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Rhubarb Dream Bars

Rhubarb bars with a buttery shortbread crust and a creamy custard filling studded with pink rhubarb pieces. This layered bar bakes until the custard is set and the edges turn golden, then chills for clean slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
cooling and setting 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crust
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup butter cold and cubed
For filling
  • 4 cup fresh rhubarb diced
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 6 eggs beaten
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake the shortbread crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, with the paper rising slightly at the sides for easy lifting.
  2. Mix all-purpose flour and powdered sugar, then cut in cold cubed butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs and holds together when pressed.
  3. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even crust layer.
  4. Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden, then remove it from the oven and leave the oven on.
Make the rhubarb custard filling and bake
  1. Whisk sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
  2. Fold in the diced rhubarb until the pieces are evenly distributed through the custard.
  3. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the hot crust and spread gently so it reaches the corners.
  4. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 350°F until the filling is set in the center and the edges are golden, with a slight jiggle in the middle.
Cool, chill, and slice
  1. Cool completely in the pan until the filling firms up and no longer looks glossy.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars for clean layers and neat slices.

Notes

For best slices, cool fully in the pan before chilling, then lift out using the parchment and cut with a sharp knife. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze bars up to 2 months (wrap tightly and thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lower-sugar option, reduce the sugar by about 25% using a 1:1 baking sweetener and expect a slightly softer set.