Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch Bars

Hey, rhubarb! Come to my kitchen. It’s going to be fun. We’re going to play with my friend’s strawberry and rolled oatmeal and make an amazing treat for them. You don’t want to miss this.

These bars are inspired by the crazy delicious berries, rhubarb, and other fruits that you can find in the stores right now. This is the time of year when all the fruity spring and summer treats are available.

This recipe requires only ten ingredients.

They’re also vegan and gluten-free. Plus, they are made with Coconut oil. Healthy treats are the best (emoji hands raised).

This is my favorite almond oat crust. It’s sweetened with coconut syrup and formed using coconut oil.

The filling is made of rhubarb, berries, orange, coconut sugar, and cornstarch to thicken.

The topping is made from a mixture of coconut oil and sugar, oats, and gluten-free flour.

Do you sense a pattern here? I am a huge fan of coconut oil and sugar.

This recipe is made with a crust that reminds me of Graham Crackers.

I hope you enjoy these bars. These bars are perfect for spring and summer, and you can easily adapt them to whatever fruit you happen to have. I’m excited to try a new version next fall with pumpkin and apple (cat face emoji).

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1 cup gluten-free Rolled Oats
• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 Tbsp coconut sugar*
• 4 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)

Filling

• Two heaping cups of rhubarb (stems cut off // pieces chopped into 1/2 inch size)
• One cup of berries (such berries as strawberries or raspberries// large amounts chopped).
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Coconut sugar, 2 Tbsp (plus as desired)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

CRUMBLE TOPPING

• 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
• Use 2 tbsp gluten-free flour (DIY blend or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free blend).
• 1/4 cup gluten-free Rolled Oats
• Coconut oil, 1 1/4 tbsp

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 176 C and line an 8×8 inch baking dish.
• Add the oats and almonds to a high-speed food blender, along with sea salt and coconut sugar. Pulse until a fine meal is formed, being careful not to leave any large pieces.
• Add coconut oil melted and pulse until combined. The dough should be loose and form when squeezed between your fingers. If the dough is too dry, add more melted olive oil.
• Spread the mixture in the baking dish lined with parchment paper and flatten it out using your fingers or an object that is flat (such as a glass).
• Bake for 15 mins, then turn up the heat to 375 F (190 C), and bake another 5 minutes or until the crust smells and the edges have a slight golden color. Set aside.
• Add rhubarb and strawberries to a medium pan and heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb is slightly softened. Going often will prevent the mixture from sticking. Remove from heat, and then set aside.
• Prepare crumble next by adding all the ingredients to a small bowl. Use a fork to mix them into a crumble. Set aside.
• Spread the strawberry-rhubarb mix evenly on top of the crust. Top with crumble topping, and spread it evenly over the fruit.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crumble and strawberry topping is golden brown.
• Once the squares are cool, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 1-2 hours. After cooling, remove bars from the pan gently and cut into ten squares or nine even ones (amounts are as written in the original recipe // adjust if changing batch size).
• The coconut ice cream or vanilla bean coconut ice cream is best served with a fork and whipped coconut cream.
• Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature, 3-4 days in the fridge, or one month in the freezer.