These homemade rhubarb dessert bars are tart, sweet, and a terrific use for fresh rhubarb. Assembling the dessert bar layers is really easy! Baked in a 9" square baking tin until the topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling! This recipe works great with other fresh fruit - see the notes in the post on how to incorporate other fruit!
Rhubarb Bars
Hi hi! Just popping in to re share the recipe for these Rhubarb Bars. These rhubarb shortcake bars have been on my website for a few years now. They are super simple to make - there is one base dough that forms the base and topping of the shortcake. I love an easy bar recipe, and these are exactly that!
I made these shortcake bars with fresh rhubarb but they are super versatile and can be made with other fruit too. The rhubarb is just mixed with some starch and arranged in a layer on top of the base. Then it is topped with the crumble topping and the whole thing goes into the oven.
These homemade shortcake bars are easy and fun to make, and are a huge favourite in our house, either as a quick throw together recipe or served with ice cream for dessert. I love baking with rhubarb - for more easy rhubarb recipes check out my rhubarb pie and my easy rhubarb galette.
Dessert bars are one of my favourite things to make, as they are quick to do and for the most part, great to make ahead of time. Check out more recipes for dessert bar recipe ideas!
What does rhubarb taste like?
It is quite hard to describe what rhubarb tastes like - it is super sour, but also super aromatic. You eat the stalks only, and it is often cooked with sugar to take away the tart taste.
When is Rhubarb in season?
Rhubarb grows year round in New Zealand and is one of my favourite things, so I love incorporating it into dessert recipes with rhubarb. It is particularly good cooked down into a compote, which I use to make my rhubarb cheesecake dessert bars!
In other countries, the rhubarb season is much shorter and generally is in spring. Make the most of fresh rhubarb if you do see it, it's so worth picking some up.
Why is this called a shortcake?
This is what we call a shortcake in New Zealand - a fruit layer on top of a dough base with more dough topping it. They are significantly different to what the US calls a shortcake, which is more of a biscuit situation. The pastry is short and sweet, and the fruit layer is often quite tart to offset the sweetness of the dough. Shortcake bars come together quickly and get assembled all in one go with no par baking needed.
- Make the shortbread crust. This is a classic short, sweet pastry that is made by creaming together butter and sugar and then adding dry ingredients.
- Divide the dough. The same dough is used for the base and topping of these shortcake bars. Weigh out some of the dough and press into the baking pan, and reserve the rest.
- Add the Rhubarb. Mix the rhubarb with a wee bit of sugar, tapioca starch and vanilla, stir to combine, then arrange evenly on top of the base.
- Add remaining dough. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the rhubarb. You want to add it in chunks.
- Bake. The Rhubarb Shortcake Bars bake until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling. The bars need a little time to cool before slicing so the fruit layer can set.
Two ways to make Rhubarb Shortcake Bars
I originally made these rhubarb bars as shown in the photos below. To do this, I chilled the dough after mixing then rolled it out and cut it into squares. One of the squares was the base and the other the lid. This is how we make an apple shortcake in NZ. It's a little fiddly but it works.
I sent the recipe of this rhubarb shortcake to my friend Lisa a few years ago (she is an amazing NZ based pastry chef), and she adapted it by adding the dough on in chunks on top of the fruit as opposed to my sandwich method. It works so much better and is much quicker. So it only made sense to also re-shoot this rhubarb shortcake using the same method. It tastes the same, just has a different format and involves much less mucking around and chilling pastry.
How to make shortcake bars with other fruit
The great thing about these shortcake bars is that the recipe is super versatile. You can absolutely make this with other fruit. You could easily add in some blueberries or other fruit along with the rhubarb. Shortcake is also often made with berries or plums here in Nz. You could use these quantities for strawberry rhubarb. Or, you can make this your own. Just keep in mind to adjust the starch and sugar as needed as different fruit have different moisture and sweetness. Some options you could make:
- Strawberry rhubarb bars using the fruit quantities in my strawberry rhubarb bars recipe
- Peaches, Apricots, Plums, nectarines, cherries, - about 750g fruit should go with about 23g starch and then approx 75g sugar. Adjust as needed! I do a mix of whatever I have.
- Rhubarb and Blueberry - Sub some of the rhubarb for fresh or frozen blueberries
- Cranberry - this recipe works great with frozen cranberries if you have any leftover from anything! The filling is 450g frozen or fresh cranberries, 15g tapioca starch, 125g granulated sugar, ½ tsp vanilla, ¼ tsp salt, and then 20g water or orange juice. Baking and assembly instructions are the same.
- Mixed berry - I would follow similar proportions to the cranberry but adjust the sugar as needed. It would also work great with frozen berries.
- Apple - I used 750g diced apple with 90g sugar and 25g tapioca starch (use less if you are using cornflour / corn starch - you need about half the quantity)
FAQ for Rhubarb Bars
Can I use cornstarch in place of tapioca starch?
Yes. I haven't tried it but tapioca starch is about half as potent as corn starch so I would do about 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp worth (11g) of cornstarch (cornflour if you're from nz). I love tapioca starch as it sets clear but cornstarch also will work. You generally need half the quantity of cornstarch if tapioca starch is called for in the recipe. I will update as soon as I have tested it!
Is there meant to be baking powder in the crust recipe?
Yes - it is meant to be there!
How do you store rhubarb bars?
Store your rhubarb bars lightly covered at room temperature. Do not put in a sealed container or they will go soggy.
For more Rhubarb recipes, check out:
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Recipe for Rhubarb Bars
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Easy Baked Rhubarb Dessert Bars
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 15
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Shortcake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: New Zealand
Description
These homemade rhubarb dessert bars are tart, sweet, and a terrific use for fresh rhubarb. Assembling the dessert bar layers is really easy! Baked in a 9" square baking tin until the topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling! This recipe works great with other fresh fruit - see the notes in the post on how to incorporate other fruit!
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry
- 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 150g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), at room temperature
- 1 tsp (4g) vanilla bean paste
- 450g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons (8.75g) baking powder
- ½ tsp (1.5g) kosher salt
Rhubarb Filling
- 750g trimmed rhubarb, chopped into ½” pieces
- 2 Tbsp (16g) tapioca starch or 10g corn starch (called cornflour if you are in nz)
- 80g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ tsp salt
- Powdered Sugar to dust
Instructions
SWEET PASTRY
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line a 9” square baking tin with two pieces of parchment paper, forming a “sling” so that you can easily remove the bars.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.
- Weigh out 475g of the mixture, and press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the bottom of a drinking glass or with an offset spatula. Set the rest aside.
ASSEMBLY
- In a medium bowl, place the rhubarb, tapioca starch, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt, and mix with a spatula until well combined. Spread the rhubarb mixture evenly over the surface of the dough - do not press down too hard.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the surface of the rhubarb, ensuring that you add it in an even layer.
- Bake the bars for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling. If they topping is starting to brown before they are done, lightly cover the pan with foil. Allow to cool completely before using the parchment paper to remove from the pan. Slice into bars, and dust with powdered sugar.
- Store leftovers lightly covered with a paper towel at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not store in an airtight container as they will go soggy.
Notes
For notes on other fruit to use in these bars, please see the section in the body of the post.
Comments
Caribou says
I made this with the last of my rhubarb and it was so so good!Can't wait to try it with other fruit 🙂
stacy says
I've got some rhubarb in the freezer just waiting for this!
claire hackmann says
these bars turned out AMAZING!! i was a little worried because my rhubarb was a little green and i used corn starch instead of tapioca but it still tasted fab! thanks for sharing!!
Erin says
Eee so happy you loved!
Liz K says
Another Cloudy Kitchen winner! This is delicious, easy and pretty quick. Not too sweet at all - the tartness of the rhubarb brilliantly balances the sugar. I ran out of rhubarb so threw in some sliced strawberries and a few blueberries. I accidentally made custard and we had it with the shortcake - seriously good!!!! Thanks Erin.....
Erin says
eee so so happy you loved them!
Kim says
Delicious!
This was my first lockdown baking of lockdown #2 for the South Island of NZ. And I meshed your shortcake bar recipe with the lemon curd from the lemon yoghurt sheetcake (which I will also be making in future!) as we have an overloaded lemon tree.
So a delicious layer of lemon curd in place of the rhubarb. And a half size made in a loafpan.
Thanks Erin!
PS so easy to split recipes when they're in grams! Much easier than if it was in cups.
Erin says
Ohhhh my that sounds so, so good! So happy you loved!
Zoe says
Love it! Will be added to my regular bake! I used frozen rhubarb and it came out perfectly!
Asti says
Made an adapted version of this a few weeks ago! Watched your stories of you making it and instantly wanted to make it. I didn’t have any rhubarb so read yours notes on other fruits and quantities to use and made mine with a mix of frozen blueberries and raspberries. I’m the same as someone else above and just used corn flour on the fruit but it turned out great. Super easy!
So yum that I’m tempted to make more since we’re still in lockdown 2.0.
Avery says
I made these last week with a mix of blueberries and blackberries and they were FABULOUS! I used about 750g fruit and the same quantity of tapioca starch and sugar. My berries were sweet so I could have cut back on the sugar but that’s entirely on me. Definitely keeping this in my back pocket for all sorts of fruit in future! (And LOVE the idea of incorporating a layer of curd or custard!)
Liana says
I followed the instructions for the cranberry version of these and they were delicious. I should also mention how easy and simple this was to make as I did so 6 days after having a c-section.
The crumb has a delicious vanilla flavour and the whole dessert was 10/10.
Laura M says
Had a bag of rhubarb in the freezer and decided to try - tasty!
Kyra says
These bars are perfect in every way. They are what made me start liking rhubarb! Since it is still a little too early for rhubarb where I am I used a tiny bit and subbed the rest with strawberries and they were still magical! Can’t wait until rhubarb season this year to make them the correct way again 🤗
Ania says
I baked these bars over the weekend and followed the recipe as closely as possible. Small changes I had to make: After trimming, I only had 700 g of rhubarb, cornstarch instead of tapioca starch, and no vanilla bean paste (to not add liquid into the pastry, I used vanilla sugar (7g), instead). So yes, minor alterations happened, but I'm fairly confident that the result wasn't too different from the original version.
That said, this came out amazing. The balance of sweet and sour was SO GOOD, that it was hard to stop eating. I made this for a picnic and many people had seconds or thirds. I really want to make this again, because it was seriously good and a very reliable recipe (despite my necessary/unfortunate alterations).
Also, I really appreciated that all the pastry ingredients were given in grams. I understand why it can be better to use teaspoons for measuring salt and baking powder, but I still end up wondering if I measured everything the way the recipe author did. But here, Erin left no room for doubts, so it was nice to know that what I measured was how she intended.
Really really good recipe!
Jenn says
Any way to convert this to metric?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, the measurements are already in metric?
Staci says
Delicious and not too sweet, which means you can add a scoop of ice cream on the side! I followed your guidance for strawberry rhubarb and used instant clear jel instead of tapioca starch, as it’s what I had. The fruit set beautifully. I’m sharing this recipe with all of my fellow rhubarb-loving Midwesterners!
Emma says
Made using frozen mixed berries! 5 stars!! ⭐️
First time making a shortcake slice and will be making again! Was a hit!
Rachel says
So Good!! And adaptable! I was short on flour by about 100g so used approx equal weight oatmeal. It was excellent and now I can pretend it’s a breakfast bar, not just dessert. It’s oatmeal so it counts right?!? 😀
Erin Clarkson says
Hhahaha yesss 200%! So happy you loved 🙂
Sarah says
This was delicious ! Will def make again! My daughter loved it so much she has requested this as her birthday cake
also, as a side note, I LOVE your passion about weighing ingredients . I’m from Germany, so have always found cup measurement etc extremely strange . Especially when I come across American recipes! Ounces are bad enough but their “tablespoons of butter” drive me insane !!
Nicola says
So good! I added apples and raspberries because I didn’t have much rhubarb, and a bit of lemon zest to the pastry to balance the sweetness of the apple. Thanks for all the recipe notes, they’re so helpful.
Sandra says
This is a rhubarb season must - do it every year! Always perfect
Ania says
These are sooooo crazy delicious, I've already made them twice!! Everyone loved them and the bars quickly disappeared 🙂 I'm honestly obsessed with how good this is and will definitely try out other fruits with this recipe in the future 😀
Mary says
Delicious! I have a huge rhubarb plant so will be making again soon!
Sophie says
Easy and delish! I had to use custard powder as didn’t have topico or cornflour 🤦🏼♀️ still turned out well.
Jean Yoi says
I've made this 4 times now & everybody loves it. Even people that don't normally like rhubarb. I have made this with apple mix when I didn't have enough rhubarb. Its very nice with the apple mix. Very easy to make. Thks for the recipe
Ashleigh says
Just incredible and I so appreciate the notes on variations.
I didn’t have enough fruit so made a half batch with plums and rhubarb and it worked incredibly well. Baked in a loaf tin and scaled the recipe by half and it is heavenly. So delicious. Tangy and sweet. The layered vanilla is my favourite. She just don’t miss.
Chelsea says
I brought this with me to an afternoon tea themed bridal shower. When I walked in i felt a bit insecure because there were already beautiful pastries from a professional. But those feelings quickly disappeared. It was the hit of the party, so many people asked me for the recipe.
Eleanor says
So easy, so yummy! About to make this for a second time with added strawberries this time. Thank you!
Leona says
Another absolute banger from the best blogger in the business. Veganised by using vegan butter (nuttelex) and aquafaba for the egg. I ended up using a little more of the base mix for the base so added a handful of oats to the topping.
I loved how simple it was and that the topping wasn’t too sweet so the sharpness of the rhubarb was pronounced.
Cara says
Very good! I made the cranberry version for Thanksgiving and they were delicious and festive. This is definitely an eat-the-same-day bake. My bottom crust was absorbing moisture from the filling by the end of the day (baked in the morning and never put it in a closed container as Erin advises against). I definitely will make this again!
The only thing that could make this a 5 star for me is if I could stretch it out longer by keeping it in an air tight container. My coworkers would love this!
Julie says
I’ve made this several times in the past and love it. This year, I made this for thanksgiving using plums and cranberries. To reduce thanksgiving morning tasks (and after Erin kindly responded to an Instagram DM asking her advice – thank you Erin!), I made the dough the day before. Pressed the base into the pan, covered well with plastic wrap, and wrapped the top as a disc, put both in the fridge. I even cut up the plums (400g) and mixed them with the cranberries (300g) without anything else, estimating based on the amounts suggested for other fruit.
In the morning mixed the fruit with the vanilla, sugar (75g) and tapioca starch (15g - all I had left) plus zest of one orange and put in on the base. Because I didn’t think to take it out early the dough disc was really hard, so I pressed and rolled it out sort of like the earlier version – next time I’d flatten this a lot more to make it easier to break up and spread on top. Erin suggested the top could be left out of the fridge. Baked as directed slightly longer than 45 mins and took it in the pan to the event. Cut it much later when well cooled.
It was SO SO good. My thanksgiving folks like tart deserts and this was perfectly tart and delicious! Just “dance in the kitchen while cutting it up” good. Texture of the shortcake was perfect.
Rachel Jones says
Insanely good! It looked gorgeous and cut beautifully too. My neighbour gave me rhubarb and this was the perfect recipe to use it in. I would love to try different fruit variations of this shortcake next time. Excellent recipe!
Freya says
wow, this looks so beautiful!
Laura says
If I want to halve or quarter the recipe, how much dough should I use on the bottom in grams? 485g is what fraction of the total weight?
Erin Clarkson says
If you halve the recipe you would use half that quantity written in the method 🙂
Toni says
This is such a great base recipe to what ever fruit is in season. Or even just some jam..
Christina says
Can you please tell me if I can use pears in this recipe?
Erin Clarkson says
Yes I would use the same quantities as apple 🙂
Taylor says
Please tell me if it will be ok if I use fresh figs in this recipe? Or is this not a good idea?
Erin Clarkson says
I haven't tried with figs sorry!
Ariana says
"In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment…"
I don't have a stand mixer. Can you please tell me if I can do this with a regular hand mixer?
Erin Clarkson says
Yep a regular hand mixer will work fine too 🙂
Freya says
I did everything clearly and strictly according to the recipe, I always do everything with scales. I made it with apples. I baked it for 45 minutes and the top was very nicely browned. Took it out of the oven and let it cool. But when I started taking it out of the baking pan, everything began to fall apart, the top layer of dough fell off, and the apples fell out. It did not hold its shape at all and completely fell apart into different parts. When I started to take it out of the baking pan, a real mess began. Although I was very careful. I'm very upset... I don't know what could have gone wrong. I'm a very good baker. I have been baking for many years and have only had 2-3 recipe disasters in very many years. I’m sitting upset and thinking what could I have done wrong... I don’t know how to cut it into squares, it’s simply impossible to cut it 🙁 Maybe a little later I’ll try to make this recipe again with other berries/fruits.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Oh no! I usually use the overhanging piece of parchment paper to take it out of the pan. It is a little delicate but should hold its shape ok. I am so sorry it didn't work out for you!
Laurie says
These bars are AMAZING! I made the apple version and added a bit of apple pie spice to the mix - so good! The bars are so easy to make and are ready in a flash. The crumb is super tender and light. I'm looking forward to trying other fruits as they come into season. Thank you Erin for another fabulous recipe!
Caroline Eden says
Such a great recipe for an easy to make sweet treat. Great that Erin includes options for other fruits, which makes the recipe adaptable to whatever you have on hand, or to fit the seasons. This one is a winner!
Sue says
Would love to be able to give the link for this recipe to friends, but can’t copy a link 😕
Erin Clarkson says
Copy and paste the link at the top of the post where you type the URL for a website 🙂
Z Zahid says
This was so yum! I love all your recipes but this one is so versatile and easy!! I used pear and blueberries for the filling and it turned out great ❤️ Very grateful for your work!
Lauren C says
Amazing recipe! The sweet pastry is like a cross between a cake and a shortbread cookie. I only have an 8x8 square pan- they baked up perfectly, I just had to add a few minutes to adjust for the thickness. I’ve made this recipe about 8 times and have done them with rhubarb as written,
And cherries, strawberry-rhubarb, and Haskap berries- and they always come out perfect! I’ve also had to refrigerate the leftovers due to heat waves here and I like the texture of them after being in the fridge for a day or two as well.
Julia Kime says
My husband and I didn't like these bars. They were plain. Not sweet enough. It was like eating dough with rhubarb. They need more sugar, maybe some cinnamon? Just too blah.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi Julia, sorry to hear that. I'm really happy with the recipe as is but if it is not to your taste you're welcome to alter it.
Rhiannon Davies says
Such a versatile recipe, I have used with so many different fruits, what ever is in season or in the freezer. Comes out amazing every time!
Sarah says
I was really excited to try this recipe but the result was so disappointing! Maybe as an American I am used to sweeter desserts but I found this to be quite bland. The dough is not sweet at all and I followed the recipe exactly as it was written!
I am heartbroken I wasted my time and rhubarb on it, I have no desire to eat any more of it. My husband usually loves everything I bake, even if I'm not 100% happy with it he will refuse to share and eat it up but he didn't like these and offered to bring them to work so they dont go to waste. The problem is I don't want people to think I made them!
Bars are usually 2 inches tall at the most but these are easily 3 to 4 inches tall so they are definitely not "bars". I realized they should have been made in a 9x13 pan to be the size of a "bar" so I don't know what to call them but they are clunky and awkward. When trying to eat one I couldn’t eat it with a fork or pick it up and eat it. The layer of crust on the bottom and the top are overwhelmingly thick and dry with a crumbly texture while the parts that are touching the filling have a pastey almost slimy texture. All that filling and height made the bars take hours to cool down and even still they dont have much structure because of how huge they are!
If I decide try and make them again, next time I'll make them in a 13x9, up the amount of sugar in the short crust and leave out the salt or only add a pinch since the butter is already salted.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Sorry they weren't to your taste - I make them a lot and we love them in my house! It sounds like you may have used the wrong sized pan if they were that thick?