Rhubarb Tart Recipe
A rustic Rhubarb Tart with lemon, cardamom, and vanilla tucked into a free-form, flakey buckwheat crust. Simple, elegant, and delicious!
How to Make the Best Rhubarb Tart
This rustic rhubarb tart celebrates the tart, vibrant flavor of fresh rhubarb in a beautifully free-form presentation. The buttery buckwheat crust adds a subtle nuttiness that pairs wonderfully with the bright, lemony filling. Cardamom and vanilla lend warm, aromatic notes that elevate this simple dessert into something truly special.
The beauty of a galette-style tart lies in its forgiving nature—there’s no need for a perfectly crimped edge or a flawless pie tin. Simply fold the rustic crust over the jewel-toned rhubarb, and you’ll have a stunning dessert that looks like it came from a French bakery. The coarse sugar sprinkled on the edges creates a delightful crunch with every bite.
Serve this tart warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream. It’s the perfect way to showcase spring’s first harvest of rhubarb and makes an impressive finale to any dinner party or Sunday brunch.
Rhubarb Tart
A rustic Rhubarb Tart with lemon, cardamom, and vanilla tucked into a free-form, flakey buckwheat crust. Simple, elegant, and delicious!
Ingredients
Buckwheat Crust
Rhubarb Filling
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter (or knives or hands that are not too warm). When butter is around the size of a pea, add in water a few tablespoons at a time until the dough just begins to come together. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
- Place a metal sheet pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. You will bake the tart on the hot sheet pan.
Prepare the Filling
- In a bowl, toss together cut rhubarb, sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cardamom, and vanilla.
Assemble and Bake
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, roughly 11x13 inches. Use just enough flour to keep it from sticking to the surface and the rolling pin. Trim the edges if needed. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper.
- Leave a 1 1/2 inch border around the dough and arrange the coated pieces of rhubarb in rows, keeping them in one layer to ensure even cooking. Angle the rhubarb in opposite directions in each row to create a chevron pattern. Start arranging in the center, working out to the edges.
- Fold the dough in over the edges of the rhubarb so you have roughly a one-inch border, letting the corners double up as you fold. Brush the edges with egg wash (optional) and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Scrape out the liquid remaining in the rhubarb bowl and pour it evenly over the tart.
- Place the pan with the tart in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the hot sheet pan from the oven. Grab the parchment edges and transfer the tart to the heated sheet pan.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven. Turn the oven down to 375°F. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is brown and the filling is bubbling in the center. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- Use the reddest rhubarb pieces you can find for the best color and presentation.
- The tart may look really juicy when it comes out of the oven, but it will firm up as it cools.
- Chilling the assembled tart before baking helps the crust hold its shape.
