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Rhubarb Shortbread Bars

Rhubarb shortbread bars with a buttery Scottish-style shortbread base and a thick, jammy rhubarb layer. The crust is pressed and baked until lightly golden, then topped and baked again for a set, sliceable finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
cooling 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Scottish-American
Calories: 370
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For shortbread
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 lb butter cold and cubed
  • 0.25 tsp salt
For rhubarb layer
  • 4 cup fresh rhubarb diced
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and shortbread base
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper for easy lifting.
  2. Mix the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt, then cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks crumbly.
  3. Press the shortbread mixture firmly into the lined pan to form an even, compact crust.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°F until the edges are lightly golden.
Cook the thick rhubarb jam layer
  1. Simmer the diced fresh rhubarb with the sugar and water until the fruit is very soft and the mixture looks very thick, about 15 minutes.
  2. Stir the cornstarch with a little water to make a smooth slurry.
  3. Whisk the slurry into the hot rhubarb and cook until very thick, then spread it over the hot shortbread crust.
Bake, cool, and slice
  1. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes at 350°F, until the rhubarb layer is set.
  2. Cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating so the bars slice cleanly.
  3. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  4. Dust with powdered sugar, then cut into bars and serve.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, fully cool the bars before chilling, and lift them out using the parchment to cut without cracking the rhubarb layer. Refrigerate leftovers up to 5 days; freeze in a single layer (then bag) for up to 2 months. Dietary swap: use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make gluten-free shortbread while keeping the rest the same.