Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

These Strawberry Rhubarb Bars are such a sweet treat for summer!  They are so easy to make and seriously so delicious it will hard to stop at just one.

Until recently, I was not a fan of rhubarb.  It was one of those foods I tried when I was a kid, didn’t like it and never tried it again. 

But when I saw it at the farmers market one day, it grabbed my attention and I decided to buy it for some reason.  Then I had to figure out what to do with it!

I decided to try making these Strawberry Rhubarb Bars.  Well, once I made them, my opinion has changed on rhubarb.  Whether you like rhubarb or not, have never tried it, I highly suggest making this recipe!

What is rhubarb?

That is the question my 9 year old asked me when I told her I was going to make these Strawberry Rhubarb Bars.  And I had to think about it…really, what is rhubarb?  A fruit, vegetable?…I had to look it up!

Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but it is usually combined or prepared with fruit in desserts like pie.  It has a very tart flavor, so eating it plain is not recommended.  It tastes much better once combined with other fruit and/or sugar.

Important tip: You should only eat the stems as the leaves are not safe to eat.  

You can find fresh rhubarb at your local farmers market or at most grocery stores in the produce department.

Rhubarb stems have a beautiful look to them.  To me they look like they were painted with such a pretty pinkish color over the green.

How to prepare the fruit for the Strawberry Rhubarb Bars:

This recipe is like most of the recipes I love to make, quick and easy. 

Wash the strawberries and pat them dry or let them sit on a towel to dry.  Wash the rhubarb and dry with a towel. 

To wash the strawberries and rhubarb, you can just run them under warm water and give them a gentle rub to rinse off the dirt, etc.  

Slice up the rhubarb into 1/2″ slices and set aside.  Slice up the strawberries into thin slices and discard the stems. Set the sliced strawberries aside along with the rhubarb.

Once you have your strawberries and rhubarb washed and cut up, mix them together with the lemon juice in a medium sized pot. Cover and cook on medium heat on the stove top for 8-12 minutes or until the fruit is tender.  Stir occasionally. 

Then mix together the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.  Add that to the fruit mixture.  Stir constantly and bring the fruit mixture to a boil.  The cornstarch will thicken up the fruit mixture.

Once it reaches a boil, cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your 13 x 9 pan with butter.

How to assemble the Strawberry Rhubarb Bars:

Place all the crust ingredients into a bowl.  Using a pastry blender or the back of a fork, combine the ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. 

Recipe tip: It is really important to have softened butter for this step. If the butter is still hard, it will be tough to combine it with the other ingredients and make the crumbs.

Take out 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture out and place into a small bowl.  Set that aside for later.

Press the rest of the crumb mixture into your greased 13 x 9 baking pan.  Use a spatula or the back of a fork to gently press the crumbs down into the pan.

Pour the fruit mixture over the crust. Spread the mixture evenly over the crust.

Now grab those crumbs you set aside and sprinkle them over the top, covering the entire fruit mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.  Let it cool completely.  If you are adding the glaze, make sure the bars are cooled before adding it.

The glaze is optional.  I have made it with and without the glaze and both ways it was delicious. The glaze adds a little more sweetness to the dessert.

How to make the glaze:

If you decide to add the glaze, just mix the powdered sugar and milk until you have a good frosting consistency. 

Start with one tablespoon of milk.  We like to have the glaze a little thicker so we use just one tablespoon.  If you like it thinner than you can add a little more milk at a time to get the consistency you prefer.

Drizzle the glaze over the bars evenly. 

If you have Pyrex measuring cups or a bowl with a spout then that would be helpful for this step.  Then you can easily drizzle the glaze over the bars right from there.

 

Recipe tip: If you don’t have a bowl or measuring cup with a spout, then you can use a pastry bag to drizzle the glaze. You can also use a plastic sandwich bag for this step. Simply cut off a small corner of the bag, pour the glaze in it, seal up the bag and drizzle away. 

Make sure to only cut off a small corner of the bag. If too much is cut off, the glaze might come out too fast and make a mess. Also, remember to seal the bag so it doesn’t drip out all over your hands!

This is one of our favorite strawberry recipes to make. My family and I love these bars!  My daughter told me they were so good we could sell them!  

FAQ’s:

Why does the butter need to be softened? If the butter is right out of the refrigerator it will be too hard and won’t combine easily with the other ingredients.  

How do I know if butter is soft enough? A good way to tell when the butter is softened enough is to gently press down on the butter.  If you make a slight indent on the butter, it is good to use for the crumbs.

Did you forget to soften your butter? If you are short on time to soften the butter, don’t worry. You can find how to soften it quickly here.

Why grease the pan? Make sure to grease the pan with butter so the bars don’t stick to the pan.

How do I get the glaze to look even and pretty on my bars? It is best to use a measuring cup or bowl with a spout to make the glaze in and pour over the bars evenly.

Craving more strawberry recipes?

One of my favorite strawberry recipes is Strawberry Spinach Salad. Made with fresh strawberries and topped with a delicious and easy to make homemade dressing. So good and a great side dish recipe!

This recipe for Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie is so refreshing! And nutritious too!

Looking for something fun to do with the kids this summer? Make these Fruit Popsicles. They are made with strawberries and kiwi…only four ingredients and so much better than the ones you buy in the stores!

Looking for more easy dessert recipes?

I love making quick and easy desserts, that are delicious but don’t keep you in the kitchen all day!  Here are a few of my favorites that I like to make… No Bake Eclair Cake, Puff Pastry Dessert and Homemade Brownies.  

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear from you in the comments/ratings below. 

Follow me on Pinterest or Instagram for all of my recipes! Thank you and happy baking!

This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page.  The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase. 

Update Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2016, but was published again in 2020 to include step by step directions and new photos.

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