Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars
These easy strawberry rhubarb crumb bars are bursting with a sweet-tart fruity filling sandwiched between layers of buttery crumble. They’re perfect for spring and summer gatherings, where they’re sure to be a hit!
Think strawberry rhubarb pie, except easier, and that’s what you get with these crumb bars. They’re soft and fruity inside with a crispy, buttery topping, while perfectly balancing the sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb. Honestly, they’re downright irresistible!
Plus, they’re super simple to make and great for taking on the go and sharing with others. They’re one of my favorites for potlucks and backyard dinners all summer long.
Why you’ll love these crumb bars
- They capture the classic sweet-tart flavor of strawberry + rhubarb.
- Crumb bars are a delicious contrast of soft and crispy textures.
- Like pie, but easier!
- They’re the perfect spring dessert, and a must-bake for the season.
- These bars travel well, making them ideal for picnics, potlucks, and gatherings.
“I have made these bars multiple times, and they have rapidly become my favorites!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from reader Roxanne
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s just an overview, find the full recipe below!
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Baking powder and salt
- Orange or lemon zest
- Salted butter
- Egg
- Cornstarch
- Fresh strawberries and rhubarb
How to make strawberry rhubarb crumb bars
- Make the crumb mixture: Mix the dry ingredients, cut in the cold butter, then stir in the egg until it clumps together.
- Press half into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Mix the filling: Toss the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and cornstarch, then spread the filling over the crust.
- Top with the rest of the crumb topping
- Bake in a 375°F oven until the topping is golden and fruit filling bubbles up in a few places.
- Cool completely for slicing, or serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Crumb bar recipe tips and FAQs
- If you want to use frozen fruit, do not thaw before using and increase cornstarch to 2 Tbsp.
- Fruit variations: See my Berry Crumb Bars or Caramel Cranberry Nut Bars for other flavor options. You can use almost any fruit you like in this recipe!
- Use parchment paper for easy slicing. Just be sure there’s enough overhang to use as a handle to lift the bars out of the pan. Then transfer to a cutting board to slice.
- Storage instructions: These strawberry rhubarb bars keep very well! If storing more than 24 hours, I recommend putting them in the fridge where they’ll keep for 4-5 days.
- Freezer instructions. Freeze all together or in individual slices, making sure they’re well-wrapped in plastic wrap or in a ziplock bag. Store for up to 1 month, thaw at room temperature.
More strawberry rhubarb dessert recipes
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars
These easy strawberry rhubarb crumb bars are bursting with a sweet-tart fruity filling sandwiched between layers of buttery crumble.
Ingredients
Crumb base and topping:
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (105 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
- 1 cup (226 grams) salted butter , cold and cubed
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
Filling:
- 3 cups (400 grams) sliced strawberries , chopped in ½-in pieces
- 2 cups (260 grams) sliced rhubarb , chopped in ½-in pieces
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and orange/lemon zest. 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, ½ cup (105 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar,1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
- Add the butter and use a fork or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces are about the size of peas. 1 cup (226 grams) salted butter
- Add the beaten egg and continue to blend until combined and mixture can be clumped together with your hand (but it will still be very dry and crumbly). Press half of the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.1 large egg
- In another bowl, toss together the strawberries, rhubarb, cornstarch and sugar. Dump on top of the crumb base, spreading it out evenly as needed. Use your hands to clump the remaining crumb mixture together and sprinkle evenly over the strawberry rhubarb filling.3 cups (400 grams) sliced strawberries, 2 cups (260 grams) sliced rhubarb, ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- Bake until topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 50-60 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing, about 2-3 hours at room temperature or about 1 hour in the fridge. Or serve warm straight from the oven with vanilla ice cream.
- For best results, store in the fridge, up to 5 days.
Notes
- If using frozen fruit, do not thaw before using and increase cornstarch to 2 tablespoons.
Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 194mg, Potassium: 203mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 518IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 2mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
Delicious!
Made this today with my green/red rhubarb stalks. I used the orange zest and let sit on the bench for 2hours before cutting. The whole family love it, even my 80year old neighbour.
Looks like I’m in the good books tonight, thank you 🙂
Love this treat! I made it for a girls spa day and everyone thought these bars were divine! Curious though, if I were to try and make this now, in the dead of winter when fresh strawberries are scarce, would using frozen work along with frozen rhubarb that I have stashed in my freezer? If so should I thaw the berries first or leave frozen with the rhubarb?
Hi Jamie! I think you could use frozen fruit in this recipe, and I would recommend not thawing ahead of time and increasing cornstarch by a teaspoon or 2 to compensate the extra liquid. But I haven’t tested it this way myself.
Hello again, I forgot to say that I made this recipe several times, so good. But I make it with strawberries only as I did not have rhubarb… so so good too. I did not have any orange, so I added with the egg about 1 teaspoon of pure orange extract… just perfect! And to the flour mixture, I added about 2 tbsp of raw shelled hemp seeds to the half part that goes on top of the fruits. And I did not thaw the strawberries, I cut them frozen, this is such a good recipe that you can make in no time, just in time for the barbecue tonight! Thank you again!
Thank you so much for this recipe, it is wonderful. As the others say, not too sweet, just perfect. And I have been making it with frozen strawberries from last year, the ones so far are not as nice and tasty, not enough rain, we will pray for rain too. But it is so good as a dessert or snack. I am making them too for my grand-daughter, almost two years old, she loves them, and it is so much better homemade. So they are great anytime! Breakfast, why not! Ha! Ha! Taste so good and smell so nice right out of the oven!
I have been making this since I first discovered it in 2017, it’s easy to put together, I use parchment paper to line the pan, makes it easy to cut into squares and get out of the pan, best of all, hardly any clean up, just wipe the pan with paper towel and put it away. The only thing I change is the filling, I double the fruit, add another teaspoon of cornstarch and a little bit of sugar. When I see rhubarb coming up in the garden, I think of this recipe! Thank you Annalise!
Made them last night with fresh fruit and boy are they delicious!! Not too sweet and not to tangy ! I didn’t change a thing to the recipe. And the orange zest is a nice touch, it brings all the flavors together. Thank you for this recipe.
I ended up using the food processor to combine the butter and flour mixture. Much easier on my hands. Not having made this before I am wondering if the parchment paper is necessary if the pan in well greased. Regardless, It’s now in the oven!
How was it without the parchment paper? I don’t have any either and was just wondering… 🙂
You can make this without parchment paper, but I like how clean and easy it makes slicing. If you don’t have it, just make sure your baking pan is well-greased.
Do you ever use frozen strawberries in this recipe? If so, how much extra cornstarch do I use? Thanks.
Hi Mary! I haven’t used frozen so I can’t say for sure. You’ll want to use them frozen (don’t thaw first), so make sure you buy frozen chopped strawberries. Not sure how much more cornstarch to recommend. Maybe start with an extra teaspoon. Hope this helps!
I’ve made these several times and every time they are a hit! I’ve substituted all sorts of fruits, from tart cherries to blueberries and whatever leftover frozen fruit I have on hand. Always turn out great! Today I am using up some freeze dried pomegranate I have that needs to get used up. Can’t wait to dig in. Great, versatile recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
Yay! Thanks so much for the feedback!
It is looking delicious.
I am dying to eat strawberry rhubarb
Great recipe!! Making it today for the third time!! Everyone loves it, “not too sweet, really brings out the fruit” are the comments. So easy to put together, freezes well.
Yay!!! Thanks so much for the feedback. I’m glad everyone loved the bars. 🙂
I made this recipe today and it turned out perfect. I was a bit apprehensive because I was a little shy of 3 cups of strawberries, but it wasn’t an issue. The flavor is fantastic–not too sweet, not too tart. And the crumble is perfect. Also, this is the first time I’ve ever baked with rhubarb, so it was especially gratifying that it turned out well. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! And welcome to the magical world of baking with rhubarb! You’re going to love it. 🙂
This looks AWESOME!!! I hope you win, you are suck a great fit for that delicious butter!
This looks amazing! I will definately give it a try!
I hope I will manage as I am not a great cook!