Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
These Strawberry Rhubarb Bars are a symphony of tart and sweet flavors in each bite. Strawberries and diced rhubarb are paired in these bars, drizzled, and topped with a powdered sugar glaze. This perfect fruity dessert showcases your rhubarb as a front-and-center flavor.
Rhubarb is tart and tangy, so pairing it with strawberries creates a great sweet and tart flavor. Whether you bought or harvested rhubarb from your garden, this recipe will impress.
Consider making my rhubarb shortcake, strawberry rhubarb jam, or my popular strawberry rhubarb cheesecake recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Quick and Easy - These bars come together quickly and so easy!
Fresh Flavors - Strawberry and rhubarb are the flavors of spring/summer for me! They're tart, sweet, and so refreshing.
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Ingredients Needed
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
Flour: All-purpose flour is used to structure the crust of the bars.
Sugar: The sugar will add a slight sweetness to the crust. It will also help balance out the tartness in the filling and break down the fruit a bit.
Butter: Butter is used as the binder for the crust of these rhubarb bars. It adds richness and flaky flavors.
Fruit: Strawberry and rhubarb are both used to create a sweet and tartness to the filling. You can use fresh or frozen on the fruit.
Lemon Juice: Lemon is acidic for the recipe and will help brighten up the flavors of the fruit.
Powdered Sugar: For the glaze, powdered sugar will create a sweet and creamy topping.
Milk: A little milk will help thin the powdered sugar glaze, making it a pourable icing for the tops of the bars.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oat Topping: Mix some oats, brown sugar, and butter to make a crumble topping to sprinkle on top of the fruit filling.
- Berries: Mix in other berries like blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries to go with the rhubarb.
- Citrus: Add in the zest of one lemon or swap the lemon with orange juice and orange zest for a citrus pop of flavor.
- Coconut Flakes: Mix some coconut flakes with the fruit for a tropical flavor twist.
- Nuts: Finely chop or pulse some pecans or almonds in a food processor to mix with the flour for a nutty twist on the crust of the bars.
- Chocolate: Sprinkle the top of the bars with some white, semi-sweet, or even mini milk chocolate chips. This will add a nice chocolate flavor to the fruit.
- Lemon Glaze: Add lemon juice to replace the milk and mix it with the powdered sugar for the glaze. It will make a tangy lemon-flavored glaze that will compliment the fruit bars.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
Line your 9x9 pan with parchment paper, and then preheat your oven.
Step 1: Add the flour, sugar, and butter to a medium bowl. Mix to combine with a hand mixer on medium speed.
Step 2: Once the mixture comes together, divide it into one-thirds.
Step 3: Press two-thirds of the dough into the pan firmly and evenly in the baking dish.
Step 4: Then, in another bowl, add the strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice, and some of the sugar. Toss to coat, and let the mixture sit in the sugar for a minute or two.
Step 5: Then, after a few minutes, pour the fruit over the top of the crust.
Step 6: Take the remaining dough and sprinkle over the filling.
Step 7: Bake as directed. Once the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly, remove it and let it cool.
Step 8: Whip up the icing in a mixing bowl and then drizzle over the top of the rhubarb bars once they are thoroughly cooled.
Tips For Success
- Make sure your strawberries are bright in color, plump and ripe. If you use underripe berries it will make your dessert sour.
- Feel free to add less or more sugar to adjust the sweetness level of the bars.
- Make sure to press the crust evenly into th pan for an even bake.
- You can bake the crust in the oven for 2-3 minutes in a preheated oven to help prevent the crust from getting soggy.
- Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the crust.
- Ensure the bars are completely cooled before you drizzle on the glaze. If you pour on while the bars are warm it will melt into the top of the bars.
Storing
These strawberry rhubarb bars need to be stored in an airtight refrigerator container. Store for around 3-4 days in the fridge. The fruit will break down each day and make the crust a bit soggy as each day goes on.
You can also freeze the bars—place them in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for 2-3 months. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for about an hour before eating.
Recipe FAQs
Feel free to use any type of crust you would like. This is a basic shortbread style crust. But you can use a sugar cookie dough, pie crust, etc.
The leaves of a rhubarb are toxic if you eat in a large amount. When you cut up the rhubarb just remove the leaves and prepare the stalks for this recipe.
Reach for a gluten free flour blend to mix with the sugar and butter to make a gluten free version. Just know the texture of the bars will vary with a swap of the flour base.
If you would prefer leave off the powdered sugar icing on top. You can leave the bars plain, dust with some coconut sugar, drizzle honey or even maple syrup for added sweetness.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter melted
Filling
- 1 ½ cups strawberries diced, about half inch chunks
- ¾ cup sliced rhubarb ¼ - ½ inch thick
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Icing
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9-inch square pan with parchment paper leaving a parchment paper overhang on either side of the pan. Hold the parchment paper in place with binder clips.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, and butter. Beat in a hand mixer on medium speed until fully combined.
- Once the dough is combined, press ⅔ of mixture into the prepared baking pan evenly and firmly to the edges. Set aside.
Filling
- In a separate bowl, add the diced strawberries, sliced rhubarb, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice. Stir until the strawberries and rhubarb are coated with sugar and lemon juice.
- Pour the strawberries and rhubarb mixture on top of the crust and evenly spread out.
- Sprinkle with remaining dough evenly on top of the filling.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake in center of oven for 30 minutes or until the crust begins to brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Icing
- While the bars cool, work on the icing.
- Add the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Check to make sure the icing is the perfect drizzling consistency. If it needs to be thinned, add additional milk a teaspoon at a time. If it needs thickened, add a small amount of powdered sugar into the icing and whisk until combined.
- Drizzle the icing over strawberry rhubarb bars. Use a sandwich bag with a small hole cut into the corner of the bag or a fork will work great to drizzle the icing.
- Slice and serve.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
