Strawberry Rhubarb Bars – Fresh, Custardy and Easy to Make
Strawberries were on sale, and you know I can’t ignore a great deal on fruit. So I tried a little twist on my Mom’s Rhubarb Crumb Bars and made these Strawberry Rhubarb Bars. Used the same method as Mom’s bars, just gave it a little seasonal twist with the classic berries and rhubarb combo.
If you haven’t seen the OG recipe, Mom’s Rhubarb Crumb Bars is the one. It’s an old-fashioned bar that’s sweet and tart with a light custardy center and a buttery, shortbread-style base. We’ve been making it for years.
For this version, I used rhubarb from Mom’s garden. Things seem to grow better on the farm for some reason. That’s the truth. The strawberries were store-bought though (yay for a sale rack!), and I have to say, the combo of sweet strawberry and tangy rhubarb is a classic for a reason.
Thinking about growing your own rhubarb? I put together a little guide on growing rhubarb that covers all the basics.
🛒Ingredient Notes
✅ Rhubarb – Fresh is best, but frozen works too (just thaw and drain).
✅ Strawberries – Any fresh strawberries will do. You could use frozen as well but thaw and drain for sure before using.
✅ The Base – Same mix of flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, egg, and milk. Shortbread cookie-style texture, but softer.
✅ Struesel Topping – Reserved base mixture, crumbled on top before baking.
I’ve been slowly building up my collection of rhubarb recipes on the blog, and this one fits right in alongside my Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies and Rhubarb & Pear Crumble. I’m all about getting the most out of this weird and wonderful veggie that we treat like a fruit.
💡Quick Tips Before You Start
- Keep the fruit ratio balanced when making these rhubarb bars. I went 2 cups rhubarb to 2 cups of strawberries.
- Be sure to grease the pan well so there’s no sticking.
- Let the bars cool before cutting so the center can set properly.
- When testing the doneness, remember that the fruit layer can give a false indication of not being ready if the toothpick doesn’t come out clean. Test in an area with mostly batter.
- These bars freeze really well after baking. Wrap them individually with plastic wrap and stash them away for midnight munchies.
🔍Steps at a Glance
- Prepare the base and press into your baking dish (save ½ cup for topping).
- Layer chopped rhubarb and strawberries evenly on top.
- Pour the custard-like batter over the fruit.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping.
- Bake, cool, slice, done!
Please refer to the printable recipe card below for exact amounts, detailed instructions, and helpful tips to make this recipe perfect every time.
Thanks for hanging out! If you try the strawberry rhubarb bars, please tell me how they turn out. I’d love to hear if you changed anything. See you next time for more rhubarb recipes!
~Joanne
Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
These Strawberry Rhubarb Bars are the perfect sweet-tart treat! A buttery crumb crust doubles as the topping, sandwiching a juicy layer of strawberry and rhubarb filling that bakes up jammy and irresistible.
Ingredients
- Base Ingredients:
- 2c Flour, all purpose
- 1/2c Butter, room temperature
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- Topping Ingredients:
- 1c Sugar, white
- 1/2c Butter, melted
- 1/2c Flour, all purpose
- 2 Eggs, Large, beaten (or 3 small eggs)
- 2c Rhubarb, cubed
- 2c Strawberries, greens removed and chopped.
- 1/4c Milk, whole
Instructions
- I like to use a big bowl for this step. Combine the flour, butter, egg, salt, and baking powder. The mixture will look 'sandy' but should hold together when squished in your hand.
- Press 2/3 of the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan, reserving the rest for the topping.
- In a bowl, whisk (or use a mixer) the sugar, melted butter, flour, milk, and beaten eggs together. The consistency should resemble a thin pancake batter. Sometimes I find the mixture a bit thick, then I add more milk in small increments until I reach the desired thin pancake batter viscosity.
- Sprinkle the chopped rhubarb onto the top of the base ingredients in the baking pan. Slowly drizzle the batter on top of the rhubarb, as evenly as possible.
- Sprinkle the remaining base topping on top of the custard.
- Bake at 350F for 45 - 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Enjoy!
Notes
The reason why the batter sometimes needs extra milk will depend on the size of the eggs that you use. Sometimes, I'll have to add just a few extra tablespoons to make it that pancake batter consistency.
Whole milk is optimal for this recipe because it gives it a richer flavor (or you could even use a light table cream!), but if you only have 2% milk or plant-based on hand, feel free to use it.
Serving Ideas: Serve warm, room temperature or cold. Plain is just fine with some coffee or tea. I don't normally (but have in the past) serve Ice cream or whipped cream, but it's optional and not needed. But guild the lily, my friends, if you want to add it!
Storing:
Fridge - Store the bars in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Freezer - Individually wrap the bars in plastic wrap and then freeze them in a freezer-friendly container. They will stay nice for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 251Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 176mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 14gProtein: 4g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
