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Rhubarb Bars with a shortbread crust and tangy rhubarb custard filling are a fun, easy spring dessert. Browse all the best rhubarb recipes!
Finally, the brown-grayness of winter is giving way to a brilliant spring, and I have been enjoying every second of it. The fresh produce stands in the county are opening and selling beautiful produce.
Asparagus and rhubarb are some of my favorites. And spring is the only time you can find rhubarb unless you freeze some for next year, which I will show you how to do.
How To Freeze Rhubarb
My mom always froze rhubarb, and it was handy to have on hand to make these bars or a pie in the winter.
All you need to do is wash the rhubarb, dice it up, and freeze it 4 cups per bag. Easy Peasy. 4 cups is a perfect portion to thaw out and make these bars or a pie.
Rhubarb Bars
These rhubarb bars feature all the goodness of spring. The recipe’s simplicity allows the rhubarb to shine in all its tangy glory.
The crust is a simple shortbread made from a crumb mixture of flour, sugar, and butter.
The buttery sweetness of the crust perfectly complements the zing of the rhubarb. With less than an hour from start to finish, what excuse do you have for not making them?
Rhubarb Custard Bars
Many of you have made the recipe with success. Below are several tips to help those who have run into problems. Let me know in the comments if you have questions.
I’ve gotten comments on a white crust forming on top of the bars, and I believe this is from beating the egg mixture too long.
Also, several people have commented that they would like it if the bars weren’t quite so sweet. This is a personal preference; feel free to cut the sugar to one cup if you prefer a more tart rhubarb dessert.
Another issue is people not baking them long enough. Continue to bake them until they are no longer jiggly, even if that is longer than the time stated in the recipe. The temperature of your starting ingredients can vary from cook to cook, not to mention variations in oven temp accuracy.
Be sure to cool the bars completely before cutting them, preferably in the fridge.
Rhubarb Bars Recipe
To make rhubarb bars, you will need the following:
For the crust
- all-purpose flour
- butter
- powdered sugar
For the filling
- eggs
- sugar
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- rhubarb
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat the crumbs into a well greased 9 x 13 in baking pan. Bake the crust at for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
- While the crust is in the oven, mix together eggs, sugar, flour, and salt. Gently stir in the diced rhubarb. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the hot crust.
- Return bars to the hot oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F and bake for 30-35 min or until the filling is set and no longer jiggly.
- Cool for 30 mins on the counter. Refrigerate and chill completely before cutting into bars.
Best Rhubarb Recipes
Fresh rhubarb and sweet strawberries topped with a crunchy oatmeal crumble make a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp that no one will forget. Bakery style streusel-topped Rhubarb Muffins are tender, studded with tangy rhubarb bits, and topped with a crunchy brown sugar streusel.
Check out a few more of our favorite rhubarb desserts: Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie, Rhubarb Coffee Cake, Rhubarb Crunch, and Rhubarb Sauce with Strawberry Jello.
Rhubarb Bars
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cold butter cubed
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
For the filling
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups white sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 cups rhubarb, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat the crumbs into a well greased 9 x 13 in baking pan. Bake the crust at for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
- While the crust is in the oven, mix together eggs, sugar, flour, and salt. Gently stir in the diced rhubarb. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the hot crust.
- Return bars to the hot oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F and bake for 30-35 min or until the filling is set and no longer jiggly.
- Cool for 30 mins on the counter. Refrigerate and chill completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{recipe originally published May 2014 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/23/23}
Can these be frozen after cutting?
I have never personally tried it. I think it would work. They’re might be a risk that they rhubarb would get watery when thawed out though.
Hi, can Splenda be used in place of the two cups of sugar?
Hi Sharon, I have never used Splenda in baking so I am not sure. Let me know how it works if you try it.
I have tried splenda and it works perfectly with the recipe and is just as yummy
Thanks Irene! This is exactly what I wanted to know 🙂
Hi Mallory,
These look awesome. I have 3 recipes in the oven. I have extended the time twice for the 2nd baking because it doesn’t look set. Will it set after I take them out?
Hi, Joyce. They should be mostly set by the time you take them out. If you shake the pan, they should barely wiggle when they’re done. Let me know how the turned out.
Mine also Did this cooked for an extra 10 min and still a very running topping but still tasted good not sure what went wrong.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Nichole. I’m getting the feedback that the baking time should be longer. Also chilling the bars before cutting them will help them set up.
These look so delicious! I need to make them.
Totally pinned this! looks super yum!
linking up from the Weekday Mixer Social Media linkup. nice to meet you.
Shana from Technotini
Thanks, Shana!
I made this tonight. ALL my family grows and bakes rhubarb. I swear this is the best rhubarb dessert I’ve ever tasted! Buttery, sweet, and tart. The texture is outstanding – chewy and moist! I put it in 2 pans: a 9×9 pyrex plus a bread pan and that was perfect since i didnt have the right sized pan. All of my family tonight said it was better than all the rhubarb crunches we all make. I might experiment with a bit of coconut or a glutin free version in the next weeks, but this is going to be my forever rhubarb dessert recipe . Thank you so much Mallory!! i read hundreds of rhubarb recipes before trying this. I chose it because i liked your cold butter technique. Cheers to you!
Thanks for letting me know how it turned out, Valerie. I’m glad you loved it. Getting comments like this makes creating recipes and writing this blog so much fun!
GAHH these look perfect! I love rhubarb (strawberry-rhubarb pie is my favorite dessert!), and can’t wait to get my hands on some so I can try these bars! I pinned the recipe to save for later. Thanks for sharing!
I’m stopping by from the Creative Ways Link Party.
Thanks, Alex. I hope you enjoy them.
I have never cooked with rhubarb before, but these bars look amazing! I can just picture the tanginess with the sweet goodness! Thanks so much for sharing these at my Creative Ways Link Party! Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings,
Nici
These look so good! I’m going to keep my eye out for rhubarb at the store:)
Hi Mallory! These bars look like the perfect thing for the warmer weather. I was just at the store earlier and saw these beautiful rhubarb, I will be sure to pick some up the next time I am there so I can make your lovely rhubarb bars. 🙂
Thanks, Ai!