We absolutely love these Strawberry Rhubarb Bars that have the perfect touch of sweetness! The best summer dessert that’s made with real, simple ingredients. A great addition to any backyard barbecue, potluck, or 4th of July celebration!
The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
Table of Contents
Our whole family has been enjoying strawberry rhubarb pie and strawberry rhubarb crisp for so many years, we knew it was time for this delicious dessert to become a bar! A dessert bar is just so much easier for bringing to family gatherings and picnics than other desserts. They can still be enjoyed, slightly warm with some ice cream or you can devour them while you are on the go playing picnic games! A large pan of these strawberry rhubarb crumble bars are a definite crowd-pleaser that is a summer sweet treat we enjoy each year!
We love the strawberry rhubarb combination, but if you aren’t a fan… let us suggest our Blueberry Crumb Bars! They are also so good!
What You Will Need
- light brown sugar & cane sugar – a good combo that adds the perfect amount of sweetness!
- all-purpose flour & old-fashioned oats – a nice base for the crust of these bars that can easily be made gluten-free with 1-to-1 gluten free flour and oats that are certified gluten-free.
- ground flax – added for a little bump to the nutritional value!
- kosher salt – just a pinch is always needed when baking.
- egg – helps with binding those crust ingredients together.
- vanilla extract – just a little bit for some added flavor!
- salted butter – this is what makes your crust & topping nice and golden brown. Use regular or dairy-free butter if you prefer.
- fresh strawberries & fresh rhubarb – perfect for making during strawberry season and we always have some rhubarb stalks growing outside or you can just pick some up from your local grocery store or farmers market.
- lemon juice & orange zest – a little bit of acidity helps to lighten all the flavors!
- cornstarch – helps to prevent the filling from getting too runny.
- ground nutmeg – a delicious spice that brings some great flavor.
- honey – great for amping up that sweetness of the fresh fruit!
How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
This easy recipe starts by mixing up the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix the egg and vanilla extract together in a small bowl, add to the flour mixture, and then add the butter pieces to the bowl. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the mutter into the crust mixture.
In a large baking dish, place some parchment paper across the bottom and spray it with a non-stick cooking spray. Then press a little more than half of the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan and set aside.
Next, cut up the fresh fruit and place them in a medium bowl with the rest of the filling ingredients.
Pour the fruit filling (or rhubarb mixture) into the baking pan and spread it out to cover the entire bottom crust.
Now add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to the remaining crust mixture and this will become the crumb topping. Sprinkle all of this over the top of the strawberry rhubarb layer.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 38-40 minutes or until it is bubbly and the top crumble mixture is golden brown.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and let them cool completely before cutting.
Best Way To Enjoy Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
These strawberry rhubarb crumb bars are a great recipe all on their own, nothing else needed. But if you really want to enjoy them with something, we highly suggest some vanilla ice cream or a large dollop of Greek yogurt. The warm bars with something cool is a magical combination!
Recipe FAQ
- Frozen fruit: we highly recommend using fresh fruit to prevent them from getting soggy, but you can use frozen. We just suggest that you thaw them first and pat them as dry as possible with paper towel.
- Let them cool: for best results, let the pan fully cool before cutting into these crumb bars. They stay together better that way and the filling can get pretty hot to handle.
- Storage: the pan of bars can be covered and kept at room temperature for a day or two, but then they should be moved to the fridge.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Summer Dessert Recipes You Might Like
Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Total Time: 58 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Strawberry Rhubarb Bars – a delicious summer dessert that is perfect for a cookout or your next trip to the lake!
Ingredients
Crust/Topping Mix:
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (or 1-to-1 gluten-free flour)
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup salted butter, room temp and cubed
Filling:
- 3 cups strawberries, stems removed and quartered
- 2 1/2 cup rhubarb, 1/2 inch slices
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/3 cup organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment, ensuring their flaps are folded over the sides for easy removal. Spray bottom of pan with olive oil or your favorite non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 of the cup brown sugar, cane sugar, all purpose flour, rolled oats, ground flax and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla extract. Pour into flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Add butter to flour mixture and cut into flour with a fork.
- Pour a little OVER half of the flour mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread out evenly and press down firmly with your hands/fingertips to create the crust. Set aside.
- Filling: In a medium bowl combine strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice, orange zest, cane sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, honey and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Pour over the top of the crust and spread out evenly.
- Take the remaining flour mixture and add 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Use a fork to combine. Crumble the mixture evenly over the top of the fruit filling.
- Place in the oven, middle rack, 38-40 minutes or until the top starts to become golden brown.
- Remove and let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Brown Sugar: you can use coconut sugar in place of brown sugar, if you prefer, it will be a bit less sweet.
- Gluten-Free: to make this gluten-free use 1-to-1 gluten-free flour and gluten-free rolled oats.
- Dairy-Free: to make this dairy-free use a plant-based butter.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Ann Ricketts says
Do these freeze well?
Erin says
Yes!