Rhubarb Bars are dessert bars that start with a mouth-watering, buttery crust and then topped and baked with a filling using fresh rhubarb. Try my Strawberry Bars for another delicious summertime treat!
Rhubarb Bars
It’s summertime here in the midwest, which means the rhubarb is growing in abundance! So, it makes sense to use it up in as many recipes as possible, like this one, Rhubarb Cake, and my Rhubarb Strawberry Cheesecake! You can find rhubarb at your local farmers’ markets if you don’t have any growing near you. Or, pick some up at a grocery store.
Rhubarb Bars Ingredients
There are two parts to this rhubarb bars recipe–the crust and the filling. It’s an easy dessert bar to get baked and share (or enjoy the pan of bars all to yourself).
Crust: In the crust, you will use cold butter. It’s one of the few times that I will not recommend you to use room temperature butter. Using cold butter will give the crust that flakiness.
Rhubarb: You will need 3 1/2 cups of diced rhubarb in this recipe. For reference, a pound of rhubarb will yield about 3 cups when diced.
Let’s Talk Rhubarb
The experts will recommend “choose stalks that are fresh looking, crisp and blemish free…look for smaller leaves, which is also an indication of a younger stalk. Avoid limp stalks and stalks with split ends.” That’s fine and dandy if you are aiming to be the next Martha Stewart, but not how we do it.
I don’t look for perfection, I don’t mind a few blemishes, and there is nothing wrong with a large leaf or a split end. You cut those off anyway! I’ve used big huge stalks and small stalks. They all add something amazing to whatever dessert you are preparing. All rhubarb is good rhubarb in these parts.
If you are using rhubarb that is a little sweeter, you may want to decrease the sugar in the recipe for a more tart taste. We have not tested this recipe with frozen rhubarb, but if you use that, be sure to let it thaw before adding it to the filling mixture.
How to Store Rhubarb Bars
If you want to refrigerate the bars and serve later (my recommendation), the filling will be fully set and you will get perfectly square pieces when you cut them out. Store the bars in a sealed container, in the refrigerator, for up to a week.
More Delicious Bars
Rhubarb Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) butter, cold and diced
- ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
Filling
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3½ cups diced rhubarb
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, blend the flour, confectioners sugar, and butter. You can use a food processor or pastry cutter, but I prefer my hands. You want the butter to be no bigger than a pea size and the ingredients to be well incorporated.
- Press into the lined pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. (The edges should just barely start to golden.)
Filling
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat two eggs. Add sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Gently fold in the diced rhubarb.
- Pour mixture over the hot crust. Bake for another 35-40 minutes or until filling is almost set.
- Allow bars to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. You can serve them slightly warm or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Is their bits of the crust on top of the filling.
Hi, Lynda! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. What you see is simply the batter; nothing was added to the top of the bars. I hope this helps, and have a great day!
I just made the rhubarb bars yesterday. My husband absolutely loved them. They reminded him of the rhubarb custard pie his grandmother used to bake from scratch with the rhubarb from the garden. Since I put 50% more rhubarb than the recipe asked for (I didn’t want to waste any of the rhubarb I bought), it was probably more custardy and moist than the usual recipe. The shortbread crust was perfect with the topping. If I can find fresh rhubarb in January/February, my husband wants me to make them for his family reunion.
Hi there! Can I use fresh raspberries in place of the rhubarb?
Thanks,
Renee
These bars were easy to make and SO delicious. I received lots of compliments on them when I served them at a church function.
Yummy!! I’ve been doing rhubarb crisps because I don’t like fussy when it comes to my rhubarb treats, and these were easy and dare I say better than a crisp?! Ok maybe just as good! Saving for next rhubarb season, and making some for my in-laws now!
Has anyone doubled the recipe and baked in a 9X13 pan?
I’m assuming it would need to bake longer?
Thanks!
Not the prettiest of desserts, but it sure is tasty!