Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my favorite old-fashioned, late Spring desserts. The yin and yang of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb is just spectacular. Today I’m taking to the kitchen to make a new (and dare of say better) treat for the strawberry rhubarb lovers out there: strawberry-rhubarb crumble bars. We’re talking a layer of perfectly sweet yet tart strawberries and rhubarb sandwiched between two golden brown layers of buttery, macaroon-infused crumble topping.

You might want to start softening the vanilla ice cream now.

My STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO below will help guide you through the recipe. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for recipe videos every week!

 

 

 

Makes: 8×8 pan of bars (9 large bars)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

The Ingredients

For the crumble:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup coconut macaroons, crumbled into small pieces

14 tablespoons (1 stick + 6 tablespoons) salted butter, melted

½ tablespoon real vanilla extract

½ teaspoon baking soda

For the fruit filling:

1 ¾ cups rhubarb, leaves removed and cut into ¼ inch pieces (usually 3-5 full stalks)*

1 ½ cups strawberries, sliced

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon orange juice

*Rhubarb leaves are poisonous. Make sure they are removed completely from the bright pink stalks!

 

 

 

The Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 glass pan.

NOTE: You can grease the pan and line it with parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan once they’re cooled. I don’t do this, but it’s up to you!

For the crumble: Thoroughly combine flour, oats, brown sugar, crumbled macaroons, melted butter, vanilla extract, and baking soda in large bowl until mixture resembles a sticky crumb.

Spoon half of the crumble mixture into the pan, using the back of a large spoon and your hands to press mixture into an even layer (like a crust!).

For fruit filling: In another bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, orange juice, sugar, and corn starch. Add mixture evenly to the top of the crumb layer.

Add the other half of the crumb mixture to the top of the fruit, spreading evenly throughout. Press mixture into fruit just a bit, enough so that the crumb sticks together but not enough to squeeze the fruit into the bottom layer.

To bake: Bake bars for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling in the corners of the pan.

NOTE: You may want to lightly tent the pan with foil if the crumb gets too toasty. You do want a deep golden brown, so that the crumb hardens enough to cut the bars!

Let bars cool COMPLETELY before cutting into bars and removing from pan.

To store: Bars keep well in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Crumble will soften oven time.

For best results, place a bar in the oven at 375 for a few minutes before enjoying, until filling is hot and the top is toasty. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

 

 

 

The Steps With Video

My STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO below will help guide you through the recipe. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for recipe videos every week!