Berry Rhubarb Bars
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Berry Rhubarb Bars have a delicious butter cookie crust topped off with homemade berry rhubarb jam and a sweet and tasty crumble on top.
I love rhubarb. It’s something I can rarely buy in the store so I have to rely on knowing people who grow it. My friend Leslie at work has rhubarb growing in her yard and she graciously gives me a bunch of it each year.
what is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a plant known for its thick, fleshy stalks, which are commonly used in cooking and baking. The edible part of the rhubarb plant is the stalk, which has a tart flavor. Rhubarb is often used in desserts such as pies, crumbles, and tarts, and is frequently paired with strawberries.
I love being able to cook and bake with rhubarb all summer long. When she handed it to me this year I had just purchased 2 pounds of strawberries and couldn’t wait to get home and bake with them.
I went searching for strawberry rhubarb bars and boy did I find a recipe that looked delicious! When I went to make them I actually ended up switching it up a little bit and I added half strawberries and half blueberries to make Berry Rhubarb Bars.
Can I use any berry in Berry Rhubarb Bars?
Yes! You can use one berry or a combination of berries along with the rhubarb. Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries all work well. Just make sure the total of the berries is equal to the total in the recipe.
Before making the actual bars you need to make a quick jam. It’s easy to make with just a few ingredients and it gets really thick and smells delicious. I was a little worried about it being the filling in the cookie bars because I thought it was going to be a bit runny and wasn’t sure how it would firm up.
Ingredients:
- berries (I used strawberries and blueberries)
- rhubarb
- granulated sugar
- lemon juice
- cornstarch (as a thickening agent)
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
- brown sugar (I use light but you can use dark)
- eggs
- oats (you can use quick oats or rolled oats)
Start by making the jam. Combine all ingredients, except the vanilla, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the fruits break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and mix until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Add in the oats and stir.
Press 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the jam over top of the cookie dough. Crumble the remaining cookie dough over top of the jam layer. Some of the jam will peak through and that’s ok.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cut into 24 squares and serve.
The bars smelled awesome as they were baking. They were sweet and I could smell the berries as well.
How do you store Berry RHubarb Bars?
Store in an air tight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Once I pulled the bars out of the oven I had a hard time waiting for them to cool so I could taste them. I cut them into small squares then bit into one. My eyes rolled back in my head and I’m not sure what I said but they were that good. I quickly gobbled up the rest of the bar then put them away so I couldn’t eat the rest of them.
When my husband got home I told him he had to try one. He had the same reaction. His eyes shut, he muttered something, then he gobbled up the remaining bar. We both agreed that this is our new favorite dessert.
It’s sweet with just a little bit of tartness from the rhubarb and the oatmeal cookie underneath and on top of the filling rounds out the bar. I have more rhubarb in the refrigerator and you better believe I’ll be making these again soon!
Berry Rhubarb Bars
Ingredients
For the jam:
- 1 c. blueberries
- 1 c. strawberries sliced
- 2 c. rhubarb cut in 1/2 inch slices
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the cookie base:
- 1 3/4 c. flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 c. butter softened
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 c. oats
Instructions
- Combine all jam ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir frequently until the fruits begin to break down, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place foil in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Stir in the oats to combine.
- Press 3/4 of the cookie dough into the foil lined pan. Put the remaining cookie dough in the freezer.
- Pour the berry rhubarb jam on top of the cookie dough and spread it out evenly.
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough over top of the jam layer. Some of the jam should be peaking through.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the crumble on top is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once cooled use the foil to remove the bars from the pan. Cut into 24 pieces and enjoy.
Notes
