Can I use frozen strawberries and rhubarb?

Yes. Frozen fruit works well in this recipe but should be thawed completely and drained of excess liquid before using. Frozen fruit releases significantly more moisture than fresh fruit during thawing and if that moisture goes into the filling it can prevent the cornstarch from thickening properly and produce a very runny filling that does not set. Thaw completely in a colander and press gently with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before combining with the sugar and cornstarch.

How do I know when the bars are done baking?

The crumble topping should be deeply golden across the entire surface, the edges of the pan should show the fruit filling bubbling actively, and you should be able to see or hear the filling simmering around the edges of the crumble. If only the very edges are golden and the center of the top is still pale, give the bars another 5 minutes and check again. A pale center that has not caramelized indicates underbaked bars with a filling that will not set properly.

Can I reduce the sugar in the filling?

Yes, but with an important caveat. Rhubarb is exceptionally tart and genuinely requires a meaningful amount of sugar to become palatable. The three quarter cup of granulated sugar in this recipe is calibrated to balance the natural tartness of the rhubarb with the sweetness of the strawberries. Reducing by two tablespoons is reasonable and will produce a slightly more tart finished bar. Reducing by more than that will produce a filling that most people find too sharp and acidic to enjoy.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars Easy Sweet Tangy Spring Recipe

Name: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars The Most Beautiful Sweet Tangy Spring Bars You Will Bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups Fresh Strawberries chopped; 2 cups Fresh Rhubarb chopped; 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar; 2 tbsp Cornstarch; 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice; 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour; 1 cup Rolled Oats; 1 cup Brown Sugar packed; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp Salt; 1 cup Unsalted Butter cold and cubed

Description

The most beautiful Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars made with a buttery oat crumble base pressed into a pan topped with a jammy sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb filling and finished with more golden crumble baked until bubbling and perfectly set. An easy and completely irresistible spring dessert bar ready in just over 1 hour.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups Fresh Strawberries chopped

2 cups Fresh Rhubarb chopped

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

2 tbsp Cornstarch

1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 cup Rolled Oats

1 cup Brown Sugar packed

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Unsalted Butter cold and cubed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment leaving overhang on two sides.

2. Combine strawberries, rhubarb, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir to coat. Set aside.

3. Whisk flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

4. Cut cold cubed butter into dry ingredients with pastry cutter until coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces.

5. Press two thirds of crumble firmly into prepared pan to form crust.

6. Spread fruit filling evenly over crust reaching all edges.

7. Scatter remaining crumble evenly over fruit filling.

8. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until topping is deeply golden and filling is visibly bubbling.

9. Cool completely before lifting out and cutting into bars.

10. Refrigerate 1 hour after cooling for the cleanest cuts.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Dessert, Bars
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 190
Sugar: 15g
Sodium: 80mg
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 26g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 2g
Cholesterol: 25mg

Keywords: strawberry rhubarb crumb bars, strawberry rhubarb bars, rhubarb crumble bars recipe, easy spring dessert bars