results.

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Shares and Pins always much appreciated if you enjoy the recipe!

how to make rhubarb pudding cake step-by-step photos

Printable Recipe

Use the recipe card below to print out the recipe, or double it for a 9×13 pan. For a double batch, add around 10 minutes of extra bake time. Use the “Cook Mode” setting to keep the screen from going dark while you’re reading recipe during baking.

Print

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pudding Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 48 reviews

This rhubarb pudding cake recipe is easy to make using fresh or frozen rhubarb. A simple hot water trick allows the cake to make its own sauce while baking.

  • Author: Laurie Neverman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 9 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups rhubarb, chopped
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup sifted flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2/3 cup boiling water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Cover the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan with fruit. (I prefer an 8 inch or 9 inch square glass baking dish. You could also use a deep dish glass pie plate.)
  3. Mix 3/4 cup sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, extracts, milk and flour together. Add a little more milk if it is too thick to pour; pour over fruit.
  4. Mix remaining sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; sprinkle over mixture in pan. Pour boiling water gently over the top of the cake.
  5. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, a little longer for gluten free flours.

Notes

You may also substitute a gluten free flour blend such as Namaste Foods Gluten Free Flour Blend. If using gluten free flour, add 10-15 minutes to bake time.

One of our readers used a metal grey colored Wilton 9×9 pan, and her cake scorched. If you have this pan, drop the temp to 350°F, and watch for excess browning.

This is a sweet recipe!

If you would like a less sweet dessert, reduce the sugar in the batter to 1/2 cup, and the sugar in the topping to 1/2 cup. You can experiment with reducing the amounts even more, but it does need some sugar to form the pudding layer.

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

harvested rhubarb stalks and leaves

These recipes work with fresh or frozen rhubarb, so you can enjoy them anytime you have a supply on hand. Let me know if you’d like some savory recipes, too.

yummy rhubarb recipes

For easy to make bread recipes, check out my book “Never Buy Bread Again – The Bread Book for Beginning Bakers“.

"Never Buy Bread Again" recipe book

You can also get more seasonal recipes, plus other common sense tips, when you subscribe to the Common Sense Home newsletter.

Originally published in 2012, last updated 2023.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

273 Comments

  1. This is my husbands favourite dessert. I make it with whatever fresh fruit is in season during the summer and frozen fruit during the winter. I decrease the sugar as most fruits are sweet enough but realize rhubarb definitely needs a bit more. I also increase the cornstarch as most fruits have more water in them than rhubarb so need more thickening.
    Thanks for the recipe I have shared it with many of my friends.






  2. I have made this so many times, including with other fruit like peach and apple. Adjust the sugar a little depending on the sweetness of the fruit you are using, and reduce the amount of water slightly if using very juicy fruit. Add cinnamon or other spices of choice. Everyone loves it!






    1. I’m so glad it works well for you. Thank you for taking time to leave a positive review.

  3. Hello! was reading all the comments and I am excited to try this. I always have a ton of rhubarb and get stuck making the same things. I’m at about 6400 ft in elevation so I’ll try the ideas mentioned in the comments. I was wondering if you think this would work the same with gluten free flour?

    1. I think so, but I suspect it will need significantly more cooking time, as the gluten free flour takes 10-15 minutes longer at our elevation, which is around 1000 feet.

  4. Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pudding cake😍 I used Swans Cake Flour and because I’m lactose sensitive, I used Oat beverage. It was light as air! So tender!!! This is going to be my favorite “share” cake.






  5. It’s NOT a good idea to use metal pans with rhubarb. Rhubarb is acidic and reacts with metal. Nasty taste! I know she said “coated” metal, but still I’d stick with glass. Why take a chance.

  6. This recipe seems really scary when you just pour water on top, but don’t be afraid! It is delicious and addicting! I do 1 cup rhubarb and 1 cup strawberries with the less sugar option and it’s amazing!

  7. I love rhubarb! Made this last night…everyone enjoyed it. I was curious about the boiling water but it turned out fine.
    Next time I will cut back on the sugar as suggested to see if we like it better.






  8. Just made this because my little patch of backyard rhubarb produced enough stalks for 2 cups of chopped fruit. My husband, son and I loved it! My 15-year-old son straight up raved about the crunchy topping and overall taste! He has a bit more of a sweet tooth than I do. I only decreased the amount of sugar by 1/4 cup in each part and will probably decrease by 1/8 c. more next time. This time it was borderline too sweet to top with vanilla ice cream but I had my heart set on that. 😁 Next time I will top with barely sweetened whipped cream. Also I did increase the milk by maybe 2 tablespoons, and baked it for 10 extra minutes because I freshly grind my flour. I love the texture I got with Bluebird Grain Farms Hard Red Wheat!
    Based on my son’s reaction to this recipe I will have to increase the size of my rhubarb patch if I’m ever going to be able to make a different rhubarb dessert, as far as he’s concerned!! Thanks for posting it!






  9. The first time I made this recipe, I did it exactly as printed ( I did have to add a little extra milk since it was thick) and it was delicious! I whipped up some whipping cream to add on top also. The second time, I doubled the recipe, so I could share with my daughter and her large family, and baked it in a 9 x 13″ glass pan. I cut the sugar down to 1 cup in the batter and 1 cup in the topping (this is doubled). My daughter and her whole family loved it so much they requested the recipe so they could keep making it. This is a definite keeper for us!






  10. I was so disappointed! This sounds so yummy! Mine turned out very runny, didn’t set up at all. And it bubbled over in my 8×8 glass dish, made a mess in my oven. I am going to try it again in my 9×13. Not sure what happened unless it is a high-altitude thing? I so want this to turn out!!!






    1. What altitude are you at? I don’t have any way to test different altitudes, but it’s possible that could be the difference.

      1. My altitude is just over 32oo ft. I wouldn’t think that is the problem, but not sure what went wrong. If I use a 9×13 pan, I read that I should double the recipe? Will it bubble over again? Has anyone else had this problem?

        1. Altitude adjustments for canning kick in at just 1000 feet above sea level, and I did find cake baking adjustments for altitudes above 3500 ft, so you’re in that range. Given that pudding cakes tend to be more bubbly overall, hopefully that’s where the trouble is and we can adjust appropriately.

          Based on recommendations for adjusting regular cake recipes, the following changes may help:

          Decrease baking powder by 1/8 teaspoon.
          Increase milk by 1 tablespoon.
          Decrease sugar in the batter by one tablespoon.

          *Increase oven temperature from 375F to 400F – this one I’m not sure about. I’m afraid the higher temperature may cause scorching.

          Maybe try the batter changes (adjust baking powder, milk and sugar) and a single recipe in a 9×13 at 375F to make sure it doesn’t boil over?

  11. The cooking time seems to be off. I put it in for only 40 min at 375 and it still burned quite a bit around the edges. If I decided to try again I’d do 350 for 30-35 min at most. Was there a different cook time for a 9×9 that I missed.






    1. Any chance your oven may be running hot? I used to have to set our old oven 5 degrees cooler than recipes indicated. What type of pan did you use?

      1. It’s not running hot as I’ve checked and I used the grey coloured Wilton 9×9 pan. Was so disappointed when I took it out as the picture had looked good.

        1. So it was a metal pan then. I always use glass, so I’ll add a note about reducing the temperature for metal pans.

  12. I bet a combination of peaches and blueberries would also make a yummy substitute for the rhubarb…but I would definitely use less sugar in doing so. Thanks for sharing this yummy and versatile recipe!

  13. Just made this May 2022 doubled the recipe and was confused the sugar and cream of tartar on top and then pour the hot water over-maybe I didn’t let it cook enough it’s not very pudding like but it’s delicious and Sweet-will use less sugar next time -I took pics but not sure where to attach






    1. I’m guessing you meant the cornstarch and sugar, since there is no cream of tartar in the recipe.

      Are you able to watch the recipe video in the article that’s embedded in the printable recipe card? If so, at just after the 6 minute mark is where I put on the sugar and cornstarch mix and water. Maybe being able to see it come together will be easier to follow than just reading the recipe, since it’s a little bit of an oddball step.

      To cut the sugar, I’d reduce a little in the batter and in the topping, rather than cutting it all from one spot or the other. It is a sweet recipe, even with the tartness of the rhubarb.

  14. Cut sugar in cake to 1/2 cup and topping to 3/4 cup. Added 1 cup strawberries to the 2 cups rhubarb. Still a bit too sweet for us but the strawberries probably added to that. In any case the cake worked well and the topping was still very crispy flaky sugar so cutting back didn’t change how it worked. Next try will be increasing rhubarb and skipping the strawberries. Might try going to 1/3 and 2/3 cups sugar at some point and love the suggestion of orange in the cake. Easy to make, and a nice size cake for a small family.






  15. Excellent! Perfect recipe for the rhubarb we have in the freezer. Made with chick pea flour and is delicious! I will make it again.






    1. I’m glad it worked out well for you and thank you for taking time to leave a positive review and share your experience.

  16. Turned out beautifully! A definite keeper! The strawberry rhubarb was creamy, the cake moist and the crispy topping was just right.
    Thank you! I almost didn’t share….Can I substitute the sugar with Splenda? My husband is diabetic.






    1. If you have the Splenda blends that are made to substitute directly for sugar, it should work, but I’m not sure it will impact the texture and browning. If you try it, could you let me know, as lots of folks are watching sugar nowadays.

      1. Thank you for your prompt reply. I will definitely try with the Splenda and get back to you with my findings.
        Take care and talk soon.

  17. Hi all. I baked the rhubarb cake for the 1st time yesterday. Have to say it was delicious. However, I made some modifications: I tripled the rhubarb quantity, cut it into small slices; only used vanilla essence as had no almond; used white sugar for the sponge; used demerara sugar for the topping mixed with baking powder. I thought the sugar/baking powder topping was too much sugar so only scattered half of it over the top. Once baked, absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe. Wasn’t convinced at first as it sounds a bit unusual but it works.






    1. It’s really best fresh, because the crackle topping absorbs moisture from the rhubarb as it sits. The moist environment of the refrigerator will speed this up. If I plan to use it within a day, I keep it on the counter. If we have leftovers that are around longer than a day, I cover and move them to the refrigerator.

  18. Based on the author’s comment I decreased the sugar to 1 cup divided. I omitted the Almond extract due to nut allergies and used Better Batter GF flour due to celiacs in the family. It was delicious! I did not need ice cream. Making it again today
    Christine






    1. Thanks for sharing what changes you made, Christine, and that they worked out well. That’s really helpful for people trying to adapt the recipe to different diets.

  19. I am sure that I am one of the first people to have kept and tried your recipe. All I can say is I LOVE IT… In the spring we always get a great huge lot of Rhubarb, I always give it to our local food bank in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. They are always so thankful to receive it . I include about 40 copies of the recipe for them to send along with the rhubarb. So today I just want to thank you o much for the recipe, you have a winner there for sure. Keep up the good work.

    1. Thank you, Diane. I’m glad you enjoy it, and that’s great that you share your bounty of rhubarb.

  20. It is so delicious and I have made it many times following the recipe just as it is printed here. Everyone has loved it and it is so easy.

  21. Just made this recipe without the extracts as I didn’t have any at the moment. It was absolutely delicious. I have made a chocolate pudding cake often and thought this was an interesting idea. So glad I tried it. The butter adds to the flavour wonderfully. Thanks so much!






  22. Has anyone made this substituting maple syrup for sugar in the bottom? If so, how did it turn out & what adjustments did you make please? Thank you.

  23. WINNER! We need more stars. Here’s what I like:
    EASY: no creaming the butter. No sifting dry ingredients together first. One bowl.
    TASTY: Tart and sweet. Crispy crust on top is the clencher.
    FLEXIBLE: iused 4 cups of rhubarb on purpose. Accidentally used 1 C water. Both changes worked fine.
    Only one suggested edit: Pretty sure this recipe only serves 4!






  24. I thought this was too sweet and the fruit got lost. I would like to try it again, adding maybe 1/2 cup more fruit (I used rhubarb and strawberries, and less sugar. I think I’ll try 1/2 cup in the fruit so you still get some of the tartness of the rhubarb, maybe a littles less in the topping. It did go together very quickly. We liked it enough to give is another go.






  25. Such a quick and delicious recipe! The rhubarb was nice and soft, with a good balance of sweetness, and the cake had a little bit of crunch on the top. Didn’t have almond extract, so I used about 1/4 tsp almond essence, and it turned out great.

    It was really good just on its own, but we served it warm with a little bit of custard and a sprinkling of cinnamon, and it was absolutely superb! This recipe definitely went straight onto our list of favorite spring/summer desserts. Thanks for the recipe!






  26. This rhubarb pudding cake was s hit. It was still tart and with the crunchy top. I was happy to find a recipe a little different than crumble. Simple and easy to make. No need to chsnge anything. Great recipe. Putting in my favorites to always make when we have rhubarb. I am going to look at other recipes with commonsensehome.com to see what other ones are appealing. Thanks for the wonderful recipe






  27. I looked through all the comments but nobody specifically said apples could be used. What do you all think, and what modifications would I need to make? Thank you!

    1. Give it a try and let us know how it works out? I’d opt for a tart, juicy apple, diced, with peels on for color.

  28. Made this past summer, granddaughters loved it, and so did we. Doubled recipe to a 9 x 13. They have asked me to make this for Christmas dinner…. several bags in the freezer, so will do. Thanks for a deliciously different way to use rhubarb. A favorite fruit of mine~

    1. Hi Gina, did you have any problems with it bubbling over when you doubled it in the 9×13? Mine bubbled over in my 8×8 and didn’t set up.

  29. I just found this recipe this year. It is so good. Every time I make it people who tell me they don’t eat desserts or don’t eat rhubarb try it and love it. Rhubarb is done for the year here but we have some in the freezer so going to try it with that. Hopefully, it doesn’t need much modification to use the frozen. Thanks for a delicious dessert.






    1. Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Mary, and thank you for letting me know.

      Previously frozen thawed rhubarb works just fine. Just increase the baking time if it’s still cold.

  30. I was planning on making rhubarb bread, when my husband requested something else be made with the rhubarb. I made your recipe instead! OMG! It was absolutely delicious! I made it without changing a thing. As my husband said, “ mmm, mmm, mmm.”????






  31. Made this for dessert tonight but was out of cornstarch so I used arrowroot flour. We loved it but the pudding was a bit gummier due to the arrowroot and so I was worried the leftovers wouldn’t be as wonderful as the dish was straight from the oven. Well, no need to worry about leftovers because my husband loved it so much he ate it ALL! Going to get some tart cherries and give those a whirl. Thanks for a recipe that is sure to be a classic in my house!






  32. I just removed my rhubarb pudding cake from the oven, I have been making this recipe for the past two years, and tried others but my family seems to prefer this delicious one. My question is we have an abundance of red rhubarb, I,ve stewed it, canned it, baked with it, now this recipe can it be frozen?? Thanks Lou

  33. This was so delicious!!! Thank you!
    I made it Gluten Free, Vegan and refined sugar free. Changed the milk for rice milk, the butter for vegan butter and the sugar for old fashioned brown sugar, used 1/4 cup less sugar than called for. Baked it 10 minutes longer.






    1. Glad it worked well for you.

      What do you mean by “old fashioned brown sugar”? Would that be rapidura or sucanat or palm sugar or coconut sugar or maple sugar or…?

  34. Fantastic recipe and the results were absolutely delicious. Will make this over and over and will try other fruits as well when I’m low on rhubarb.
    Thanks ever so much for sharing it????????????????






  35. This is delicious and I love the texture. I would use an 8 x 8 pan next time, as there isn’t enough batter to cover the rhubarb in a 9 x 9 pan.






  36. Oh my goodness. This is absolutely delicious! So easy to make and really gives a different spin on the tart rhubarb. Thank you so much for the recipe!!

    1. The recipe is plenty sweet, so feel free to reduce the sugar if you like dessert less sweet. These are the original proportions that were suggested for use with “any fruit”, but we find them sweet even for tart rhubarb.

  37. Wonderful recipe! The only tweaks I made was on my first try I added some strawberries for color and it was terrific! The second time I added fresh blueberries, and oh my goodness, it was so yummy! They gave a beautiful color to the cake too.






    1. Glad that it worked out well for you, and thanks for taking time to leave a comment and let me know about that and adding berries.

  38. Made this today.
    Added a few frozen raspberries for color. Cut back on the sugar to 1/2 cup in flour mixture and 3/4 cup in sugar cornstarch mixture ….. still very sweet ( I like tart and will cut back even more next time )

  39. This is our favorite summer dessert–but I now have stockpiled rhubarb in my freezer, so we will enjoy it year round!

  40. Hi Laurie, Just wondering if the recipe has been corrected? ‘m not sure if I’m aware of all the changes that were needed. Thanks!

    1. The recipe is accurate as currently displayed on the site. Some people have been sharing different adjustments they’re using to make it dairy free or reducing the sugar.

  41. Love this easy and very tasty recipe. I use almond milk and oil in place of butter (being vegan).
    Turns out great every time. Glad to hear you can use frozen rhubarb and other fruit as well.
    We have a bumper crop of rhubarb this year.






  42. This is delicious warm or cold. And it is so easy to make. I will be making this again during rhubarb season and maybe try substituting other fruit (and different amounts of sugar?)

    1. I have not tried it in this recipe, but if you do, I’d suggest two tablespoons of tapioca starch.

  43. Although this recipe is a keeper, it is WAY TOO SWEET.

    The recipe, as written, at 2 cups rhubarb, has way too little fruit for the 1 cup amount of sugar for the pudding part. I made it exactly as written the first time and nowhere near enough rhubarb.

    I’ve made it twice now using 4 cups of rhubarb and it is MUCH better that way. To accommodate the thickening needs of the extra fruit, I bumped up the cornstarch to 1 1/2 tablespoons total and it worked great.






  44. I can see why kids would like this as it is more sweet than rhubarb—rhubarb is several flavors down on the list, I’d liken it to a rhubarb flavored cream donut—cream and donut coming on top, then rhubarb. The recipe notes it could use less sugar—one cup alone for the “crust”—I used larger crystal decorative sugar and that allowed for a lot less sugar.

    So yes, this is an easy to make and it tastes good but I would think a reworking aimed at bringing forward the tart sense of the rhubarb would make this a great recipe.






  45. Made this tonight & my family ate the whole thing. It’s safe to say I’ll be making this again.






    1. Yes, you can double the recipe. You may need to increase your cook time by 5-10 minutes.

  46. Love Love Love this! Super easy pudding cake! Super yummy and it’s so awesome how it makes it’s own crust!!! I will be making this again!!!!






  47. This was a lovely dessert, but way too much sugar for my liking. How would one cut the topping sugar in half, and would the water need to be decreased accordingly? The texture was lovely–just sweetened the rhubarb more than I care for….

    1. Maybe try cutting the sugar in the batter to 1/4 cup, the sugar in the topping to 1/2 cup and the boiling water in the topping to 2/3 cup.

    2. To adjust for the excessive sweetness, I bumped up the rhubarb to 4 cups and added 1/2 T cornstarch to the pudding sugar. It worked great

  48. Instead of putting the cup of sugar and cornstarch on top of the batter, can “turbinado sugar” be sprinkled?

    1. I’m sure that wouldn’t be bad, but I don’t know exactly how it will turn out. If you try it, can you stop back in and let me know how it turns out?

  49. Oh my goodness! This is delicious!!! I made it for my BIL’s birthday tonight and as soon as the guys took the first bite their eyes got huge. “Okay, from now on you make nothing by this!”

    I added apple pie spice and it was the perfect compliment. So good!






  50. I made this last weekend, so delicious! I got confused and put the whole 1 3/4 cup of sugar in all at once along with the baking powder. Wrote myself a note to divide up the sugar next time. I should have read the recipe more thoroughly but I will make it again when rhubarb is in season next year.






    1. I’m glad it was still tasty, even with the mistake. It also works well with stone fruits, like peaches or plums, if you happen to have some of those frozen.

  51. Fantastic recipe – husband and kids loved it. Great use of our endless supply of rhubarb!
    Have you ever doubled the recipe? Does the chemistry all still work well?

    1. Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I’ve doubled it in a 9×13 pan and it works fine, although it may take a little longer for the center to cook through.

  52. I have it in the oven now. Didn’t see to reduce the sugar in time. Hope it’s not too sweet. So easy. I can’t wait to try it.






  53. I used this recipe last summer. It was GREAT . This year I’m using half rhubarb and half strawberries. It’s in the oven now, I’m sure it will be just as good!!






    1. My neighbor made it with strawberries and rhubarb and said it turned out great. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it.

      1. I just made this with strawberries and rhubarb, myself! I grew up eating “blueberry batter cake” which is essentially the same as this pudding cake with blueberries. I have found, through the years, that frozen fruit sometimes yields more sauce than fresh (which we prefer). I found your recipe after making the change to the blueberry recipe that I have. The recipe differences are the addition of the extracts, 1/4 less sugar for the topping, and 1/4 cup more boiling water. We prefer to pour cream or half and half over the top while it is warm and then eat leftovers the next day cold and straight from the pan. Thanks for sharing. I LOVE rhubarb and am baffled at why so many readers had strange outcomes. I’m wondering if they varied the recipe.

        1. Adding cream sounds yummy. We often eat our with yogurt or ice cream.

          I suspect recipe variations.

  54. This is a very close recipe to my Aunt Sylvia’s Blueberry Pudding – this being a bit better (more precise ratios, etc.). By the way – you can use ANY fruit in the bottom – fresh or frozen – and add a spice or lemon if the fruit suggests it. Thanks for this great update on an old family favorite!






  55. Loved this recipe. Making it for thesecond time in two days. Used freshly grated nutmeg in rhubarb and just used vanilla for flavouring. Think I will try this frozen mixed fruit.






  56. Made this last night for dinner with gluten-free cup-for-cup flour. Delish. Second helpings all around. Love having a recipe without strawberries to enjoy that rhubarb taste. Even my husband who typically skips desserts had seconds. No ice cream needed here! Thanks!

  57. I am making an assumption that I don’t have to use almond extract?! I did see that I can use my frozen rhubarb. Plan to make tonight/tmrw. But wanted to ask about the almond extract because neither of us like it.

  58. I made this last night. Did not care for it while warm. The next day. Wow. Wonderful flavor. Thank you for this recipe. Going to try with different berries also.






    1. Glad it was a winner the next day. We like it both ways, but it is amazing how much it changes once it cools.

      1. thanks. Mine was a little pastey…. I did bake it a little longer than the 45 minutes… I didn’t think it was quite done, maybe I overbaked…. Also I used a larger glass pan, so I did 1 1/2 recipe, so who knows…. was probably something I did. Husband didn’t complain… he loved it.

  59. Has anyone tried this with a strawberry rhubarb combination? I love this combination in pie, so I’m thinking of trying this recipe with those fruits together.

    1. I haven’t (the rhubarb is awfully good alone), but I’m sure it would be delicious, as I do make a strawberry-rhubarb crumble, and jam, too.

  60. My husband loves this, made it couple times before with fresh rhubarb, and i don’t remember leaving a comment. So I am correcting that now. We also have several packages of rhubarb from our garden froze and going thru the comments, I see where it says it worked well. So that’s what I’m doing this am 🙂 So that’s great. This recipe is so easy to do. ty

  61. Everyone loves this recipe. Usually top it with a little frozen yoghurt rather than ice cream. Made it a little saucier and increased the water to 2 cups and only use vanilla. It’s perfect every time.

  62. I made this recipe twice now and my guests have licked the bowl. Even my picky guests loved it. I was considering making it and taking it with me on a trip. Has anyone made this the night before it was served? How did it turn out? Thank you.

    1. It’s best hot out of the oven, but not bad the second day. The “pudding” gets soft set, but as long as you don’t cover it while it’s still hot, the top crackle will stay “crackly”.

  63. I was searching through Pinterest to find a different rhubarb recipe since I have so much from my garden and I found you. I jumped up off the computer and started making it. I usually him and haw if I should try a recipe or not, but this was so easy and I had everything else. Well it just came out of the oven and it looks divine. Too hot to eat right now but I’m sure it will be like heaven. I love rhubarb and have other fruits in my garden also. Strawberries are on their second round and the blackberries are red and getting ripe. So my next try will either be with blueberries and blackberries or a mixed berry custard dessert. One thing, I was low on milk and I just had enough, I see that other ladies are substituting, but how about buttermilk? I have powdered, would that work also? Thank you for posting and I joined your newsletter, can’t wait to read it. I never make box cakes, always home made, old fashion and trusted recipes handed down. I need all the rhubarb recipes I can get my hands on so keep them coming. Oh my Lord, it is heaven…… I’ll be making another one because this won’t last an hour between me and my two boys. Thanks again..

    1. I generally like the taste of buttermilk in recipes, especially paired with fruit, so I think that would work. Powdered has usually worked fairly well the few times I’ve tried it in the past, but there’s only one way to tell for sure.

  64. I have canned rhurbarb made like a sauce, could this be used? If not i can get fresh… Thank you for your time..

    1. I think fresh would be better, but it would probably work. Care to try it and share the results? The original recipe did say, “any fruit, fresh or canned”…

  65. Just made this. It’s wonderful. My mom used to make an absolutely perfect peach pudding with the same recipe. I just never thought to switch out the fruit. Watching the sugar content of the fruits, I’m ready to experiment. Thank you!

  66. I have this in the oven right now! Didn’t have butter, so used margarine, do you think that will work?

  67. I made this last week, soooo very yummy. Best rhubarb recipe I have ever tried. Easier than pie, more tasty. Made it just like the recipe said.

  68. Did you grease your baking dish? Looks delicious, am making it this afternoon. Our rhubarb is plentiful this year.

    1. You don’t really need to, as the pudding won’t scoop out cleanly no matter what you do, but you can if you like. It may make cleanup a little easier.

      1. Turned out great! Tastes like my MILs Rhubarb Custard Pie, only its cake & much easier! Thanks for the recipe!

  69. Ok I had my students make this for a lab and 4/6 kitchens pans over flowed on to the bottom of the oven almost causing a fire alarm??? I am pretty sure most followed the recipe exactly. Does anyone use bigger pans??

    1. Did you use 8×8 or 9×9 pans? The most commonly found size I’ve found while searching online for glass pans in the last couple of years is 8×8. My 9×9 pans are older and have become hard to find. 9×13 would be overkill, but an 11×7 pan would probably work.

  70. We grow Rubarb in Victoria Aus but it needs a good sun shade to limit not block harsh sun then goes beserk in autumn when temp comes down to the 20 `s C with some rain and heavy dews.
    Red Variety is sweeter than green, shows red flesh when cut, but harder to grow ( more delicate ) and needs regular watering.
    Tastes better straight from ground.

    1. I’ve been trying to get a patch of red started. One year it drowned, one year it froze, but this year I found a neighbor I can get a start from, so I’m hopeful we have a winner.