Summer is in full swing, and so is summer produce. Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits and I’ll enjoy them any way I can: in a dessert, in a smoothie, or all by themselves. They are truly nature’s candy! These strawberry rhubarb crumble bars are sure to be your new favorite strawberry dessert, because they certainly are mine! With a buttery, crumbly crust and topping and a creamy and fruity filling, they are truly the perfect summer dessert. They’re great all on their own, but would also be great with some fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
To start this easy crumble bar recipe, make the crust. The crust will also be your topping; you’ll use about 2/3 of it for the base and 1/3 of the remaining crust for the crumbly topping. The crust is a classic shortbread recipe using flour, butter, sugar, and salt. When you mix it together it will feel like the consistency of wet sand. Spray your baking dish (either 9 x 13 or 8 x 11) with nonstick cooking spray before lining it with parchment paper. Then press the crust into the prepared pan. I like to use the bottom of a metal measuring cup to make sure the crust is even and pressed down well.
Next, make your filling. Chopped strawberries and rhubarb are mixed with brown sugar, heavy cream, eggs, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and a little flour. Pour this over the crust and then crumble the remaining crust over the top. Bake for about 35 minutes until set, and then let the bars cool completely before removing them from the baking dish with the parchment paper and cutting. I know they will smell amazing fresh out of the oven but they will not hold their shape when you cut them unless they are completely cool!
Don’t miss out on these easy strawberry rhubarb crumble bars while rhubarb is in season! I like to buy rhubarb while it’s in season to chop and freeze. The tartness is a perfect pairing with sweet summer strawberries!
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 1 cup chopped rhubarb
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13 or 8x11 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and melted butter for the crust. The mixture will be the consistency of wet sand. Press about ⅔ of the mixture into the prepared baking dish. I use the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure it's flat, even, and completely pressed down. Set aside.
- In the same bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and flour until very smooth. Fold in the strawberries and rhubarb.
- Pour the mixture over the prepared crust.
- Crumble the remaining crust topping over the top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping begins to turn golden brown and the center is set. I find that a 9x13 pan takes 30 minutes and an 8x11 or 8x12 pan takes closer to 35 minutes.
- Let bars cool completely before slicing and serving.
- Enjoy!
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