Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Bars

Updated 29th May 2024

Strawberry rhubarb is a classic pie filling that I love. These pie bars have all the classic flavours of strawberry rhubarb pie without having to fuss over pie dough, lattices or waiting hours before you can dig in. You can whip up a whole pan of these bars in minutes. They’re tasty, easy to make, and always a hit to serve! These are truly irresistible. They are not too sweet with just the right amount of tartness and are great as is but even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you are in the mood for pie and need to satisfy the craving quickly - this is the most delicious way to do it. They are on repeat here and hope they become a favourite in your home too. They make a great packable treat for picnics and potlucks too- enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars Ingredients

• FRUIT: I use fresh firm but ripe strawberries and rhubarb. You can use frozen as well- I would recommend allowing the fruit to sit with the sugar and cornstarch until it has thawed completely before adding it to the bars.
• LEMON JUICE: Adds a hint of bright flavor to the filling. You can swap it out for orange juice and if you want more intense citrus flavor feel free to add a teaspoon or so of lemon zest or orange zest to the strawberry rhubarb filling
• VANILLA EXTRACT: Adds flavor to the filling - if you prefer to use almond extract you can or do a blend of both vanilla and almond
• SUGAR: You will need both brown sugar and white granulated sugar for this recipe for the filling and the dough.
• CINNAMON & SALT: For flavor- adjust to taste and swap out the cinnamon for another warming spice you might prefer
• FLOUR: I use all purpose flour but you can easily swap it our for a good all purpose 1-1 gluten-free flour
• BUTTER: I use unsalted butter for this recipe and it need to be room temperature or softened slightly.
• OATS: I use old fashioned rolled oats for this recipe
• NUTS: This is an optional add in for the crumb topping only. It adds a hint of nuttiness plus some crunchy texture - I usually use chopped pecans or chopped almonds.
  
  

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Bars?

Pie bars are so easy to make. The dough is so simple to make and requires very little effort. Unlike a traditional pie, pie bars usually have a press-in dough that requires no resting, rolling or crimping. Once you have your dough ready, which is a mixture of flour sugar and butter essentially, you press ⅔ of it into your pan. Then you spread over your fruit filling. Then crumble over the remaining fruit and bake. So quick and so easy.

Pie Dough vs Pie Bar Dough

When you are making pie dough for an actual pie it’s important that all ingredients are cold. When it comes to making these pie bars though it’s a different story - you want everything room temperature. For this recipe we don’t use a food processor or knives to cut in the butter as it’s softened but we use a mixer for it - it’s easy to make and comes together quickly.

How to Make Pie Bar Filling

I used this delicious classic combo of fruits for these pie bars but any fruit will do the trick. These would be great with cherries, a berry mix or even stone fruit. Frozen fruit can also be used. If using frozen fruit let it thaw first or allow it to sit longer and thaw while it’s macerating with the sugar and spices. Just like a regular pie filling requires a bit of a thickening agent so do these pie bars. Corn starch is usually what most recipes call for and that is fine. If you want to use a grain free thickener you can use tapioca starch. A little goes a long way to help thicken the filling so you have a rich fruit filling instead of a watery one. The filling can easily be spiced up with your favourite flavourings. I went pretty basic with the lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon. But cardamom and a pinch of nutmeg would be nice too.

Simple step to Making Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars

1. Prepare filling - toss together all the filling ingredients
2. Cream together butter and sugars. Add flour, oats and salt and mix into the butter mixture until combined
3. Press in ⅔ of the the dough into the pan evenly
4. Spoon over fruit pie filling on top.
5. Toss remaining dough with nuts if using and sprinkle on top of pie filling.
6. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
7. Cool, slice & enjoy!
   
   

Tips For These Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

• You could easily change up this recipe by using another fresh berry/chopped fruit.
• To make the filling more lemony, add the zest of one lemon along with the lemon juice.
• You must let these crumb bars cool a bit before slicing them. If you try to slice the bars while they’re still hot, the filling will ooze out.
  
  

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