Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bars

Jammy spring fruit, tucked beneath a buttery oat crumble

Admittedly, I tend to gravitate more toward a savory breakfast. I love a sweet treat, but I’m not usually ready for one first thing in the morning (then again, I’m not really ready for much in the early AM). These bars have me breaking that rule whenever they’re sitting in the fridge. I think it’s the salt… It keeps the fruit from tipping too far into dessert territory and makes them feel perfectly acceptable alongside a cup of tea and a scoop of Greek yogurt. Which is exactly how I’ve been eating them all spring.

Recipe:

Prep time: 35 minutes

Bake time: 40-50 minutes

Yield: 12 bars

Ingredients:

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling

• 2 cups of rhubarb, diced

• 2 cups of strawberries, chopped

• ⅓ cup of light brown sugar

• 2 tbsp of lemon juice

• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp of corn starch

• 1 pinch of kosher salt

Oat Crumble Base & Topping

• 1 cup of unsalted butter, melted

• ¾ cup of light brown sugar

• ¼ cup of granulated sugar

• 2 tsp of vanilla extract

• 2 cups of rolled oats

• 2 cups gf 1:1 flour

• ½ tsp of cinnamon

• 1 tsp of kosher salt

• ½ tsp of baking powder

• Lemon zest

Vanilla Glaze

• ¾ cup of powdered sugar

• 1-2 tbsp whole milk

• ½ tsp of vanilla extract

• Tiny pinch of kosher salt

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, rub lemon zest into sugars for crumble.

2. Preheat oven to 350, line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.

3. In a saucepan (over medium heat) combine the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and corn starch. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until thick & jammy. Let cool slightly.

4. In a large bowl combine the melted butter, sugars, and vanilla for the crumble. Fold in oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, & baking powder until crumbly.

5. Once the fruit mix has cooled, you can use an immersion blender to blend the fruits until smooth. You can opt to leave the fruit whole as well, I just prefer the smooth texture.

6. Press ⅔ of the crumble mixture into the bottom of the 9 x 13 pan.

7. Spread the fruit filling evenly over the base.

8. Scatter the remaining crumble over the top, leaving some fruit poking through.

9. Bake from 40-50 minutes, until deeply golden around the edges & slightly bubbling in the center.

10. Cool completely.

11. Once fully cooled, lightly drizzle glaze over bars with a spoon or whisk. Let set for 10-15 minutes. Top with flaky sea salt.

Keep 3 days at room temp in an airtight container, 1 week refrigerated, 2 months frozen.

Pairs best with earl grey tea & a Greek yogurt. Honestly, this actually seems like it would be incredible folded into a homemade ice cream or frozen yogurt…might need to put a pin in that.