Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars Recipe with Perfect Oat Topping
These easy strawberry rhubarb crumble bars feature a buttery oat topping and a perfectly balanced sweet-tart fruit filling, making them a quick and comforting dessert perfect for spring and summer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (135g) rolled oats
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (300g) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (or frozen)
- 1 ½ cups (150g) fresh rhubarb, chopped
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy lifting.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 ¼ cups (155g) flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fingers to work it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits.
- Reserve about 1 ½ cups (180g) of this mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan and smooth evenly.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes until just set and starting to turn golden.
- While the crust bakes, mix strawberries, rhubarb, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract gently in a bowl to coat the fruit without breaking it up.
- Spread the fruit filling evenly over the baked crust.
- Sprinkle the reserved oat crumble mixture on top, breaking up any large clumps to cover the fruit layer loosely.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Tent with foil halfway through if topping browns too fast.
- Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into 12 squares and serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Use cold butter for a crumbly topping. Press crust firmly to prevent sogginess. Thaw and drain frozen fruit well to avoid excess moisture. Tent with foil if topping browns too quickly. Let bars cool completely before cutting for clean slices. For gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free blend and use certified gluten-free oats. For dairy-free, use coconut oil instead of butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (if cut into 1
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18
- Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 3
Keywords: strawberry rhubarb bars, crumble bars, oat topping, easy dessert, spring dessert, summer dessert, quick dessert, fruit bars