The Best Rhubarb Crumb Bar Recipe With Vanilla Cream

The best rhubarb crumb bar recipe with vanilla cream to celebrate rhubarb season! This is the recipe you are looking for! When I was in Denver, I looked through my mom’s recipe box and had to make her rhubarb crumb bars to enjoy the short season of finding rhubarb at the farmer’s market. When I was growing up, we used to have it growing in the garden. My mom was not one to worry too much about calories when it came to dessert, but for one day a year, I’m not going to either! It’s that good!

Thanks for stopping by today! Every Sunday, I join my friends Mary Ann and Cindy to share our favorite finds of the week…like these rhubarb crumb bars! So let’s get into it! First, a few fun facts about rhubarb.

When is rhubarb season?

Rhubarb is typically in season during the spring and summer, but it’s grown in hot houses from January through June. It thrives in 75º temperatures or cooler. The early stalks are more slender and lighter pink than the stalks that are grown and harvested later.

Rhubarb is always tart, but the darker red the stalks, the sweeter it can be; green stalks are almost always tart and never sweet.

Is the rhubarb plant a fruit or a vegetable?

I always assumed, from a culinary standpoint, that rhubarb was a fruit, probably because, in the kitchen, it is treated and prepared like fruit. However, from a botanical point of view, rhubarb is actually a vegetable. That’s because it doesn’t come from the flowering part of the plant or have seeds.

Is rhubarb poisonous?

Over the years, I’ve heard some people say rhubarb is poisonous. Of course, the stalks are not. However, the leaves are considered toxic, so you’ll usually find rhubarb stalks in your local grocery store with the leaves removed.

How to buy rhubarb

Unlike avocados, bananas, or most fruits that, in my opinion, need to be ripe to taste great, there is no real secret to buying rhubarb. But the color of rhubarb matters. I look for darker red stalks that are firm and blemish-free for the combination of tart and sweet. If the stalks aren’t firm and they have blemishes, I usually pass. You can sometimes find frozen rhubarb; however, I always use fresh rhubarb.

That’s probably more than you ever wanted or needed to know about rhubarb, so let’s get to the recipe.

How to make the best rhubarb crumb bars and top them with a delicious vanilla cream

Start by preheating the oven to 350º and butter the bottom of the pan as well as the sides (I like to use a square baking pan). Then line the baking pan with parchment paper and leave approximately a 2-inch overhang on all four sides of the pan. (Read more about using binder clips with parchment paper in Sheri Silver’s post)–This makes lifting and removing bars after baking much easier. I also butter the parchment paper, dust it with flour and then dump any excess flour. 

Make the crumble mixture topping.

Mix the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and then add the flour and mix again until large clumps have formed. Place in refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Make the cake for the rhubarb crumb bars, then add the rhubarb and crumb topping

Mix the rhubarb, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of flour in one medium bowl. Combine 3/4 cup of flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Now, in the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar until it becomes fluffy and light. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla extract and flour mixture and beat until combined. Spread the batter (the bottom crust or bottom layer) in the square pan, spread the tart rhubarb mixture on top of the cake, and sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the baking dish.

Pop the bars into the preheated oven and bake until golden brown on top, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let them cool to room temperature. Once cooled, using the parchment paper overhangs, lift the bars out of the pan and cut them into 9 pieces. When serving, place a bar in a small bowl and drizzle the vanilla cream over the top.

Make the vanilla cream for the best rhubarb crumb bar

While the crumb bars are baking, you can make the cream.

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium saucepan and stir in the cream. Continue cooking over low until the mixture thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and then stir in the vanilla extract. Serve warm, pouring the sauce over the top of a crumb bar.

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A Lavender Kitchen with a Black & White Marble Floor

A before and after that’s too good not to share

This cherrywood kitchen with tile floor has plenty of space but is dark and dreary. Michelle Gage Interiors updated it in a way that’s maybe a little unexpected but so beautiful. This lavender kitchen includes a black and white marble floor, a cafe curtain, and vintage copper accents. I love the brass faucet and the little ruffled soap dish! What’s your favorite feature?

Before and after side by side shows how the eat-in-kitchen was replaced with a kitchen island.

Chris Hinshaw’s Old Man Balance Test

Have you heard of this 2-minute balance practice? The idea is that this small behavior that we can add into our day can really help over time with balance: improve foot function and movement, fewer aches and pains in your whole body, and improve athletic performance. I saw the video in this Instagram reel.

So what is the Chris Hinshaw Balance Test?

It’s putting your shoes and socks on while balancing. Put your shoes (lace-up sneakers) and socks on the floor, then reach down while balancing on one foot and put on your sock, then reach for your shoe, put it on, tie and switch feet and repeat.

I’ve been working on my balance, and this was still quite challenging. In fact, I had to put my toe down several times. I’m going to keep working on it! Let me know if you try it!

A new design book by Ali Heath

Ali Heath is a writer, stylist, designer, and author of two books. The first is called “Curate,” and her new book is “Create.” It’s about using vintage and antiques with contemporary pieces. This book is about using old and new at home while incorporating the need to decorate more sustainably. Create will be released on July 3rd!

Let’s see what Mary Ann and Cindy found this week!

Classic Casual Home

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Also, did you see our posts on wearing maxi and midi dresses and skirts?

Cindy – 12 Chic Maxi Looks for Curvy Women Over 50

Mary Ann – Feel Fabulous Over 50 in New Maxi Dresses

Annie – How to Wear Midi Skirts Over 50

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