Looking for a new recipe for your rhubarb? These delicious rhubarb oatmeal bars have the perfect combination of sweet and tart flavors. With a reduced amount of sugar from the original recipe and whole wheat flour, they’re a healthier choice for dessert.
Photo courtesy of nat cole
Recipe Ingredients for the Crust
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick oats
½ cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups hard white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat flour)
¾ cup butter, softened
Ingredients for the Filling
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup raw sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Assembly and Baking Directions
For the Crust: Combine all ingredients until crumbly. Mixing them with your hands or a pastry blender is the easiest way to do this. Alternatively, you can melt the butter and then mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon. Using melted butter will give you a crispier oatmeal crust.
Pat between half to three-quarters of the crumb mixture into a 13×9” pan, depending on desired crust thickness. Reserve remaining crust.
For the Filling: In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook until the liquid is clear and mixture is bubbly. Remove the saucepan from the burner and stir in vanilla. Pour over the crust, spreading with a small spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until golden-brown and slightly crisp. Serve warm with ice cream for a tasty dessert that adults and kids will love!
What is Hard White Whole Wheat Flour?
Milled from white whole wheat, rather than red, white whole wheat flour has a milder flavor and lighter color than whole wheat flour. It retains all the fiber, protein and nutrients found in traditional whole wheat flour. In most muffins, cookies, pancakes and quick-breads, using white whole wheat flour in place of the entire amount of all-purpose flour is just as tasty. If your family isn’t used to using this type of flour, substitute ½ cup in your recipes at a time. Two companies that sell this type of flour are King Arthur and Azure Standard.
Looking for more recipes? Check out my Easy Rhubarb Freezer Jam, perfect for your seasonal abundance of rhubarb! If you can’t get enough rhubarb, read The Joy of Rhubarb by Theresa Millang, a cookbook with over 200 rhubarb recipes, including salads, soups and ice cream.
