Serves a Crowd
Naughty Rhubarb Scones
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120 Reviews
Sara K.
March 1, 2023
This is entire extended family’s favorite scone. Rhubarb isn’t as plentiful in states and so I often sub in a cup of softened raisins or craisins (just pour boiling water on them and steep for a minute or two and drain). You just use more cream if you use something other than rhubarb.
Mary B.
August 18, 2021
Substituted 3 cups of drained sour cherries for the rhubarb
Added 1 tsp each of vanilla and almond extract
Delicious
Had to bake an extra 14 minutes due to high altitude
Added 1 tsp each of vanilla and almond extract
Delicious
Had to bake an extra 14 minutes due to high altitude
jacky143
June 22, 2021
Made these today using 4 peaches. This recipe handled the extra fruit nicely. I chilled the scones 10 minutes before baking. Very pleased with the result.
THEToughCookie
June 16, 2021
I made these scones for the first time on Monday. I froze the unbaked scones (aluminum free baking powder), then wrapped them individually, and stored in the freezer. I pulled out the runt of the litter this morning to taste test it. They are sensational! I hope they last in the freezer for 2 weeks til out of town guests come for the 4th. Rhubarb rhules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LDM
December 26, 2020
I recently made these again, using cranberries instead of rhubarb. So delicious! Might want to put in a little orange zest. This is a great recipe. Love it.
NNNicki
December 24, 2020
This recipe is excellent and is my absolute go to whenever I make scones. I first made these with about 2 cups of rhubarb and half cup of white chocolate chunks. The scones turned out perfectly. This morning I adapted it to include about 1.5 cups diced pears and 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds. Another winner! We agreed these are better than our favorite coffee shop scones. I never have heavy cream on hand, so I mix about 1/2 cup 5% fat Fage yogurt and 1/4 cup coconut milk until it's smooth and it's the perfect substitute.
Leslie
June 30, 2020
Like many others, I love this recipe! These scones are crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom, which complimented the rhubarb beautifully.
Zeta R.
June 3, 2020
Love this recipe! Our family has been fortunate enough to receive gifts of rhubarb from both friends and family this spring. My daughter and I made these scones to go with our first homemade batch of lemon curd - so good! We both appreciate tart things. I skipped sprinkling sugar on top (even though the crunchy caramelization of sugar is super tasty) as I try to cut back on sugar in small ways wherever I can. There was enough in the scones and the lemon curd. Thanks for sharing this simple recipe :-)
LDM
May 31, 2020
I just made these scones, and they were absolutely delicious! My only concern was how much rhubarb to actually use. 3 stalks can vary quite a bit depending on the size of the stalk. I went for about 2 cups, which was perfect. I gave a couple away as gifts, and we ate the rest. Makes a delicious rhubarb shortcake for dessert, too, with rhubarb sauce and ice cream, if you so desire. I'll definitely make them again.
Claire
May 12, 2022
Thank you for the tip. Stalks is rather vague so measuring in grams or cups is appreciated.
Marcelline
May 30, 2020
I discovered rhubarb and this recipe 5 years ago and I wanted to say that no matter what else I make with rhubarb, this recipe is always the one that gets me. It is my favorite way to use rhubarb, showcasing its subtle tart flavor. Every rhubarb season, I come back to this one! Thank you so much for this simple and reliable recipe!
GirlWomanPerson
February 3, 2020
Made this recipe with rhubarb I had chopped, poached in sugar syrup and dehydrated. Worked wonderfully. Very easy and a nice balance of flavors. Love it!
crystalx
July 17, 2019
These are super good! Just enough sugar to cut the edge of the tart rhubarb. I used around 300g of rhubarb, which was good. Really nice and fluffy.
Candace
July 3, 2019
I am not one to ever write reviews. No particular reason why, but I had to share that I tried out this recipe today and they were sooo good!!! Definitely hard to eat just one.
Thank you for sharing this recipe I will be making them again next summer when I can get my hands on more Rhubarb :)
Thank you for sharing this recipe I will be making them again next summer when I can get my hands on more Rhubarb :)
Christine
May 26, 2019
I used frozen rhubarb I defrosted in microwave and drained. Also didn't have vanilla sugar, so I just worked a little pure vanilla extract into some granulated sugar with my fingers and it was a tasty topping to these delicious scones. So, so good!
Debbie C.
May 12, 2019
This makes a great scone, but you do have to make some changes. Scones can not tolerate the addition of wet items, so mixing the rhubarb with sugar and drawing out the juices does not make sense. I skip that step, and add 2T of the sugar (that was to be used for that purpose) to the batter. I also fully make the dough with the butter, dry ingredients and the cream (plus 1/2 tsp vanilla since I don't have vanilla sugar) before adding the rhubarb. Once the ball of dough has formed in the food processor, I mix in the cut up rhubarb quickly by hand, so that it does not cause the batter to get too wet. I think about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of rhubarb works best -- any more and it will be hard to get the dough to hold together. With these changes, these have become one of our spring favorites. When rhubarb is in season, I make a bunch and freeze them so we can enjoy them for a while.
Kendall T.
June 24, 2017
12-16 servings of local-coffee-shop-level scone goodness. I used three large stalks of rhubarb and only let it macerate for about 10 minutes. Whisked dry ingredients in a stand mixer, added butter/rhubarb/cream by hand. They're a little soft after being sealed in a container overnight. Probably best to serve these fresh or freeze individual, unbaked scones after step 8 and bake when ready to eat.
Kendall T.
June 24, 2017
Solution to softness after baking ahead of time—warm scones in the toaster for a few minutes to achieve a reminiscent crust texture to the just-baked scone that contrasts well with the soft and airy interior crumb.
BarnOwlBaker
May 29, 2017
Just made these with garden rhubarb (skinny stalks!) and measured my cut rhubarb at 2 1/2 cups for this recipe. My scones came out great, super tasty, 16 total. Thanks for a new idea for my favorite spring fruit.
C
May 17, 2017
FYI -- My rhubarb made the dough too wet to handle once the liquid was added. Obviously the problem could be fixed before hand (strain the rhubarb before adding; use less cream), but the fix is pretty easy if you find you have dough that is too wet to turn out and pat down like a scone. You can use the drop biscuit method with this recipe instead. Using an ice cream scoop, put blobs of dough on a cookie sheet. Use wax paper or saran wrap to press the blob into a flat disk about 1/2 - 3/4" thick. You can also just press all of the dough into a single round blob or into a 9 inch cast iron skillet, bake it longer (c. 45 min or so), then slice the finished product into individual triangles. Wet dough is not the end of the world! There is plenty of butter in this to get a good product at the end.
K
August 27, 2016
A nightmare! I sliced rhubarb in food processor. That made the dough too, too wet! Baked 20 min., then 15 more, finally 6 min. Convection..... Result, never cooked through. I learned my lesson!
Jenny
July 26, 2016
I only had blueberries on hand, so decided to give it a shot. I quartered the recipe, used cake flour and maybe a tad too much of butter (yeah, was like eyeballing the butter) so as a result, these spread a little too much and became flat. It tastes REALLY good though. It was like a pie and a scone had a baby, so crumbly, bursting with juices and a slightly crunch on top. Thanks for the recipe :) WIll make again!
karin.anderson.52
June 5, 2016
Highly addictive! These scones are so good that we had a hard time not to eat them all at once. I exchanged a quarter of the all-purpose flour for einkorn flour.
whym
May 28, 2016
This recipe is the best scone recipe I've ever had. I followed it as close as I could, substituting regular sugar for vanilla sugar, and sprinkling sugar on top of the scones before they went in the oven. The scone batter itself is nice and sweet, while the rhubarb is tart and moist, creating the perfect texture and flavor. I fully intend to make these again! (And again. And again.) Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tammy
May 19, 2016
This is the problem with our society today....we label our food naughty...no wonder so many struggle with what to eat and how much...nothing is naughty...all things in moderation!
Jen F.
September 2, 2015
I added some cinnamon and used some brown sugar mixed with the white sugar. Also used buttermilk in place of all that cream. Ah-mazing. So delicious. Will make these again for sure!
hAndyman
May 16, 2015
I don't know why I had never made rhubarb scones before. These are excellent. I made these last year and again today, no subs. I used 250 g of rhubarb last year and used 310 g picked just before starting to make them this morning.
Thanks Midge! Made 12 yummy scones!
Thanks Midge! Made 12 yummy scones!
Shauna M.
May 5, 2015
Made these today using 250g fresh rhubarb and 250ml whipping cream (UK version of heavy cream). Turned out really well. I made 12 scones and took about 23 mins at fan oven 210C. Great recipe, found the balance of sweetness to be just right and they're delicious warmed in the oven and even without butter/jam. Yum!
bottomupfood
May 1, 2015
These were delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I used 5 medium stalks of rhubarb. Agreed that having a recommendation as to volume or weight or rhubarb instead of units would be helpful.
maryvelasquez
June 30, 2014
Thank you for this naughty recipe. I followed it to the letter and it was perfect.
mainesoul
June 9, 2014
I made these yesterday. I didn't have heavy cream but I did have light cream and creme fraiche. I put a good size dollop of the creme fraiche in my measuring cup and then brought it up to 3/4 cup with the light creme. They were fantastic. Perfectly moist.
Sugar O.
May 21, 2014
Bought some rhubarb today to make this recipe, and as another commenter requested, it would have been very helpful if the author had included a weight measurement for the chopped rhubarb. I bought three stalks; however, one single stalk yielded nearly 2 cups chopped -- if I chop all three, I will have 5-6 cups of rhubarb -- which seems like way too much for this recipe! Also - "vanilla sugar" - most sugar doesn't come flavored with vanilla, so it would be helpful to add a note at the end, for how to make vanilla sugar.
MSpiegel
May 21, 2014
Rhubarb freezes very well. I chop it up and put it in sandwich-size ziploc bags, which hold about 2 cups each. You don't even thaw it before using it, so it's very handy, and nice to have on hand when the short rhubarb season is over.
CatalunaLilith
May 21, 2014
Vanilla sugar is your normal sugar (usually white granulated, but I've had success with unrefined cane sugar as well) stored in an airtight jar with a vanilla bean or two, for at least a week. You can used a fresh bean, but since you only need the aroma of he vanilla it's typical to used a bean that you've already scraped the insides of for another recipe
Marla C.
June 23, 2014
I made these and replaced the butter with coconut oil, and the cream for coconut milk with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Into the vanilla sugar for the topping, I added a hefty pinch of coarse sea salt. Devine!
Jen F.
August 31, 2015
Scrape a vanilla pod and use the seeds to your baking. Pop the empty vanilla pod into your sugar jar and voila! Vanilla sugar.
leah_shelton_pucciarelli
May 19, 2014
I want to make these dairy-free
Any thoughts on using coconut milk or cream?
Any thoughts on using coconut milk or cream?
eakesin
June 14, 2018
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/03/lemon-blueberry-scones-vegan-recipe.html - this is a great template for making vegan scones. I would use more sugar, though, than in this vegan recipe with rhubarb.
gailllc
May 19, 2014
If you find the bites of rhubarb too tart, toss the sliced rhubarb with some sugar and let it sit for a few hours. It will melt, then wick up the sugar (along the lines of the kids' experiment of celery wicking up colored water). Drain and use without other changes.
Mulzee
March 23, 2014
I just made these and they are divine! Super easy to make as well. I made a double batch and put half in the freezer for later. Hopefully the frozen versions will turn out as good as these fresh ones. Thank you for the recipe!!
myteachermsfleming
December 28, 2013
I just made these with fresh cranberries instead of rhubarb (a clamshell full). They're delicious. I'm going to wrap them in saran wrap and freeze them to toast for breakfast this week. Thanks!
Anna P.
June 21, 2013
Fantastic recipe. These were delicious, fluffy and the sweet/tart level just right. Super easy as well. Thank you!
Anna
Anna
diane B.
June 17, 2013
Your recipe is being featured in a rhubarb recipe round up today on Simple Living and Eating. I will be pinning and tweeting it too.
[email protected]
May 27, 2013
Great recipe. I used frozen rhubarb, white whole wheat flour, and canned coconut milk in place of the heavy cream and they still turned out delicious.
gabby
May 21, 2013
Made today with my four-year old. Easy, delicious dough. I used 190g of rhubarb (nearly five stalks), 1/2t vanilla in w cream and another w the sugar on the rhubarb, almost full cup of cream (it's hot!). Delicious. Freezing some as suggested. Going to use the dough base for mango version end of week.
LucyRed
April 22, 2013
Yum!! Made these for brunch yesterday and everyone raved about them. I used fresh rhubarb and did add a lemon glaze to them which really complimented the rhubarb. Will absolutely make these again ~ with the lemon glaze. Thanks for the recipe!
MSpiegel
April 19, 2013
I had some rhubarb in the freezer that I used. I chopped it frozen and then let it sit out while I did the rest of the prep and it worked just fine.
CatalunaLilith
April 19, 2013
do you think frozen rhubarb would substitute well in here? it's not quite rhubarb season here, not for another 3 to 4 weeks, but i still have a bag of rhubarb from my garden last season.
Christina @.
March 16, 2013
Since everyone is a rhubarb lover here, this is my recipe for rhubarb yogurt (which incidentally, tastes like dessert!) http://christinascucina.blogspot.com/2012/05/crunchy-rhubarb-yogurt.html
Mirta
February 17, 2013
Hi, would it be possible to specify measures for the rhubarb and the butter in the recipe? I totally failed this one and I think it's because I went wrong in the conversion to metric.
How many gr or cups rhubarb? I buy it frozen and it's already sliced.
How many gr or oz is a tablespoon of butter?
Also, what is "heavy cream"? is it crème fraîche?
I buy frozen rhubarb, f.ex., and it comes already sliced so "3 stalks" is difficult to measure.
How many gr or cups rhubarb? I buy it frozen and it's already sliced.
How many gr or oz is a tablespoon of butter?
Also, what is "heavy cream"? is it crème fraîche?
I buy frozen rhubarb, f.ex., and it comes already sliced so "3 stalks" is difficult to measure.
Joe P.
March 3, 2013
Found this site that give conversions (not SI units however)
http://www.rhubarb-central.com/conversion-charts.html
I calculated 1.25 cups is needed (equivalent to 3 stalks), but I used 10 oz bag (283g) of frozen red rhubarb which is actually 1.5 cups - I didn't want to deal with a 0.25 residual amount.
http://www.rhubarb-central.com/conversion-charts.html
I calculated 1.25 cups is needed (equivalent to 3 stalks), but I used 10 oz bag (283g) of frozen red rhubarb which is actually 1.5 cups - I didn't want to deal with a 0.25 residual amount.
Shauna M.
May 5, 2015
I used just over 250g fresh rhubarb. Heavy cream in the UK is equivalent to whipping cream. A tablespoon of butter is 14.2g so you need 113.6g, I rounded up to 114 :) I used just short of 250ml of whipping cream which is almost a cup, so more than the recipe stated but they turned out fine - not sure if that's because heavy cream and whipping cream aren't exactly the same.
Parrotmom
July 11, 2012
A friend at work brought me some rhubarb today and I remembered this recipe - absolutely delicious! Made them after work and ate them for dinner, warm from the oven with butter and a glass of milk. I used the food processor for everything but adding the cream and it worked out perfectely.
Miachef
July 1, 2012
These are delicious! I liked the tartness, with just a hint of sweetness. For people who like things a bit sweeter, I would recommend macerating the rhubarb a bit longer...maybe at least an hour. I also used regular sugar instead of vanilla sugar, and it worked out fine. I mixed the dry ingredients and the butter in a food processor, but then added the rhubarb and cream while mixing by hand; that way, I had nice chunks of rhubarb. Can't wait to make these again...might try this recipe using other types of fruit as well!
em-i-lis
June 27, 2012
These are terrific, Midge. My three year old and I took down half a batch one recent morning. I have found that they're even better the day after being made, retoasted. They also freeze beautifully!
eternalgradstudent
June 24, 2012
These are delish! The tart and sweet are perfectly balanced. Thanks for a great recipe!
Katie
June 16, 2012
I made these scones this morning and single-handedly ate the entire batch throughout the course of the day. They were so good (but oh, so naughty), I couldn't control myself. Great recipe; I enjoyed it immensely.
Midge
June 13, 2012
How on earth did I miss this!? Thanks so much for the Wildcard nod and for all your wonderful comments. What a lovely surprise!
chocbird09
June 7, 2012
They're so good! The rhubarb became almost creamy (though I think I'll chop more finely if mixing by hand like today or add more of it next time), the dough isn't overpoweringly sweet, and is so fluffy and moist. All the scones I had baked before (7 recipes? 8?) were dry and tough, so I'm really happy with those. What surprised me — and convinced to make them today, since I ran out of parchment when baked a rhubarb cake recently — was the ungreased baking sheet. Only one tip got stuck (and I kind of ate that scone straight from the pan, but shh!).
I added a few drops of vanilla extract to the cream instead of the vanilla sugar, and used a bit more than 2/3c of the cream. Also, I baked them a few minutes longer.
Definitely goes into my favorites. Thank you for such a great recipe!
I added a few drops of vanilla extract to the cream instead of the vanilla sugar, and used a bit more than 2/3c of the cream. Also, I baked them a few minutes longer.
Definitely goes into my favorites. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Alex R.
June 5, 2012
These came out really well, thanks!
My notes: I did not use a food processor at all and I didn't have heavy cream so I used a combination of sour cream and evaporated milk (and a splash of vanilla extract instead of vanilla sugar). It was a little awkward to mix the dough by hand after adding the wet ingredients because the rhubarb slices got in the way (I used 5 small/medium-sized stalks), and I was worried that I was overmixing it. Somehow it all worked out though, the baked scones had a good texture and I'm glad I kept the rhubarb pieces in tact.
My notes: I did not use a food processor at all and I didn't have heavy cream so I used a combination of sour cream and evaporated milk (and a splash of vanilla extract instead of vanilla sugar). It was a little awkward to mix the dough by hand after adding the wet ingredients because the rhubarb slices got in the way (I used 5 small/medium-sized stalks), and I was worried that I was overmixing it. Somehow it all worked out though, the baked scones had a good texture and I'm glad I kept the rhubarb pieces in tact.
BonneH
June 3, 2012
Instead of clotted cream, we used non-fat Greek yogurt along with raspberry preserves. Yum!
Ghost H.
June 3, 2012
I bake a lot and have a sort of obsession for biscuits and scones. This might be one of the best I've made! Of course I am a bit biased as I love rhubarb. I went out to get English clotted cream to fancy up even more! Delicious.
BonneH
June 3, 2012
I made these this morning and they were a big hit! I used white whole wheat flour, fat-free half & half and rhubarb I just picked from my garden. One question, though, I found that when I pulsed the cream into the flour-rhubarb mixture I ended up with 1/4" pieces of rhubarb. It worked fine, but I wondered how you kept the pieces larger as suggested? This will become an addition to my repertoire!
iwantamonkey
June 3, 2012
I was excited about this recipe (an still am!) but i have some notes. I used the food processor for all steps, but would maybe hand mix in the cream next time so the rhubarb doesn't get as pulverized. I also might up the rhubarb to 4 stalks depending on size. How much should I be aiming for volume wise? I used 2/3 c cream + a hair more and the dough was a sticky mess, even after unstuck it back in the freezer for a bit. I used frozen butter and would definitely chill the dough longer during mixing process next time. My scones did not rise during baking and came put pretty flat, especially the longer they sat at room temp. Froze 6, hopefully those will rise while baking. Rhubarb flavor is pretty subtle in these, this my question re: how much rhubarb volume wise and comment re: not mixing them in the food processor. Can't wait to try again, though! These are definitely a keeper.
Christina @.
June 3, 2012
I grew up in Scotland, eating rhubarb raw, (I actually just did a Rhubarb Yogurt post on my blog about a week ago, and a scone recipe before that, but it never even entered my mind to put them in scones! MUST TRY!! Congrats! Christina
mrslarkin
June 1, 2012
Yay Midge! These would be great for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee on Sunday.
BoulderGalinTokyo
June 1, 2012
Marvelous idea for a party! Roses are in bloom, just need a wide-rimmed hat. I really like Midge's idea of the clotted cream. Thank you.
em-i-lis
June 1, 2012
Fabulous! These are right up my alley, and in fact, I just bought rhubarb. I see these in my very near future!
TheWimpyVegetarian
June 1, 2012
Oh Yay!!!!! I've made these and just love, love, love them. A well-deserved win!!
fiveandspice
June 1, 2012
Just saw the WC! Woot! Congrats! So well deserved. I've been dreaming about these ever since you brought some over last spring and this is clearly the signal to go ahead and make some more.
mcskelt
May 21, 2012
These are delicious! And very easy to make. I didn't have heavy cream so I used sour cream and 2% milk. And I added a little cardamom. I think this is my new go-to brunch recipe!
MSpiegel
May 15, 2012
I used FF Half and Half instead of cream to save calories. I wound up with a pretty sticky mess, but I plopped them onto a baking sheet anyway. They taste ok, but I think I blended the rhubarb too finely, because I could barely taste it. I'll try again with less liquid and more fruit.
kateteresa
August 4, 2011
These are just delicious! They have become my "go to" scone recipe. (Lately, my "go to" breakfast on the go recipe as well...)
I started making them after getting some rhubarb in my CSA earlier this year and not knowing what to do with it. Since then, I've been substituting in other fruits and even other flours (I've exchanged up to 1.5 c whole wheat with great results). I have also had great luck with freezing them individually and then popping a few in the oven when needed. Thanks!!
I started making them after getting some rhubarb in my CSA earlier this year and not knowing what to do with it. Since then, I've been substituting in other fruits and even other flours (I've exchanged up to 1.5 c whole wheat with great results). I have also had great luck with freezing them individually and then popping a few in the oven when needed. Thanks!!
Midge
August 4, 2011
Thanks so much kateteresa! So glad you like them. Nice to know that whole wheat works well.
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