This light, creamy, tangy Rhubarb Fool is one of the easiest, most elegant desserts you will ever make. A lemony, vanilla bean rhubarb compote is layered with lightly sweetened crème fraîche whipped cream in this foolproof dessert (pun intended). You really won't believe how easy it is or how delicious! This might just become your new favorite way to use up that beautiful rhubarb.
Recipe Background and Details
There is really nothing rhubarb can't do. It can be sweet or savory, baked, simmered, poached, roasted. I think of all the rhubarb recipes I've made, this easy rhubarb fool is certainly the easiest and maybe even the prettiest of them all. I was lucky to get some really pink stalks but it would be pretty with the very dark red ones too. This dessert makes me imagine a laid back but elegant outdoor dinner party. It gives that effortless "I just threw this together right before you arrived" energy that people really love. It also makes me think of The Lost Kitchen which is the most binge-worthy show and has me itching to move to Maine.
If you adore rhubarb as much as I do, check out these rhubarb recipes: rhubarb upside-down cake, rhubarb crumble scones, rhubarb muffins, pickled rhubarb, rhubarb chutney, rhubarb curd, rhubarb galette, and rhubarb elderflower refresher cocktail.
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Ingredients
An easy-peasy handful of ingredients are all you need to make this rhubarb fool.
- rhubarb - fresh or frozen will work well here
- sugar - feel free to use honey but cut the amount back a tad as I find honey much sweeter than sugar.
- lemon - the juice and some of the rind from one fresh lemon to enhance and brighten all of the flavors.
- vanilla bean - I live for those little black flecks and the flavor really works in this dessert.
See recipe card for quantities.
- heavy whipping cream - cold and as fatty as you can get
- crème fraîche - to add tanginess but also to add sturdiness and stability to the whipped cream. sour cream, greek yogurt, cream cheese, or mascarpone cheese may be used as well. Nothing low fat please.
- powdered sugar - to sweeten and help stabilize the cream.
Instructions
This really could not be easier. The compote can be made days ahead for very easy assembly on the day you want to serve this pretty dessert. See Make Ahead tips below.
Cook rhubarb, lemon juice, lemon rind, vanilla bean in saucepan for 15-20 minutes until softened
Remove lemon rind and vanilla bean. Transfer compote to jar and chill
whip cream, crème fraîche, and powdered sugar with a large whisk or a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Don't overmix.
Layer cream and chilled compote in dessert dishes. Glasses are nice so you can see the pretty layers.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can make a fool with any fruit, so feel free to swap some of the rhubarb out for strawberries, cherries, or another berry or fruit.
- Instead of lemon use an orange or lime.
- Instead of crème fraîche, sour cream, greek yogurt, cream cheese, or mascarpone cheese may be used as well. Make sure the cream cheese is very soft before whipping.
- Add some spice to the compote with cinnamon, star anise, or cardamom.
- Enhance the whipped cream with your favorite extract or liqueur. Elderflower would be really good I think.
Storage and Make Ahead
The rhubarb compote can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. The whipped cream can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Combine the rhubarb fools just before serving.
FAQ
A fool is made with whipped cream that often has yogurt or sour cream added for a bit of stability. A mousse has eggs added, both the yolks and the whipped whites, to add structure, stability, and volume to the dessert. A fool comes together much faster and easier than a mousse.
Lemon and vanilla bean are two flavors that I use again and again in my rhubarb recipes. They both enhance and complement the flavor of rhubarb so well. Orange is another flavor that works well with rhubarb.
Lemon and vanilla taste wonderful with rhubarb. Also, other fruits such as strawberries pair very well with the tartness of rhubarb.
Some sources say the British fool dessert is named after the term fouler, which meant to mash or crush. It is also a dessert that is very easy and some say not meant to be taken seriously. I always thought it was because you were fooling your guests into thinking it was a complicated recipe when in fact it is one of the easiest desserts you could ever make.
Related - dessert recipes
- Sourdough Discard Apple Bread
- Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Peach Cobbler
- Sourdough Discard Blondies
Rhubarb Fool
- Total Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 pound rhubarb, chopped
½ cup sugar or honey
juice of one lemon
1 vanilla bean, split
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup creme fraiche (sour cream, greek yogurt, or mascarpone may be used)
¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Place rhubarb, lemon juice and lemon peels, vanilla bean, and sugar in sauce pan and cook over medium heat until mixture boils, rhubarb softens, and the juices reduce a bit. This will take about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool slightly, remove vanilla bean and lemon rind. Transfer to jar and store in refrigerator until completely cool and you are ready to assemble the fools.
When ready to assemble, whip cream by combining cream, crème fraîche, and powdered sugar in a bowl and whipping with a whisk or hand mixer until soft peaks form. Do not overmix - this is meant to be softly whipped.
Layer fruit compote with cream in pretty glasses or dessert dishes. This easily serves 4-6 or even 8 or more if making smaller desserts after a big dinner or as part of a dessert bar.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: dessert, rhubarb recipes
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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