Rhubarb season has arrived! Which means it’s time to make all things strawberry + rhubarb, like these Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Crumble Bars. I LOVE the gooey fruit layer in the middle of the bars and to be honest, I ate almost the whole batch myself. Along with the requisite vanilla ice cream. I’m not sorry about it.
The recipe might make this look like a complicated process, but these bars honestly come together so easily. First, you’ve got the oat base layer. Just spread it around with a spatula. Next comes the gooey strawberry rhubarb layer. I’ve made a version of these bars with blueberries in the middle and they thickened up a lot more with the cornstarch…but I wanted to keep some recognizable chunks in the strawberries and rhubarb, so the mixture didn’t thicken up as much. DON’T WORRY! It thickened up nicely while baking.
Finally it’s time for the crumble/crisp/streusel layer. I honestly don’t know which one this qualifies as, but I do know it’s delicious. Don’t worry about spreading it out evenly – you want to have little spots where the strawberry rhubarb shines through the topping.
Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup rolled oats (140 grams)
- 1 1/2 scoops PE Science vanilla plant protein (42 grams)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (163 grams)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar (48 grams)
- 1/4 cup Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, melted (64 grams)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 1 1/2 cups rhubarb, halved (180 grams)
- 1 cup strawberries, halved (150 grams)
- 2 tbsp sugar (24 grams)
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (15 grams)
- 1 1/2 tbsp warm water
- 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (40 grams)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar (48 grams)
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (32 grams)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed (43 grams)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk cornstarch into warm water and set aside.
Make the filling: Add rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and lemon zest to a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until strawberries and rhubarb have begun to break down, then bring to a quick boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Whisk in cornstarch slurry and set aside to cool and thicken.
Make the crust: Stir applesauce, melted peanut butter, light brown sugar, beaten egg and yolk, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add rolled oats, protein powder, and cinnamon and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.
Pour strawberry rhubarb mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Set aside.
Make the topping: Cut in the chilled butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or food processor (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the crumble over the filling.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
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