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Made with fresh rhubarb stalks, my rhubarb simple syrup recipe boasts a beautiful pink color and bold rhubarb taste. This homemade simple syrup adds a bright spring flavor to cakes, cocktails, iced tea, and lemonade.
Why Do I Love This Rhubarb Simple Syrup Recipe?
This simple syrup recipe does exactly what it says on the tin! Simple syrup is precisely that: A basic syrup made from sugar and water, and often infused with other ingredients such as fresh fruit, herbs, spices, or vanilla beans.
Because simple syrup comes in liquid form, this sweetener offers a distinct advantge over granulated sugar. Use a pastry brush to apply simple syrup to a cake or cupcakes, or stir it into a cocktail or pitcher of lemonade, and the sweetness will quickly and evenly distribute itself throughout the food or beverage you’ve prepared.
Cooking with Fresh Rhubarb:
Other than a cobbler or a crumble, home cooks often find themselves unsure of what to do with fresh rhubarb. But this brightly colored vegetable (it is technically a vegetable, though most commonly used like a fruit!) makes terrific pies, compotes, muffins, scones, and even crème brûlée. The stalks alone taste quite tart, so you’ll usually notice that rhubarb recipes include a good amount of sugar (or other sweetener) to balance out the tartness.
Rhubarb hits peak season in April and May in the UK, and around the same time in the US. So, spring offers the perfect opportunity to put these bright pink stalks to good use in the kitchen—be sure to grab a bunch when you see it in the store!
While rhubarb stalks are safe to eat raw or cooked, rhubarb leaves cannot be eaten and are considered toxic to animals and humans. For this reason, grocery stores and farmer’s markets generally sell the stalks with the leaves already removed, but if you do find rhubarb with the leaves still intact, be sure to remove and discard.
In this homemade rhubarb syrup recipe, I’ve added chopped fresh rhubarb stalks to a sauce pan of water, and simmered these on the stovetop until the stalks dissolve into pink mush. Then, I’ve strained the mixture with a mesh strainer (the water is the important part—you can compost the mushy pulp), added granulated sugar, and rewarmed.
The end result? A sweet, vibrant pink syrup with a distinctive rhubarb flavor, perfect for spring baking and cocktail-making.
Uses for Homemade Simple Syrup:
When hearing the term “simple syrup,” many people immediately think “cocktail ingredient.” But there are so many things you can do with this rhubarb simple syrup:
- Brush it on homemade cakes and cupcakes as a soaking syrup
- Add it to a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade, or stir it into a glass of iced coffee
- Drizzle it over a stack of pancakes, French toast, or waffles, in lieu of maple syrup (and of course, add fresh berries and a healthy dollop of whipped cream!)
- Stir it into Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or oatmeal, along with sliced fresh strawberries
- Make refreshing, spring-inspired cocktails
Rhubarb Simple Syrup Recipe Tips and Tricks
To make this simple syrup recipe, you’ll need a medium saucepan, as well as a fine mesh strainer for straining the cooked rhubarb.
Make sure you’re alert for the straining step! Don’t make the too-common-kitchen-mistake of straining your infused rhubarb water…directly into the sink!
Storing Rhubarb Simple Syrup:
Simple syrup works nicely as a make-ahead project, because it can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. After allowing the finished syrup to cool to room temperature, transfer your homemade syrup to an airtight jar or storage container and store it in the refrigerator for up to three weeks to use as desired.
Other spring-inspired recipes you might enjoy:
Orange Almond Cake
Lemon Curd
Peach Hand Pies
Lavender Lemon Cookies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Rhubarb Simple Syrup
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 325 milliliters (about 1 1/8 cups) 1x
Description
A rhubarb simple syrup recipe for spring. Made with fresh rhubarb stalks, this homemade simple syrup boasts a beautiful pink color and bold rhubarb flavor. Ideal for soaking cakes, making cocktails, or adding to a pitcher of lemonade.
Ingredients
225 milliliters water (1 cup)
200 grams rhubarb stalks, coarsely chopped (2 cups chopped stalks)
210 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and the chopped rhubarb.
Bring to a boil on the stovetop.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until rhubarb has broken down into mushy, pale pink strands.
Use a fine mesh strainer to separate the rhubarb from the rhubarb-infused water.
Discard the pulp and return the rhubarb-infused water to the saucepan. Add the granulated sugar, stirring until it dissolves.
Simmer mixture over low heat for 5 minutes. Do not boil.
Remove from heat. Transfer to a small bowl and allow syrup to sit at room temperature until completely cool, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Use as desired. Store leftover rhubarb simple syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cooling Time: 2 hours
- Category: Sauces, Jams, and Chutneys
- Method: Stovetop