Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Bars

I made these bars exactly one week ago.

I ate exactly one bar.

One. bar. Out of 24. That’s 1/24th of this recipe, which is about 12 less than I would have liked it to be.

The person who cut all this fruit, softened all the butter, mixed the dough, crumbled the topping, and smelled it in the oven for an hour had one, tiny, delicious bar.

I didn’t even eat the one I took out of the pan to take pictures of, but don’t tell my coworkers that I touched a bar before bringing these to our yearly picnic. Hands were washed – no need to panic.

Crazy train tip #1 about me: Cooking for other people totally freaks me out.

Cooking at home for just me and Nick? I’m fine. I know my way around my kitchen, there’s no real pressure, and if something doesn’t turn out, we order in or break out the cereal bowls.

But cooking for other people? People I work with or even my family when they’re at my house? I literally start sweating in the kitchen as soon as I start cooking. I want things to turn out perfect. And it doesn’t help that I always want to try new recipes or foodss I’ve never made before when we have people over. Not smart, Brandi. If you’re already nervous about just having something edible on the table, don’t go for something you’ve never even had before.

Luckily, these bars are just a hand-held version of my favorite spring time pie. New, yes, but close enough to the original that this one didn’t make me break out in a sweat.

I’d call that a win.

Don’t have time or the patience to make a regular pie? These bars have the flavor you want and the flaky crust without having to roll out the dough or worry about how it slices.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Bars

Makes: 24 pieces

Ingredients:

Crust –

  • 1 and 1/2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Filling –

  • 3 cup strawberries, diced
  • 3 cups rhubarb, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch

Topping –

  • 1 and 1/2 cups oats
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 stick cold butter, diced

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  2. To make the crust, beat the butter with the sugar until it’s light and creamy. Add in the flour and salt and mix until the dough just comes together.
  3. Press the crust into an even layer in a greased 9×13 pan.
  4. Bake the crust at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Take out of the oven and let it rest while you mix the filling and topping.
  5. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries and rhubarb with the cornstarch.
  6. Spread the berry mixture over the crust.
  7. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together. With your hands or pastry cutter or two forks, cut the diced butter into the topping mixture until the larger chunks of butter are broken up and the mixture is crumbly.
  8. Spread the topping over the berries and rhubarb.
  9. Bake the pie bars at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until the top of the bars is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
  10. Cool completely before slicing.

26 comments

  1. Strawberry and rhubarb are a great combination. I am just like you in the kitchen. I do the same thing with guests then get stressed out.

  2. I have yet to experiment with rhubarb or I think even taste it. Im always so interested in it though. Especially in the bar form! THese look great!

  3. Strawberry rhubarb is honestly one of my all-time favorite combinations. Can’t get enough! I always love seeing new recipes using these ingredients :) YUM!

  4. Yum, love the strawberry rhubarb combo, especially in bar form with that delicious oat topping! :)

  5. I LOVE LOVE LOVE all treats with Strawberries and Rhubarb. I did a post with them today as well. These bars are next on my list to make!

  6. Yummmmmmm……..that is all.

  7. I liked that you used oats in this recipe! Strawberry bars are a summer favorite of mine. I will definitely give this a try!

  8. I kind of hate cooking / baking for other people. I always mess something up and it’s not how I normally am. I just get so stressed and frustrated.

    That was nice of you to only eat one. I don’t care who’s getting my baked goods… I’m taking a sizeable portion. :) The bars look good! I tried rhubarb for the first time a few weeks ago but didn’t like it much. It tasted like vegetables. But maybe it’s more in season now and I should give it another go!

  9. These look scrumptious! I have never had Rhubarb. crazy, I know!

    • wait – what? i can’t even understand what you just said. never had rhubarb?!? you now have homework :)

  10. Oh, that topping. I think I fainted. Love these. And I totally get what you mean about cooking for other people – I get so stressed that no one will like my stuff!

  11. I’m loving this combo! And I love cooking for just me and Jason too but when company is over, I am sweating balls so I totally understand what you mean.

  12. This is the third or fourth strawberry rhubarb recipe I’ve seen lately – I need to find me some rhubarb! Hope you have a great weekend!

  13. yummmm….that looks absolutely delicious! strawberry and rhubarb is a match made in Heaven:) thanks for sharing! gorgeous pics too!

  14. If I only got one serving of these I’d freak! They look sooooo good! I absolutely love baking with berries in the summertime!

  15. love strawberry rhubarb anything! my mom always made pie, but i might have to try these instead :)

  16. i totally get nervous about baking/cooking for other people too! clearly you need not be though–these look AMAZING!

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