These Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars with Oats are vegan and can easily be made gluten free. The crumble is made using coconut oil, but still tastes super buttery. The strawberry is sweet and the rhubarb is tart, making these delicious bars great for breakfast, dessert or snacks! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make these bars extra special.
Rhubarb season doesn’t last too long, so it’s important to enjoy it while it’s here! These Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars are the perfect way to do that. The strawberry rhubarb mixture is sweet and a little tangy and goes so well with the butter oat mixture. These bars are great for breakfast, snacks or you can top with a scoop of ice cream for dessert.
If you aren’t very familiar with rhubarb, it’s a type of vegetable that has a tart flavor. It grows in stalks that are usually a reddish pink color and the green leaves, attached to the top of the stalks, are poisonous so you only want to use the stalks. It’s common to be combined with strawberries because the sweetness and tartness go together well.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bar Recipe Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour – You could also use gluten free AP flour or whole wheat flour.
- Old Fashioned Oats – Old fashioned oats are perfect for this recipe. I have not tried this recipe with quick cooking oats. Steel cut oats would not work. Quinoa flakes would be a good alternative to oats.
- Sugar – I usually have coconut sugar on hand and often use that in my baking but brown sugar would work great too. I used coconut sugar in the oat batter mixture, and then I used granulated sugar in the strawberry rhubarb mixture. You can use all coconut sugar if you like though.
- Coconut Oil – I use softened coconut oil instead of butter or another type of shortening. Make sure to use refined coconut oil if you don’t want any coconut taste. You want your coconut oil to be the texture of softened butter.
- Vegan Egg Alternative – I used a flax egg in this recipe but you can use chia or a pre-mixed vegan egg alternative. I love using Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer.
- Strawberries – I used fresh strawberries that I cut into small pieces. Frozen strawberries would probably also work, but I haven’t tried them myself. They do have more liquid than fresh strawberries though, so you probably want to allow them to thaw first.
- Rhubarb – I used about 3 large rhubarb stalks. This time of year you should be able to find fresh rhubarb at most grocery stores or farmer’s markets. It doesn’t last all year long though.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch gets mixed with the strawberries and rhubarb to help thicken them up while they cook.
- Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, Fresh Lemon Juice
How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars
There are a few steps to this recipe but they’re all really easy!
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Prepare you flax egg by adding one tablespoon ground flax seed to a small bowl with 2 1/2 tablespoons water. Mix together well and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the coconut oil and coconut sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Next, add the vanilla, almond milk and flax egg and beat again until combined.
- Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture and beat with an electric mixer until the dough is crumbly in texture but holds together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Add the oats and beat again just until oats are mixed in. Sometimes it is easier to get in there with your hands to make sure all the oats are mixed in well.
- Add the diced strawberries and rhubarb to a medium sized bowl. Next, add in the sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix together until sugar and cornstarch have been completely mixed in and dissolved.
- Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the oat batter. Press the remaining batter into the bottom of the parchment lined pan. You want to make sure to get an even layer that covers the entire bottom of the baking dish. Pour strawberry and rhubarb mixture on top and spread it out into an even layer. Use your fingers to evenly sprinkle the reserved dough crumbles on top.
- Place into your pre-heated oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the bottom is completely cooked through, 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cook completely. You can eat these bars warm, they will just be a little harder to handle. I prefer to cool my bars for at least a couple hours, but overnight is best. Once bars are cooled, remove from the pan and cut into pieces. Enjoy by themselves or topped with vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry Rhubarb Bar Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Are these bars gluten free? I used all purpose flour when I made mine, but all purpose gluten free flour can easily be substituted. Some people who can’t eat gluten also have an issue with oats, so just be aware of that.
- Is this recipe vegan? Yes! I used coconut oil instead of butter and it still gives them a really nice buttery flavor and texture.
- Are these bars freezer friendly? Yes, allow bars to cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You may want to separate the bars with parchment paper so they don’t stick together once frozen.
- How long do bars stay good for? If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they should stay good for about 4-5 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
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PrintStrawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars with Oats
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars with Oats are vegan and can easily be made gluten free. The crumble is made using coconut oil, but still tastes super buttery. The strawberry is sweet and the rhubarb is tart, making these delicious bars great for breakfast, dessert or snacks!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, or gluten free AP flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 heaping cup softened coconut oil, you want it to be the consistency of softened butter
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant based milk, such as almond, soy or oat
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons water)
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 1/2 cups small diced strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups small diced rhubarb, about 3 large stalks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 heaping cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Prepare you flax egg by adding one tablespoon ground flax seed to a small bowl with 2 1/2 tablespoons water. Mix together well and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the coconut oil and coconut sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Next, add the vanilla, almond milk and flax egg and beat again until combined.
- Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture and beat with an electric mixer until the dough is crumbly in texture but holds together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Add the oats and mix again just until oats are mixed in. Sometimes it is easier to get in there with your hands to make sure all the oats are mixed in well.
- Add the diced strawberries and rhubarb to a medium sized bowl. Next, add in the granulated sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix together until sugar and cornstarch have been completely mixed in.
- Set aside about 1 1/2 cups of the oat batter. Press the remaining batter into the bottom of the parchment lined pan. You want to make sure to get an even layer that covers the entire bottom of the baking dish. Pour strawberry and rhubarb mixture on top and spread it out into an even layer. Use your fingers to evenly sprinkle the reserved dough crumbles on top.
- Place into your pre-heated oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the bottom is completely cooked through, 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cook completely. You can eat these bars warm, they will just be a little harder to handle. I prefer to cool my bars for at least a couple hours, but overnight is best. Once bars are cooled, remove from the pan and cut into pieces. Enjoy by themselves or topped with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Bars should stay good for 4-5 days, if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Vegan, Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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