Rhubarb Dream Bars

RHUBARB DREAM BARS

6/16/2022

Rhubarb Dream Bars

It's time for rhubarb lovers to unite! It’s summertime here in the Midwest, which means my rhubarb is coming in strong and abundant! These Rhubarb Dream Bars are the perfect way to let the tangy rhubarb flavor shine through in all its glory. So easy to make, with a mouth-watering, buttery shortbread crust with a gooey rhubarb filling. You will love everything about this delicious dessert that's so easy to make

Rhubarb Dream Bars

ALL ABOUT RHUBARB:

Rhubarb is a perennial grown locally in the Midwest and is available in the late Spring. If you are not lucky enough to have rhubarb planted and growing in your garden or yard, you can often find it at farmer’s markets or the grocery store.
If you live in a climate where the ground freezes in winter, chances are that you can grow rhubarb! The hardest part is finding rhubarb plants! Rhubarb needs a cold winter where temperatures dip below freezing in order to grow and thrive, and it is considered hardy in zones 3-8.
Because Rhubarb is a perennial, with very little care it will come back year after year – it’s a very tough and hardy plant! Most rhubarb plants need to be dug up and divided after several years for the best plant health. This is also a great opportunity to expand your rhubarb plot or share your plants with family and friends. Once established, rhubarb is a plant that can produce for more than 20 years.
There are many varieties of rhubarb and many shades, from palest green to deep crimson, but the flavor is the same! Your rhubarb sauces, jams and jelly will vary in color depending on your rhubarb, but the flavor and texture is the same!
The stalks are the only edible part of this early spring plant, while the green parts of the leaves are toxic, which is why you never see rhubarb stalks for sale with the leaves attached.
Stalks of rhubarb look similar to celery, but have a strong and very tart taste if eaten raw.
The bright red stalks of early spring rhubarb give this jam its lovely color as well as its tangy flavor. Rhubarb is a favorite for jams, pies and crisps. The season is both early and short – use your first crops for the best results, as the rhubarb stalks will get tough and “woody” as the season goes on. Young and tender stalks are the best!
Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but it’s used as a fruit for culinary purposes. People are still confused!
Rhubarb is healthy for you – it’s loaded with calcium, lutein, vitamin K and antioxidants.

HOW TO FREEZE RHUBARB:

Sadly, rhubarb is a use-it-or-lose-it kind of thing. Rhubarb is ideal in spring (it’s only in season from April through June) and after that, it’s gone until next year! Be sure to harvest your rhubarb before the stalks get too thick or they will become woody. You can still eat the rhubarb stalks throughout the summer, but they become woody and don't taste as good.

A good rule of thumb is to use your rhubarb by the 4th of July - after that, be sure to harvest your rhubarb garden and freeze the extra for rhubarb treats later in the year - you'll be so glad you did!

Wash and dry the rhubarb. Trim the ends off. Slice the stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. If your stalks are wide, slice the whole stalk lengthwise, then cut into pieces.
Place the rhubarb slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment or plastic. Keep them in a single layer.
Put the pan into the freezer until frozen solid, about 30 minutes, but no longer than an hour.
Put the frozen rhubarb in heavy freezer zip lock bags. Lay the bag flat on the counter, close it most of the way, and then insert a straw into the bag and suck out any remaining air. Zip closed. I find that using my seal-a-meal crushes the rhubarb, so this method works best!
Label your bag and use your rhubarb within one year.
You can use the rhubarb frozen in most baked recipes, smoothies, and sauces, etc., so you can skip the thawing.

Rhubarb Dream Bars

MORE DELICIOUS RHUBARB RECIPES FROM SNOWFLAKES & COFFEECAKES:

If you love all the rhubarb recipes in spring as much as I do, then be sure to check out a few more of our absolute favorite ways to enjoy rhubarb during it’s season.

Rhubarb Dream Bars

RHUBARB DREAM BARS

Rhubarb Dream Bars

INGREDIENTS:
SHORTBREAD CRUST:
1-1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (35g) powdered sugar
¾ cup (12 oz. or 1-1/2 sticks) cold butter (cut into small cubes or pieces)

RHUBARB FILLING:
3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups finely chopped rhubarb

HOW I MAKE THESE:

Remove eggs from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick baking spray; set aside. This will make your life so much easier when removing the bars from the pan, and allows for cleaner cuts for serving.
PREPARE CRUST: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and powdered sugar. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in COLD butter pieces until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Pat the crumbs into prepared pan. Bake the crust in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly puffed and golden brown.
While crust is in the oven, PREPARE RHUBARB FILLING: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar, flour, vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract) and salt, whisk until well combined. Fold in the rhubarb pieces and gently stir until evenly coated.
Remove baked crust from oven, and immediately pour the rhubarb mixture over the hot crust.
Return bars to the hot oven.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is set and no longer jiggly, and top is starting to turn golden. Be careful not to overbake!
Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. If you want to serve the bars warm from the oven, the filling will not be fully set.
If you want to refrigerate the bars and serve later (my recommendation), the filling will firm up to the perfect consistency, and you will get perfectly square pieces when you cut them for serving.
To serve, lift edges of parchment paper and remove bars from pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife, wiping blade off between cuts for clean slices.
Store leftover Rhubarb Bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These bars do not freeze well.

YIELD: 24 bars

RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS:

WHEN IS RHUBARB SEASON? Rhubarb season is usually from April through June. While some groceries may have it available year-round, I’ve never been able to find fresh rhubarb any other time. You can always use frozen rhubarb, which you can either freeze from your own crop or sometimes find in the freezer section of grocery stores.
CAN I USE FROZEN RHUBARB? Fresh rhubarb is always preferred, but when it’s out of season, frozen rhubarb will work in a pinch. If you use frozen rhubarb, make sure to chop it into small pieces before using as well – you’ll find it is easier to chop frozen rhubarb than thawed rhubarb. Be sure to thaw and pat dry before mixing, or you will add too much moisture to the filling. You’ll also need to add an additional 2 tablespoons of flour to the filling to absorb the extra moisture released from the frozen rhubarb.
HOW DO I PREPARE RHUBARB FOR BAKING? Simply trim off and discard all leaves at the ends of the stalks, cut away the root end and remove any brown spots or coarse strings you may see. Wash with cold water - no soaking is necessary. All you have to do now is cut it lengthwise then into pieces for baking or cooking.
MAKE SURE YOUR BUTTER IS COLD! For a light and flaky crust, make sure that you use icy cold butter for the shortbread base.
EGGS: Make sure that your eggs are room temperature so that they incorporate easily into the sugar.
CAN I MAKE RHUBARB BARS WITH ANOTHER FRUIT? If you like rhubarb mixed with other fruits, you can easily replace some of the rhubarb with another fruit of your choice – raspberries, strawberries and blueberries all work well! You may need to adjust the amount of sugar in the filling depending on the sweetness of the fruit used. This crust and filling mixture is a classic favorite, which means it's incredibly versatile and works with almost any fruit!
EASY SERVING: When it comes to bar desserts, you will get the crispest cuts if they aren't still warm. Once the bars have cooled completely, pop the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to get a clean cut.
SERVING IDEAS: Want to ramp up the sweetness and fun? Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream before serving. SO GOOD!

Original recipe created by Snowflakes & Coffeecakes June 2014; revised and reposted June 2022.

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