Rhubarb Bars

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

{recipe originally published May 2014 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/23/23}