Easy Tangy Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble Bars
These bars offer a perfect balance of bright, tangy rhubarb and sweet strawberries with a crumbly oat topping, making them an ideal summer snack that’s quick and easy to prepare.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 70 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (75g) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (170g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (300g) fresh rhubarb, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups (300g) fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal later.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and pulse with a food processor a few times until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, or use a pastry cutter/fingers to cut the butter in. Reserve about 1 cup of this mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- In another bowl, gently toss together chopped rhubarb, quartered strawberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until fruit is evenly coated but still chunky.
- Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the crust in the pan. Sprinkle the reserved crumble topping evenly over the fruit layer without pressing it down.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbly. If the topping browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set.
- Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into 12 squares and serve.
Notes
Keep the butter cold until mixing to create crumbly pockets. Do not overmix the fruit filling to keep chunks intact. Cool bars completely before slicing to avoid messiness. If topping browns too fast, tent with foil. Frozen fruit can be used if thawed and drained. For gluten-free, substitute flour and oats accordingly. Vegan option: replace butter with coconut oil or vegan butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1 of 12)
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 26
- Protein: 2
Keywords: rhubarb, strawberry, crumble bars, summer snack, easy dessert, oat topping, tangy sweet