Rhubarb Crumb Bars are the perfect portable sweet treat for any potluck or picnic.
Simple rhubarb filling sandwiched between the crust and crumb topping!
These Rhubarb Crumb Bars have become my go-to sweet treat the past month. I have been taking full advantage of rhubarb season by picking up a bunch or two each time that I am at my local farmers market.
I have served these bars to so-called rhubarb haters and they all love them!
So if you think that you aren't a fan of rhubarb, I highly recommend giving rhubarb a second chance by making these crowed-pleasing bars!
The color of your rhubarb filling will depend on the depth of color of the rhubarb stalks. If the rhubarb is on the pale green, light pink side, the color of the rhubarb filling won't be a vibrant color. The bars will still taste good though!
I definitely prefer when the rhubarb is a deep red color. The deeper red/pink color creates a beautiful rhubarb filling.
how to make the rhubarb crumb bars
These Rhubarb Crumb Bars is very easy to make!
First, you want to make the rhubarb filling.
First the rhubarb gets cooked down on the stove with some sugar and water. I use just enough sugar to balance the naturally tartness of the rhubarb; still allowing the rhubarb's tartness to shin through.
Next the rhubarb filling gets blended until it's super smooth. Set that aside and make the crumb.
For the crust, I tried using both coconut oil and vegan butter. I much preferred the vegan butter over the coconut oil. I found with the coconut oil, the crust didn't hold together how I wanted it to.
The base of the crust and crumb is a mix of flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
The cinnamon and nutmeg add a nice spice to the rhubarb bars.
Most of the crumb topping is used to make the bottom layer of crust.
The rhubarb filling goes on top of the delicious spiced crust.
Next, the rest of the crumb topping goes on top of the rhubarb filling. So simple and easy to make.
can the rhubarb bars be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can make these vegan rhubarb crumb bars ahead of time.
Once the bars of cooled, cut them and store in an air-tight container. I like to place a piece of parchment paper in between the bars.
Can you freeze the bars?
You can also freeze the bars if you don't plan on eating them all within a few days.
I think you'll find these Rhubarb Crumb bars to be:
Slightly tart
with a hint of sweetness
A portable treat perfect for a picnic
& a crowd pleaser
I hope that you enjoy these Rhubarb Crumb Bars as much as we did! If you do, I'd love to see your photos on Instagram at #thymeandlove!
Rhubarb Crumb Bars
These bars are perfect for taking along to a picnic or potluck. They are slightly sweet and tart, and they're a definite crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 Pound Rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ Cup Cane Sugar
- ¼ Cup Water
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extra
For the crust:
- 1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ Cups Rolled Oats
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
- ¾ Cup Vegan Butter, softened at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 by 13 pan.
For the filling:
- In a large pot, add the diced rhubarb, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the rhubarb has softened, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool a few minutes. After the rhubarb has cooled slightly, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside until needed.
For the crust:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg. Stir. Add in the soften butter and mix until fully incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture for the topping.
- Add the remaining mixture to the greased baking pan and pat down the mixture into an even level.
- Pour the rhubarb filling on top of the crust and spread it evenly. Crumble the reserved crust mixture on top of the filling.
- Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the filling has set. The bars will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 24gProtein: 3g
Nutrition facts are just an estimate.
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