Homemade Rhubarb Dream Bars

Also called Rhubarb bars, or Amish Rhubarb bars, these easy-to-make bars make a great summer dessert and are a great way to use up extra rhubarb. Not to mention you only need 7 ingredients to make them, which you likely have at home already!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. This post may contain affiliate links. For more information see my full disclosure here.

I was first introduced to these bars a few years ago when we bought them on a whim while visiting a local Amish bakery. I remember we had no idea what they were, I’d never even heard of them. But my Mum thought they looked good, so we got them, and the rest is history!

These bars are delicious and well-loved by all who try them, they are the sort of dessert you wait all winter for, and impatiently count down the days till the rhubarb is big enough to harvest. They are a sure sign that summer has finally come and a great kickoff to the rhubarb season.

If you’ve never had rhubarb bars, or aren’t a huge fan of rhubarb, I would only encourage you to give this recipe a try! This delicious dessert is super easy to make and has a way of turning everyone into a rhubarb lover.

This is my take on these amazing bars, I made a few modifications I feel make these even more amazing, well still doing justice to the original recipe.

Homemade Rhubarb Dream Bars recipe

Ingredients

crust

• Soft unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar

Filing

• Chopped fresh rhubarb
• White sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Sea salt
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract.

How To Make Rhubarb Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9×13 cake pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine all of the crust ingredients, and mix until they come together in clumps. You can make your crust using, beaters, a pastry blender, a Danish dough whisk, or even a food processor. It might take a minute or two but I promise the crust will come together eventually.

Spread the crust mixture over the bottom of the cake pan, then using your hands press the crust out until it covers the bottom of the pan and goes roughly a 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 min. Or until the crust is slightly cooked and very pale in color.

While the crust is baking prepare the filling. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, using a spoon or whisk.

Once the crust is done, pull it out of the oven. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the hot crust, spreading it out as evenly as possible.

Return the pan to the oven and back for 40-45 minutes. or until the top is a light golden brown and the middle is set.

Allow the bars to cool to room temperature for at least 1-hour before cutting with a sharp knife.

You can serve these bars with vanilla ice cream, or topped with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. But personally, I think they are best eaten with nothing extra.

Notes

These bars can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

Be sure to keep a close eye on these while they are baking, as both the crust and the filling will start to burn if overbaked.

Tips and Tricks for Baking

I don’t why but for some reason, the crust in this recipe comes out a little odd sometimes. A few times I’ve even wound up with more crust than I needed. If the crust seems way to think of it just looks like you have more crust than you need, don’t worry! This happens sometimes, just eye it up, and maybe don’t use all of it. Sometimes I’ll split a single batch of crust between two pans, to get a thinner, crisper crust.

I always line my pans with parchment paper, as I find it just makes everything that little bit easier. However, it isn’t really necessary for this recipe, if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to just skip it. Honestly, the buttery shortbread crust has so much butter in it that you can skip greasing or lining the pan altogether without a problem!

If it’s been over 45 min. and the center of the bars isn’t set yet, keep baking until it is. Usually, if the middle isn’t done the top won’t burn. Again just make sure to keep an eye on them and pull them out as soon as it is done. If you have ever made lemon bars or a rhubarb custard pie, this recipe is pretty similar when it comes to baking. The time will vary, depending on where you live and how hot your oven is. You’ll want to keep baking until the center is set and jiggly. If you feel the top is starting to burn you can always cover the pan with a piece of foil.

Let the bars cool completely before cutting. I know it can be tempting to eat dessert as soon as it comes out of the oven, but these bars really do need to cool completely before cutting. If you are in a hurry try to wait at least 30-35 minutes before cutting, though I would really recommend waiting a full hour. Since these are baked just until set, you really need to give the filling time to finish setting and firm up before cutting and serving.