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Rhubarb Dream Bars

Rhubarb dream bars feature a golden buttery shortbread crust topped with a creamy custard layer studded with bright pink rhubarb pieces. This layered-bake method uses a pre-baked crust so the filling sets into sliceable custard bars with distinct layers.
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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: 320
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
  • 1 9x13-inch baking pan

Method
 

Prepare the pan and crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, keeping paper overhang for easy lifting later.
  2. Mix all-purpose flour and powdered sugar, then cut in cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  3. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan to form an even buttery crust.
  4. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges, then remove from oven.
Make the rhubarb custard and bake
  1. Whisk sugar and eggs until smooth, then whisk in all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, and salt.
  2. Fold diced rhubarb into the custard mixture until pink pieces are evenly distributed.
  3. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the hot crust and spread gently to level the top.
  4. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°F, until the filling is set with golden edges and a slight jiggle in the center.
Cool, chill, and slice
  1. Cool completely in the pan so the custard firms up and stays layered.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars for clean slices.

Notes

For the cleanest bar slices, use the parchment overhang to lift the slab out of the pan before cutting, and chill until fully firm (at least 2 hours). Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted bars for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use 1:1 baking gluten-free all-purpose flour in both crust and filling.