10 Amazing Low Carb Rhubarb Recipes You Need to Try!
Looking for a rhubarb recipe to put those pretty pink stalks to use that goes beyond dessert? I’ve rounded up the 10 best low carb rhubarb recipes for every occasion so you can enjoy this delightfully sour treat without spiking your blood sugar.
Rhubarb seems to find its way into a lot of desserts—often sharing the stage with strawberries. But it’s no coincidence that this low carb vegetable appears in these sweet treats. Raw rhubarb is very tart, so to balance it out and make it more palatable, it is usually cooked with sugar.
Nutrition Content of Rhubard
But there’s actually a lot more to rhubarb beyond desserts, including the fact that it boasts some serious nutritional benefits.
One cup of the colorful vegetable contains 26 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates, and over 20 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin K.
Like many fruits and vegetables, rhubarb has a good amount of fiber—about 2 grams per cup. Fiber, of course, is great for your digestive health and can help lower blood cholesterol levels.
Rhubarb also boasts more of an antioxidant punch than kale! It’s rich in anthocyanins, which may help reduce inflammation and protect against chronic diseases often associated with diabetes.
Can diabetics eat rhubarb?
Rhubarb can be great for diabetics or anyone following a low carb or keto diet because it’s naturally low in sugar and high in fiber. And while a lot of rhubarb recipes add a large amount of sugar, these low carb rhubarb recipes keep the sweetener to a minimum so you can enjoy the tang of the rhubarb!
These recipes also add more protein and fiber with ingredients like oats, almond flour, coconut flour, nuts and seeds, which can help slow down your rise in blood sugar, helping to avoid blood sugar spikes after enjoying a sweet rhubarb dessert.
How to Eat Rhubarb
You may find fresh rhubarb in your grocery store when the vegetable is in season, which is typically from April to June.
Rhubarb is usually used as fruit would be. It’s added to pies, sauces, muffins, cakes, jams, and crumbles because its tart flavor is a nice balance for these sweet desserts.
But just because rhubarb and strawberry are a delicious combo, doesn’t mean rhubarb is limited to sweets. In fact, rhubarb makes a great addition to meats, cocktails, and savory dishes too.
10 Low Carb Rhubarb Recipes
If you need some recipe inspiration for those beautiful red stalks of rhubarb in your kitchen just waiting to be used, here are 10 low carb rhubarb recipes for some sweet and savory motivation!
Healthy Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Salad | Rainbow Plant Life
Although typically known for desserts, rhubarb works incredibly well in sweet and savory dishes, and this marinated rhubarb salad with almonds, hazelnuts and fresh herbs shows us just that. Each serving has 7 grams of fiber to keep you full while keeping your blood sugar in check. Try serving this diabetic salad on a bed of leafy greens, with feta or ricotta cheese, or alongside grilled chicken for a well balanced meal.
Calories: 222 Carbs: 33g Protein: 5g Fat: 2g Fiber: 7g
Rhubarb Flapjacks | Cinnamon and Kale
Rhubarb is a vegetable, so technically a rhubarb morning flapjack is a healthy breakfast, right? These muffins are jammed with oats, tangy rhubarb, and a splash of applesauce for sweetness. To make it extra filling, top with crunch walnuts, a dollop of greek yogurt, or a drizzle of nut butter for a low-carb breakfast.
Calories: 150 Carbs: 24g Protein: 2g Fat: 6g Fiber: 2g
Blueberry Rhubarb Jam | Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD of It’s a Veg World After All
If you find yourself with extra rhubarb on hand, this Blueberry Rhubarb Jam is for you! It’s a unique twist on rhubarb jam that doesn’t need any pectin, and has far less sugar than most jams. You can even add a teaspoon of chia seeds to thicken the jam, all while adding a boost of healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Spread it on a low carb bread with peanut butter, on top of chicken or salmon, or mix into your morning yogurt.
Calories: 30 Carbs: 8g Protein: 0g Fat: 0g Fiber: 1g
Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffins | Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD of It’s a Veg World After All
Dense and chewy oatmeal muffins filled with sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb. You’d expect these to be off-limits for a diabetes-friendly diet, but thanks to the oats, they’re actually a great choice!
Rolled oats are high in fiber, which helps to slow down how quickly the sugars are broken down for energy. Choose from high protein and fat add-ins like walnuts, pecans, or chia seeds for a more satisfying and filling low carb muffin!
Calories: 129 Carbs: 24g Protein: 4g Fat: 2g Fiber: 3g
Sweet Strawberry Rhubarb Salsa | Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD of It’s a Veg World After All
Adding a low carb vegetable like rhubarb to a traditional fruit salsa helps cut down on sugar while amplifying the flavor. One serving is packed with 3 grams of fiber to keep you satisfied and help slow the rise in blood sugar.
Keep it sweet and serve this low carb salsa with a low carb chip, or make it savory and use on top of white fish or pork chops.
Calories: 154 Carbs: 18g Protein: 1g Fat: 10g Fiber: 3g
Healthy Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp | Haute and Healthy Living
This gluten-free rhubarb crisp is made with almond flour and no refined sugars. Even with 30 grams of net carbs per serving, it still has 12 grams less carbs than the average rhubarb crisp and over 20 percent of your daily value of fiber!
If you’re looking for a sugar free rhubarb crisp with a truly crisp topping, swap the maple syrup for an erythritol based sweetener.
Calories: 336 Carbs: 37g Protein: 8g Fat: 22g Fiber: 7g
Stewed Rhubarb and Apple | Cinnamon and Kale
Serve this low carb rhubarb recipe as a delicious dessert or top with greek yogurt for a quick and easy breakfast. Just one serving has 4 grams of fiber and is sweetened with just a touch of honey so you don’t have to worry about spiking your blood sugar.
Calories: 93 Carbs: 24g Protein: 2g Fat: 0g Fiber: 4g
Keto Rhubarb Crumble Bars | Joy Filled Eats
Classic crumbles made with four and brown sugar can be quite high in carbohydrates and added sugars. These keto rhubarb crumble bars have 6 grams of net carbs and still give you that classic crunchy crumble and ooey-gooey sweet center without the excess sugar!
One serving provides 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. So while it’s low carb, it also has the stats to help keep you full and satisfied. You can even add your favorite nut, like pecans or walnuts, for a nice subtle crunch.
Calories: 336 Carbs: 11g Protein: 7g Fat: 32g Fiber: 5g
Keto Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake | Keto Focus
This strawberry rhubarb upside down cake is perfect for a keto or low carb diet with only has 9 grams of carbohydrates per serving. While it’s low in sugar, it’s also high in protein with 8 grams coming from ingredients like almond flour and coconut flour. Monk fruit sweetener is used as a sweetener without adding extra carbohydrates. So you can feel good about having a piece of low carb cake, or two, for dessert!
Calories: 386 Carbs: 9g Protein: 8g Fat: 18g Fiber: 4g
Rhubarb Vinaigrette | Binkys Culinary Carnival
Freeze your rhubarb when it’s fresh so you can make a batch of this sweet-tangy vinaigrette and brighten up your salads any time of the year. This dressing has 4 grams of carbohydrates, making it easy to fit into a diabetes meal plan. It is packed full of antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamin K and vitamin C, not to mention flavor!
Calories: 58 Carbs: 4g Protein: 1g Fat: 5g Fiber: 1g
The Bottom Line
Rhubarb can be a healthy addition to a low carb diet because it is naturally low in sugar and high in fiber. Many recipes that include rhubarb are desserts and can sometimes be high in sugar, but there are so many ways to increase the nutrition so that they are good for you and your blood sugar! Whether you’re looking for a lower-calorie, lower fat, no sugar added, or a low carb rhubarb recipe – or maybe you just want to increase your fiber or protein intake, you’ll find an option in the list above.