Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 20

Jump to Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Oatmeal cookie base topped with sweet and tangy rhubarb and strawberries covered in more oatmeal cookie topping — your favourite summer dessert is now a portable treat or back to school snack!

strawberry rhubarb crisp bars whole uncut

I once asked this question over on my Facebook page: fruit crisp or fruit pie?

At first, I was a little alarmed at the amount of pie people popping up and taking over. But once I sent a shout out to all my crisp lovers they slowly came through for me.

I am a crisp lover. I am not reeeeally a pie lover, unless it’s filled with chocolate or peanut butter or it’s on an Oreo crust or it’s in ice cream form. Or unless it’s only dessert option, because when it comes to pie or no dessert you better believe I’m eating pie and loving it. As long as there’s ice cream.

two strawberry rhubarb crisp bars stacked with fresh strawberries all around

So last summer, when Julianne from Beyond Frosting asked if I would bring something over to share, these bars were not even a thought. I’d hate to think about what might have happened if she’d never asked — you might not have been feasting your eyes upon them right now.

And that would be sad. Because they’re amazing.

I’ve since updated the post so that you can find the full recipe below, because Spring is short and you should be eating as much strawberry rhubarb as you can get your hands on.

two strawberry rhubarb crisp bars stacked from above with more bars around

When I came up with the idea for these bars, I was determined that there would only be one crumb mixture and that would serve as the cookie crust and the crumb topping. I am not into extra work.

Obviously I had to use the oatmeal cookie topping from this Berry Cherry Crisp (also amazing). I doubled it and it worked so well! The perfect sturdy base for the fruit and just enough left over to sprinkle over the top and let that gorgeous fruit shine through.

two strawberry rhubarb crisp bars stacked close up

Are you guys rhubarb lovers?

I mean, you’re here, so….

But really — there are people out there who don’t like rhubarb. I used to be one of them. As a kid, anything even a little bit tart was not dessert. Lemon, lime, rhubarb — I detested them all. Slowly, though, I came around. And now? Total obsession.

Especially strawberry rhubarb. And with fresh summer strawberries? Perfection!

These are the perfect bar to take you from summer right into back to school — they are incredible cold, straight from the fridge, or warm them up and serve with some vanilla ice cream!

ashley avatar

Pin this recipe to save for later

Pin this recipe to your favorite board

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars

4.78 from 9 votes
These Strawberry Rhubarb Crips bars taste like summer! Crispy crust and topping filled with summer fruit!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 20
Calories 219cal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups large oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour or sub all-purpose
  • 3/4 cup cold butter cut into 1/2” pieces
  • 4 cups fresh diced strawberries
  • 3 cups frozen chopped rhubarb (or sub fresh – see recipe notes*)
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13” pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats and flour until mixed. Add the butter and mix with an electric mixer, a pastry cutter or your hands until combined.
  • Set aside 1 packed cup of the oatmeal cookie mixture. Press the rest into the bottom of the prepared pan, covering the bottom entirely. Bake bottom crust for 10-15 minutes until dry on top.
  • In a medium bowl, combine your strawberries, rhubarb, corn starch and sugar. Spread on top of crust and crumble the remaining oat mixture on top – it will not cover the top completely. Press down the oat mixture slightly.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes until the filling is bubbly and thickened and the oats are light golden brown.
  • Cool to room temperature. I highly recommend chilling before cutting – they will set completely and cut more cleanly. Store in the refrigerator

Notes

I only had frozen rhubarb available. You can easily substitute fresh but it won’t release as much liquid as it bakes, so you’ll need to reduce the corn starch to about 3 tablespoons.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 219cal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Want to save this recipe?

Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.

Register Now

Tried this recipe?

Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel —
I love to see what you’re making!

Tag @thereciperebel

Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

Read More

You May Also Like

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Gail! It might work, I just haven’t tried it before with frozen strawberries. If you decide to give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes!

  1. Cassie says

    Would it still work to sub the butter with margarine or shortening? I need a dairy free option !

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Cassie! I think I would go with a plant based butter. You might be able to use margarine but honestly I wouldn’t and I don’t believe shortening would work for these. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

  2. Jenna says

    I’ve used this recipe countless times because it’s so easy to measure and it’s adaptable throughout the seasons. I made it first with fresh rhubarb and strawberries in Spring as the recipe intends, but you can pretty much put in 7 cups worth of any baking fruit (apples, pears, mixed berries) and it comes out great every time. Make sure not to cook the base layer too long or it gets tough.

Leave A Reply

Have you tried this recipe? Leave a rating