Seasonal recipe: Strawberry rhubarb bars
These bars using fresh, seasonal ingredients are a great substitute for processed cereal bars and your kids (and you) will love them.
Photo: whitneyinchicago/Flickr 
Strawberry rhubarb dessert bars- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen unsweetened rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces (I had about 1 ¼ cups worth so I made up the difference with extra strawberries)
- 1 ½ cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup butter softened (since this is from Land 0’ Lakes site they would prefer you use their butter, but any butter will do)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
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Combine strawberries, rhubarb and lemon in a saucepan and cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add sugar and cornstarch to fruit mixture, bring to boil, and allow to boil a minute or two until sauce thickens.
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While the strawberry mixture is cooking, combine the crust ingredients and mix with electric mixer until the mixture resembles course crumbs — it will be very dry.
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Reserve 1 ½ cups of crust mixture and pat down the rest of the crust mixture into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick or greased.
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Spread fruit mixture over bottom crust.
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Sprinkle the rest of crust mixture evenly over the top.
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Bake in a 350° F oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
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Cool completely (if you can wait that long — we couldn't).
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Comments
HI I HAVE NOT MADE THESE YET BUT I HAVE ANOTHER RECIPE FOR RHUBARB BARS THAT IS AWESOME. THAT RECIPE YOU MAKE THE CRUST AND PAT IT ON A COOKIE SHEET 10X17 AND YOU BAKE IT FOR 15 MINUTES FIRST AND THEN TAKE IT OUT AND THEN PUT THE RHUBARB MIXTURE ON THEM AND PUT IT BACK IN THE OVEN FOR 40 MINUTES THEY MADE THE PERFECT BARS, NOT CRUMBLY YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY DOING THAT???? ANY WAY I WANTED TO ADD STRAWBERRIES TO MINE AND I WAS NOT SURE OF THE RATIO STRAWBERRIES TO RHUBARB AND THEN HOW MJCH.... More
Great recipe as is. My kids loved them and they were easy to make! I'm not a baker either! Thanks.
Just made these, used gluten-free flour and added 1 tsp of xanthum gum, and they are delicious!
I think I came up with a healthier version of this using palm sugar, maple syrup, whole wheat flour and chopped almonds. Here is the recipe:
http://www.wellfedman.com/2010/05/palm-sugar.html
I have rhubarb in my backyard; I freeze it in 1 cup measures so I can bake it in midwinter.
As for packaging, many rhubarb recipes are crumbly. It's tart, so it needs a little sugar or sweetener. I recommend a small snack package and a fork. Many of my students bring reusable rubbermaid style containers for snack time; it works well!
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I have been using the Wrap-N-Mat's for awhile now and rarely use plasic bags, etc. anymore. They are great and perfect thing for a yummy strawberry rubarb bar. You can find them at reusablebags.com.
I read about the strawberry rhubarb bars and could not wait to make them! I pressed the flour & butter mixture into the pan with a lot of pressure and baked them a bit longer than 30 minutes to get them a bit more chewy. The crusts hold together nicely and they should survive with out being overly crumbly.
Another keeper of a MNN recipe. Thanks.
Try finding some smaller square plastic containers. You can cut them to the size of the container and then you don't have to use plastic at all.
I am going to try these tonight! I have a huge load of raspberries and strawberries that need to be processed into something, and this looks fabulous. I would recommend using unbleached parchment bags that you could fold over and wrap a rubber band around to store them in for lunches, or perhaps trying wax paper.
