Rhubarb Dream Bars

Tempting Rhubarb Dream Bars bursting with seasonal freshness. They’re like lemon bars, but no lemon, only tart rhubarb on top of a shortbread crust...

How to Make Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Dream Bars

Perfect sweetness and tartness in every bite! In my new recipe, we’re tempting your taste buds with these old-fashioned Rhubarb Dream Bars bursting with seasonal freshness. They’re like a lemon bar, but there’s no lemon, only tart and tangy rhubarb surrounded by a sweet custard filling on top of a buttery shortbread cookie crust. This post shows you how to bake them for a springtime treat filled with mouth-watering dessert goodness you’ll remember.

How to get this recipe:

Access the How to Make Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Dream Bars recipe card on GfreeDeliciously.com, where you can easily pin, favorite, or print it. Keep scrolling 👇 for a quick look at my kitchen notes and everything else you’ll need to ensure your best success!

Of course, if you’re a paid pass subscriber, you can also download the PDF-formatted, 3-ring binder-ready recipe sheet that is ready for you at the end of this post.

To get all the juicy details, read the LFN sister post, which has more about this recipe…

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Click the button below for the equipment, ingredients, and other resources used in making this recipe.

And, of course, you can picture the recipe step-by-step...

Honestly, there’s so much to love about these delicious bars, and on the website, I break it all down with pictures step-by-step to make the process super easy for you.

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💭 Before you get started...

Here are my ingredient notes:

Gluten-Free All-purpose Flour – We have made this shortbread crust by trying several gluten-free all-purpose flours manufactured by Pillsbury, Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, and GF-Jules, all with similarly successful results. If being gluten-free is not your concern, you can use any regular flour as a substitute in the recipe amounts listed.

Powdered Sugar—Any store-brand powdered sugar should do. If you must be gluten-free, be sure to read the label to reveal any gluten-containing additives.

Butter – For this recipe, we’ve used unsalted butter. When mixing by hand, you want the butter at room temperature, not too cold, and not melted. Work the butter into the flour and powdered sugar, mixing with a pastry blender or fork until pea-size chunks form. If using a food processor, make sure your butter is very cold, then pulse the crust ingredients until they are a crumbled consistency.

Diced Rhubarb (about 6-10 stems) – Cut the rhubarb into small pieces before adding it to the filling. Keeping pieces small will help everything bake and cook evenly. Furthermore, fresh rhubarb works best for this recipe, but you can also use frozen in a pinch. If frozen, thaw the rhubarb entirely and drain it before using, adding two tablespoons more of the flour to the filling mixture.

Large Eggs – Bringing the eggs to room temperature for this recipe helps them blend more evenly with the sugar and incorporate the flour and salt for a smooth batter, helping everything become light and airy as it bakes.

Sugar - Granulated white sugar.

Salt - Iodized table salt.

How long do rhubarb bars keep?

Cool the bars thoroughly after baking and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When stored properly, the dessert should last about a week. Please note: These bars do not freeze well.

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Try These Extra Tips to Ensure Serving Success!

• Completely cool the rhubarb dream bars before cutting into them.

• You will get the cleanest cuts for these and most dessert bars if you slightly chill the bars. Pop the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting them into individual bars.

• Serve them up fancy for entertaining—add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of Cashew Cream Yogurt (recipe coming soon) with a strawberry on top of one of these rhubarb dream bars. Strawberry ice cream is tasty, too, raising the strawberry-rhubarb flavor profile that everyone raves about.

Enjoy this tart and timeless springtime first.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a happy time baking!

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Rhubarb Dream Bars

Gluten-Free + Low-Salt,

👩‍🍳 Adapted from C.P.E.S. Collections - Favorite Recipes from C.P.E.S. Families & Friends recipe submitted by Mary Schoenborn. 👩‍🍳

Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Dream Bars bursting with seasonal freshness. They’re like a lemon bar, but there’s no lemon, only tart and tangy rhubarb surrounded by a sweet custard filling on top of a buttery shortbread cookie crust.

Equipment

• 13x9-inch Baking Pan

• Large bowl

• Cutting Board

• Utensils (Cooks Knife, Whisk, Measuring Cups & Spoons, Rubber Spatula, or Large Spoon)

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose Flour

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1 cup Butter

For the Filling

• 4 cups Rhubarb (diced (about 6-10 stems))

• 4 large Eggs

• 2 cups Sugar

• 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose Flour

• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

To make the crust

1. Combine the flour and powdered sugar; cut the butter until pea-size crumbs form. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan—Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 15 minutes.

To make the filling

1. Meanwhile, dice rhubarb stems into 1/2-inch pieces and set them aside.

2. Then, blend eggs, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth, creamy, and lemon-colored. Fold in the diced rhubarb. Spread the mixture over the hot crust.

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350°F (177°C) until the filling is lightly browned around the edges. Cool; cut into squares or bars for serving.

Enjoy the Recipe! Scroll to the end for the downloadable PDF, which you can print and save to your recipe binder.

Please let me know in the comments below if you have questions or want to tweak the recipe. I’d love to hear from you!

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A good source of #fiber and #antioxidants, #VitaminK, and high levels of #calcium. Make these #OldFashioned #Rhubarb #DreamBars for a #tart and #timelesstreat #fromscratch! #GlutenFree #Recipe #CookingGfreeDeliciously @GfreeDelicious CLICK TO TWEET

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Print, then punch to fit in your 3-ring binder, and file the recipe by name, alphabetically in the tabbed section: