Pick up some fresh rhubarb and strawberries at the local farmer’s market this week and mix up a batch of the yummy and healthy Rhubarb Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. These are a great way to try out some new fruits and vegetables. (By the way, did you know that rhubarb is usually considered a vegetable, even though you will find it in recipes for sweet treats like cakes, pies and these bars?)
Ingredients:
{Filling}
1 ½ cups strawberries, sliced
2 ½ stalks rhubarb, sliced
¼ tablespoon of Agave
2 teaspoons cornstarch
{Crumble Base}
1 ½ cups gluten free flour
2 cups oats
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter melted
2 large eggs
Instructions: This is a two-step process in which you will layer the ingredients at the end.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter a 9x13 baking sheet and set aside.
{For the Filling}
Combine the filling ingredients together. Add a few teaspoons of oil in a medium saucepan and put over medium/high heat. Add filling ingredients. Continuously stir the filling with a wooden spoon to prevent burn on the pan. When you start to see the strawberries & rhubarb breakdown, you will know the filling is ready. This process takes about 6-8 minutes.
{For the crumble}
In a separate bowl {Bowl One}, mix together your crumble ingredients. {flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and oats}.
In a separate bowl {Bowl Two}, mix the eggs & melted butter
Mix the ingredients of bowl of bowl one and two together.
{Assembly of the Squares}
Press 1/3 of the bowl mixture {oats} evenly into the pan. Use a fork to press down and create a layer of oats mixture.
Pour the strawberry-rhubarb filling over the top of the Oat Crumble layer. Use a spatula to spread it as evenly as it can. It may seep down between the oats but that's ok! Layer the remaining crumble over the layer of filling.
Bake for 60 minutes, until the crumble layer is golden brown color.
Once cooled, use a knife to cut around the edges. Slowly, transfer the bars to a cutting board. I used a spatula to guide the squares onto the cutting board. Cut the slab into 24 squares.
Serve the squares with fresh strawberries. The kids will love them!
