You'll love this simple, delicious rhubarb and custard recipe, taking a classic flavour combination and serving it in elegant pudding bowls with a biscuit base.
It's easy to prepare every element of this delicious dessert, especially with my quick and fail-safe method for perfect custard. In fact, my rhubarb and custard recipe takes just 30 minutes to prepare, ready for you to enjoy as a Friday night treat, or serve at a party or gathering.
To start, you'll pop rhubarb in a pan with sugar and a dash of water and simmer gently to give a lovely tangy compote. If your rhubarb is a bit green, you can add a tiny drop of pink food colouring to give it a more appealing colour, but it's totally optional.
While the compote cools, you'll make the custard by combining eggs, sugar, cornflour and vanilla into a thin paste. You'll them pour on hot milk, stir together and then put back in the pan and gently heat until you have a smooth, irresistible custard.
Once your rhubarb compote and fresh custard have cooled, all that's left to do is sprinkle crushed digestive biscuits (graham crackers) into the bottom of each pudding bowl, spoon on the compote and then finish with the custard.
After that, the only thing left to do is pop them in the fridge to chill, ready for dinner.
Here's how to make my easy rhubarb and custard pudding.
Ingredients
For the rhubarb
- 600 g (21 oz) fresh rhubarb
- 150 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 70 ml (5 tbsp) water
- drop pink food colouring (optional)
For the custard
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 750 ml (3¼ cups) whole milk
- 100 g (½ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 medium free range egg yolks
- 1 medium free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
To assemble
- 12 (12 sheets) digestive biscuits (graham crackers)
Equipment
Instructions
Prepare the rhubarb
Cut the rhubarb into inch-long chunks and place in a pan with the water and sugar. You can add a tiny drop of pink food colouring if your rhubarb isn't very pink but it's totally optional.
Cook over a low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently until the rhubarb is broken down (you can add extra water if it looks too dry during cooking). Stir in the food colour, if using.
Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Make the custard
Measure your sugar, eggs, cornflour and vanilla into a large bowl.
Stir with your silicone spatula, pressing any lumps out against the side of the bowl until you hav a smooth paste.
Heat the milk over a medium heat in a large pan until just beginning to simmer.
Pour the milk over the egg mixture, stirring with your silicone spatula to ensure it's all incorporated.
Wipe the pan to remove any milk solids on the bottom (they are likely to burn otherwise) and return the custard to the pan.
Stir gently over the heat, keeping the bottom of the pan moving to avoid it catching until it thickens to a pouring custard consistency (it will thicken further as it cools). Taste to make sure the cornflour has cooked out.
Take off the heat, transfer back to your bowl, close cover (this means placing the film against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming) and set aside to cool a little.
Assemble the pudding
Crush the biscuits roughly and use them to line the bottom of each serving bowl.
Top with the rhubarb.
Now spoon on the custard.
Place in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up. If you want them fully set, you should chill them overnight.
If you'd like to garnish just before serving, berries or a sprig of mint are the perfect choice.
What do you think of this delicious rhubarb and custard pudding? If you make it, I'd love to see your pics!
Print this recipe for rhubarb and custard
Rhubarb and Custard Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
For the rhubarb
- 600 g (21 oz) fresh rhubarb
- 150 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 70 ml (5 tbsp) water
- drop pink food colouring (optional)
For the custard
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 750 ml (3¼ cups) whole milk
- 100 g (½ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 medium free range egg yolks
- 1 medium free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
To assemble
- 12 (12 sheets) digestive biscuits (graham crackers)
Equipment
- 6 Glass pudding bowls
Instructions
Prepare the rhubarb
- Cut the rhubarb into inch-long chunks and place in a pan with the water and sugar. You can add a tiny drop of pink food colouring if your rhubarb isn't very pink but it's totally optional.
- Cook over a low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently until the rhubarb is broken down (you can add extra water if it looks too dry during cooking). Stir in the food colour, if using.
- Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Make the custard
- Measure your sugar, eggs, cornflour and vanilla into a large bowl.
- Stir with your silicone spatula, pressing any lumps out against the side of the bowl until you hav a smooth paste.
- Heat the milk over a medium heat in a large pan until just beginning to simmer.
- Pour the milk over the egg mixture, stirring with your silicone spatula to ensure it's all incorporated.
- Wipe the pan to remove any milk solids on the bottom (they are likely to burn otherwise) and return the custard to the pan.
- Stir gently over the heat, keeping the bottom of the pan moving to avoid it catching until it thickens to a pouring custard consistency (it will thicken further as it cools). Taste to make sure the cornflour has cooked out.
- Take off the heat, transfer back to your bowl, close cover (this means placing the film against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming) and set aside to cool a little.
Assemble the puddings
- Crush the biscuits roughly and use them to line the bottom of each serving bowl.
- Top with the rhubarb, then spoon on the custard.
- Place in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up. If you want them fully set, you should chill them overnight.
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Bonnie says
Have made this twice now and we really enjoy it. To sweeten the rhubarb, I used a half cup/125 ml of strawberry orange jam I had previously made. Delicious. I look forward to making it in winter with frozen rhubarb. Thank you for a lovely recipe.
Mike Benayoun says
That looks like a delicious recipe for me to get started with rhubarb which I rarely get to use ;-)
kellie@foodtoglow says
I rarely make custard but my OH would love me forever if I did! Rhubarb and custard is such a British classic and this sounds spot on, Emily. Lovely
Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner? says
This looks fantastic! I will have to try it, once our rhubarb grows this summer. I'm always looking for new ways to bake with it.
Janette@culinaryginger says
I used to eat a lot of our home grown rhubarb as a kid in England and I haven't cooked with it while living in the U.S., but I need to change that. This is a delicious dessert, I think this might be my first recipe :)
Emma Clement (@beachpebble) says
Ohhh yum! These look delicious! Like lovely little cheesecake things :) I hadn\'t had anything with rhubarb in it for ages then I had rhubarb crumble the other day and remembered I like it! Will have to try this recipe! Emma xx