Easy Tangy Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars
A quick and easy summer snack bar combining tangy rhubarb and sweet strawberries with a buttery, crumbly topping. Perfect balance of sweet and tart in a fuss-free treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: 55-60 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 300g)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 200g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220g)
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (60g)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (110g), preferably light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (170g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, rhubarb, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Stir gently until fruit is evenly coated.
- In a larger bowl, whisk together flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or two forks to work butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
- Press about two-thirds of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even base layer.
- Spread the fruit filling evenly over the base layer, ensuring juices do not spill over the edges.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture loosely on top of the fruit filling.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit filling bubbles around the edges. Tent with foil halfway through if topping browns too quickly.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack for 1.5 to 2 hours to allow filling to set.
- Use parchment overhang to lift bars from pan and cut into squares or rectangles.
- Serve at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Keep butter cold when making crumble topping to ensure crumbly texture. Press base firmly to prevent bars from crumbling apart. Cool bars completely before cutting for clean slices. Frozen fruit can be used if thawed and drained. For gluten-free, substitute half the flour with almond or oat flour. Coconut oil can replace butter for dairy-free version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/12 of recip
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 16
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
Keywords: strawberry rhubarb bars, crumble bars, summer snack, easy dessert, tangy fruit bars, quick baking, buttery crumble