Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars

Bright pink squares of oat bars with rhubarb slices on top.

Moist delicious rhubarb strawberry bars that are low in sugar. Fresh or frozen strawberries and rhubarb can be used for this recipe.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Servings: bars

Author: Danika Vanderpyl

Equipment

1 9x9 pan

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar *divided
3 cups rhubarb *divided, and chopped
1 ½ cup strawberries frozen or fresh
2 teaspoon chia seeds
½ cup water

Dry Ingredients

1 ½ cups quick oats or rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon almond extract
⅓ cup maple syrup OR brown sugar + 3 tablespoon water
½ cup coconut oil, melted OR melted butter
1 egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (175 C).
Start by mixing 1 ½ cup chopped rhubarb with 1 tablespoon of sugar, then set aside to soften. Now place the remaining 1 ½ cups of rhubarb in a medium pot with the strawberries, chia seeds, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and water. Boil for about 7 minutes, stirring regularly until the mixture is thick and everything is soft. Using a fork, mash the strawberries and rhubarb. Cook longer if this mixture seems watery.
In another bowl place the oats, whole wheat flour, and sea salt, and mix together well. Add the almond extract, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and an egg. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper and press this crust into the pan.
Spread the rhubarb strawberry sauce evenly on top of the oats in the pan, then arrange the rhubarb-sugar pieces on top. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit (175C) for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature; eat within 2 days, or cover bars and keep them in the fridge for 4 days.

Notes

See the blog post above for step-by-step photos.

Make Faster: To prep this recipe faster, skip setting aside 1 ½ cups of rhubarb and 1 tablespoon of sugar for the top layer, and add this rhubarb and sugar to the pot to boil with the other fruit.

Almond Extract: If you do not like almond extract, you can omit it and use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead for a delicious flavor.

Flour: Whole wheat or white flour will work for this recipe.

Freeze: These bars freeze well, store them in a ziplock bag or a sealing container and freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition