These vegan strawberry rhubarb crumble bars are a perfect way to celebrate strawberry season! They feature a soft cookie layer, a quick, sweet strawberries and rhubarb, and a classic crumble topping. They also happen to be gluten-free.
Am I the only one here who’s just a little intimated by rhubarb?
I love its beautiful color, and I almost always love the foods that are made with it, including jam and pie. But this sturdy ingredient always strikes me as a little daunting.
These vegan strawberry rhubarb crumble bars were developed with my desire to get to know rhubarb a little better. As I made them, I developed a whole new appreciation of rhubarb and its tart flavor—a flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness of ripe strawberries.
What is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is the edible stalk portion of a vegetable that has a leafy, non-edible top. It has a famously tart flavor. This is why rhubarb is most often included in recipes that are sweetened. It’s also part of why it pairs so well with sweet, juicy strawberries.
How to make strawberry rhubarb crumble bars
This recipe was inspired by my blueberry breakfast bars. They’re one of the most popular baked goods from my blog!
To make the bars, you make a dense, soft bottom layer. I use some mashed banana in the base to help replace egg. It’s an easy mixture to prepare, and you simply spread it in the bottom of a prepared baking dish.
The strawberry rhubarb layer is super easy to prepare: just a matter of mixing strawberries and chopped rhubarb with sugar and tapioca starch. The fruit layer is spread over the dense bottom layer of the bars.
Finally, you’ll prepare a traditional crumb topping and sprinkle it on top of the fruit. The crumble topping is what makes these bars as fun and delectable as they are!
Can I use regular flour?
The strawberry rhubarb crumble bars are gluten-free thanks to the use of oat flour. You can purchase oat flour, but you can also make it from scratch. To do this, place oats into a food processor fitted with the S blade and then whirl them until they’ve formed something resembling flour.
If you’re not gluten-free it’s also totally fine to prepare the recipe with all-purpose flour! You can use the same amount of unbleached, all-purpose flour in place of oat flour.
Storing and freezing
You can store the strawberry rhubarb crumble bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. After that, I recommend storing them in the fridge. They can be stored for about five days total.
If you’d like the bars to last longer, you can freeze them for up to six weeks! I like to freeze them individually and defrost them one by one for breakfast and treats.
Serving strawberry rhubarb crumble bars
These strawberry rhubarb crumble bars is that they bridge the gap between breakfast and dessert. You could enjoy them with a smear of nut butter and some fresh fruit for a sweeter breakfast or brunch.
You could also serve them with a nice dollop of sweet cashew cream for dessert. No matter how or when you decide to eat the bars, I think you’ll find them to be sweet, nutty, buttery, and satisfying.
Filling variations
This bar recipe would be a great template for many other fruit flavors. You can use four cups of blueberries, cherries, chopped peaches, or chopped apples. Change up the fruit filling according to the seasons and what you’re craving.
Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars
Ingredients
*For the base*:
- 1 3/4 cups oat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1/3 cup almond, oat, soy, or cashew milk
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*For the rhubarb and berry filling*:
- 3 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
- 1 cup chopped rhubarb
- 3 tablespoons organic sugar
- 3/4 tablespoon tapioca starch
*For the crumble topping*:
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Mix the oat flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the mashed banana, almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine. The mixture should be thick but easy to mix with a spoon or whisk. If it’s too sticky, add an extra few tablespoons of milk. Transfer this mixture to an oiled 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square baking dish.
- Toss the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and tapioca starch together and mix well. Spread this mixture over the base layer in the baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Place the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted coconut oil together in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse until the mixture has formed nice, big crumbs. Remove the baking dish from your oven and sprinkle this mixture over the rhubarb and strawberry layer (which should be releasing some liquid by now, and even bubbling at the edges). Bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the top is brown and the strawberry rhubarb layer has thickened up. Place the baking dish on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 9 or 12 squares, and serve.
Enjoy the bars, all!
xo
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