Description
These Buttery Rhubarb Shortbread Bars feature a rich, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust layered with a sweet-tart rhubarb filling and finished with a delicate crumb topping. Perfect for spring and summer baking, these bars are easy to make and ideal for picnics, potlucks, or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the Rhubarb Filling
- 4 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt, then cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Press firmly into the pan and bake for 18–20 minutes until lightly golden.
- Make the filling: In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla until evenly coated.
- Prepare the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until coarse crumbs form.
- Assemble and bake: Spread the rhubarb mixture over the baked crust, then sprinkle evenly with the crumb topping. Return to the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Cool and slice: Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares for clean slices.
Notes
Refrigerate the bars for about 1 hour before slicing for the neatest presentation. Fresh rhubarb offers the best flavor, but frozen rhubarb works well after thawing and draining. These bars are delicious served plain or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 255
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: buttery rhubarb shortbread bars, rhubarb shortbread bars, rhubarb dessert bars, buttery rhubarb bars, spring rhubarb recipe, homemade rhubarb bars
