If you are looking for tasty rhubarb bars recipes, you have to try these Rhubarb Bars. These are the best rhubarb bars with shortbread crust that we’ve ever had!
Your family will enjoy the tart flavor and the gorgeous crumb on the shortbread crust, which is different than the super flaky crust of Rhubarb Galette. These rhubarb bars are so delicious and easy to make and your kids, even those who say they don’t like sour rhubarb, will devour them.
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Growing up, we had a very meager garden that usually wasn’t well cared for but the one plant that always grew like a weed was the rhubarb. Each year it would get bigger and bigger and spread throughout the garden. Over the years, we’d harvest a heap of rhubarb and it would continue to grow on like a soldier.
What Flavors Go Well With Rhubarb?
Rhubarb goes well with sugar, honey, maple syrup, apple, lemon, orange (zesty!), cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and any most kinds of berries. I make a mean Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp that includes many of these flavors that blend so well together.
This rhubarb bar recipe has a very simple flavor, with an easy and delicious shortbread crust and vanilla mixed with the rhubarb. I love the whole wheat in the shortbread bottom, but it’s really the rhubarb that shines!
Is it OK to Eat Raw Rhubarb?
The leaves of the rhubarb contain poisonous substances that can make you sick, so always remove the leaves and only use the stalks. The rhubarb taste is always sour, even the reddest stalks.
One thing we really enjoyed as kids was dipping it in sugar and taking bite after bite until it was done, or our until our stomachs starting aching! You can also dip rhubarb in honey, maple syrup or agave to add a little sweetness.
These really are the best rhubarb bars and are a much better way to enjoy rhubarb. The kids will like it a whole lot more than stalks of rhubarb and a bowl of sugar.
Does it Matter if the Rhubarb is Green or Red in Color?
Whether the rhubarb stocks are green or more red in color you should treat it the same. Rhubarb is quite tart because of the oxalic acid content, which is quite common in sour plants. I particularly love the red color that comes through when you bake with rhubarb, so personally I look for red stalks when they’re available.
What Can I Make With Rhubarb?
My mom would often think of things to make with rhubarb because it grew like crazy in our yard. In fact, the whole neighborhood was trying to figure out what they could make with rhubarb. Rhubarb is one of those things that grows so fast, it seems like you can’t give it away fast enough.
There are plenty of amazing rhubarb recipes to use up your rhubarb, things like a homemade rhubarb crisp, rhubarb applesauce muffins, a gorgeous Rhubarb Galette, Rhubarb Tarts, and even Rhubarb Applesauce. We love other rhubarb bar recipes too, like rhubarb custard bars, strawberry rhubarb bars, and another favorite, rhubarb dream bars.
We also make awesome Rhubarb Liqueur cocktails. You should try them!
Is Rhubarb a Fruit or a Vegetable?
Believe it or not, rhubarb is a vegetable! Frequently rhubarb is wrongly counted as a fruit. It is mistaken for a fruit because of its flavor and it is often used in desserts, which people associate with fruit.
This recipe for rhubarb bars is one that everyone in our family loved so much, that we even eat these bars for breakfast! I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are healthy rhubarb bars, but they do include whole wheat flour and fruit. They are similar to rhubarb streusel bars, so a rhubarb bar can pass for a yummy brekkie, right?
Rhubarb Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
Topping:
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed (up to 1 if you like more sweet)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups sliced rhubarb thinly sliced (or slightly more, I used 4 large stalks and had 4 ½ cups)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mix together flour, butter, and powdered sugar using a pastry cutter (or food processor). Evenly press crust mixture into bottom of baking pan.
- Bake until slightly browned, approximately 15-minutes.
- Mix together eggs, baking powder, flour, sugars, salt, and vanilla using electric mixer for 30-60 seconds (or whisk by hand for 2-3 minutes) until slightly fluffy.
- Fold in rhubarb and pour rhubarb mixture evenly over baked crust.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Cool completely. Remove from pan and cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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