Strawberry Rhubarb Cookie Bars Recipe
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There's nothing that evokes feelings of springtime — when the days are lighter and warmer and everything is coming into bloom — quite like the particular combination of strawberry and rhubarb. This popular, vibrantly-hued fruit combo is most often found baked into late spring and early summer pies, to celebrate some of the first seasonal fruits to appear. Of course, pie is far from the only strawberry rhubarb dessert option out there.
This strawberry rhubarb cookie bars recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, transforms the delightful fruity duo into an easy-to-make, delicious, hand-held snack. Simple to assemble, the cookie layers in this recipe are packed with a hearty helping of rolled oats to keep you full for longer, and plenty of butter for a rich flavor and a melt-in-the-mouth texture. Fresh strawberries and rhubarb provide maximum fruity-tart flavors and a lovely pinkish color, making for one springtime treat that you might want to bake up year-round (or, at least, as long as you can find fresh rhubarb).
Gather the ingredients for strawberry rhubarb cookie bars
For the cookie dough portion of this recipe, you will need butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, an egg, flour, rolled oats, ground cinnamon, and salt. You may optionally also want a dash of milk if the dough isn't holding together well enough. For the fruit layer you will need fresh strawberries, fresh rhubarb, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Line a baking pan
Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 3: Beat together the butter and sugars
For the cookie layer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamed.
Step 4: Add the egg
Add the egg and beat well again.
Step 5: Mix in the dry ingredients
Stir in the all-purpose flour, oats, ground cinnamon, and salt (add a small splash of milk, up to 2 tablespoons, if the mixture doesn't fully hold together).
Step 6: Set aside some of the cookie dough
Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set it aside.
Step 7: Form the cookie bar base
Press the remaining dough into the lined baking pan to form a flat base.
Step 8: Prepare the fruit layer
For the fruit layer, gently toss the chopped strawberries and rhubarb with the granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
Step 9: Layer the fruit over the cookie bar base
Layer the strawberry and rhubarb mixture over the top of the dough base.
Step 10: Top with the reserved cookie dough
Top with the remaining 1 cup dough, crumbling it over the fruit layer and gently pressing down.
Step 11: Bake the cookie bars
Bake the cookie bars for 45-50 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.
Step 12: Cool and serve
Remove the strawberry rhubarb biscuit bars from the oven and allow to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Pairs well with strawberry rhubarb cookie bars
Strawberry Rhubarb Cookie Bars Recipe
Sweet, tangy, and perfectly spring-forward, these strawberry rhubarb cookie bars are great for breakfast or as an on-the-go treat.
Ingredients
- For the cookie dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the fruit layer
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
- 2 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, if needed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- For the cookie layer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamed.
- Add the egg and beat well again.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour, oats, ground cinnamon, and salt (add a small splash of milk, up to 2 tablespoons, if the mixture doesn’t fully hold together).
- Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set it aside.
- Press the remaining dough into the lined baking pan to form a flat base.
- For the fruit layer, gently toss the chopped strawberries and rhubarb with the granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
- Layer the strawberry and rhubarb mixture over the top of the dough base.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup dough, crumbling it over the fruit layer and gently pressing down.
- Bake the cookie bars for 45-50 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.
- Remove the strawberry rhubarb biscuit bars from the oven and allow to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 291 |
| Total Fat | 12.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7.4 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 42.1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 42.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 20.4 g |
| Sodium | 45.9 mg |
| Protein | 3.8 g |
Can I use different fruits in this cookie bar recipe?
Strawberry and rhubarb certainly make for a dream team in the baking world, and the flavor combination is perfect if you are looking to enjoy some of the first seasonal fruits of the year. However, you can also use this recipe with a variety of different fruit combinations depending on your personal preferences and the seasonal produce available to you.
If you are looking to pair some different fruits with strawberries, the options are plentiful. While you might have to wait until summer hits, you can opt for a variety of different berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries, all which make great pairings for strawberries. You can also consider mixing them all together to create summer berry cookie bars. Cherries also make a delicious pairing with strawberries, though you'll want to be careful with the stones. Other stone fruit will also work well for this recipe, such as apricots, peaches, plums, and nectarines, each adding their own fruity finish alongside the strawberries.
If rhubarb is more your vibe and you would like to play around with different flavor pairings for these cookie bars, we recommend reaching for raspberries or peaches as ideal complementary fruits. If you you can get hold of some, gooseberries also make a fantastic companion to rhubarb and will result in a deliciously tart and tangy set of cookie bars.
How should I store these strawberry rhubarb cookie bars?
While certain cookie bars can be stored at room temperature, these fruit-based bars will need to be stored in the refrigerator to keep them fresh and safe to eat. To stop them from going soggy in the fridge, it is important that they are well wrapped and ideally kept in an airtight container. You can also choose to store the cooled and sliced cookie bars directly in the baking pan, as long as this is well wrapped in plastic or foil. Alternatively, you can individually wrap the cookie bars before storing them in the fridge, so that they're both fresh and portable — perfect for grabbing just before you head out the door.
This cookie bar recipe is also suitable for freezing, just make sure to wrap the bars really well to keep them protected from freezer burn or absorbing any odors. Parchment paper is ideal for keeping the individual portions separate, and don't forget to date and label them well so you can easily identify them later on down the line.