“I make this dessert for every single potluck I go to. I love serving it frozen – it’s SO good!!” ~Callandra
No Bake Rhubarb Dream Bars definitely live up to their name. I love them because they’re the kind of dessert you only get at home. You won’t find anything like this at a restaurant or a bakery, they’re the kind of thing your grandma would whip up — they have a simple, vintage charm.
Rhubarb gives these bars their rosy color and a unique tart flavor, vanilla bean gives them some depth, and a graham cracker crust grounds it all and gives you something to hold on to. Technically a veggie, rhubarb comes into season in early spring in much of the country, it’s one of the first foods you can harvest in the season, so this is really the quintessential spring dessert.
Keep these bars chilled until you’re ready to serve them. My husband likes them best frozen, and they work well either way.
If you love rhubarb, my strawberry rhubarb cobbler is another classic, old fashioned way to enjoy this spring ephemeral. Or, preserve that bright, tart flavor to enjoy throughout the year with my easy rhubarb butter. Still can’t get enough rhubarb?
make these no bake rhubarb bars your own
- Virtually any cookie can be crushed to make the crust. Use your imagination and go with what you like.
- Rhubarb varies widely in color from a light green to a deep crimson — if yours is very pale, you can add a tiny drop of food coloring to emphasize the rosiness.
- You can combine the rhubarb with strawberries or raspberries if you like, go half and half.
No Bake Rhubarb Dream Bars
Ingredients
crust
- 10 full graham crackers, about 1 sleeve
- 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
filling
- 2 cups chopped rhubarb (1 inch pieces)
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, (or a whole vanilla bean, seeds removed, or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, the sugar, and melted butter together until fully combined. Press the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9×9 square baking pan. I like to spray it lightly and then line with a long piece of parchment so I can lift out the chilled bars for neater cutting. This is optional. Chill the crust while you make the filling.
- Put the chopped rhubarb and sugar in a saucepan along with 6 tablespoons of water. Bring it up to a boil and simmer until thick and soft…about 5 minutes. Stir frequently so the fruit doesn’t scorch. Puree the mixture until completely smooth. Blend in the vanilla and lemon and set aside to cool.
- When the rhubarb is cooled blend in the condensed milk.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Fold in the rhubarb mixture gently but completely. Spread evenly over the crust and put back in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2-3 hours.
- The bars can be served chilled, or even frozen.
So yummy, love that pale pink hue! This would make such a wonderful ladies dessert although I know the guys in my life would also scarf it up.
This is a great dessert, Sue, thank you for sharing! Unfortunately there is no rhubarb in Greece-is an unknown plant-, and our 3 little seedlings are just so small…next year they might be ready. In the meantime….. I will use ?????which are now full of flavor and color. Do you think I might need some pectin? Grateful for your help.
The ???? were little strawberries …..
You might use strawberries or raspberries…currents? No pectin necessary, just cook briefly and puree the fruit…I can imagine other flavors would be great, I might even add a bit of a fruity liqueur. Let me know what you come up with!
Thank you, Sue, and good thinking! Will try creme de cassis…
Wow! These look amazing! Anything no bake is a winner in my book! 🙂 The color is beautiful and I just want to taste one!
I wish I had a rhubarb patch in my backyard like we did growing up. Would make SO many things with it, including this! Love the no-bake, perfect for summer.
I’ve never had one, but I hear it grows like a weed!
I just made strawberry rhubarb crisp over the weekend, and have a few stalks of rhubarb leftover. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, but these bars look so easy and yummy!
I usually make that, too, but this year I’m going to make a full on rhubarb pie!
These looks wonderful. My mother’s rhubarb is ready for the first harvest and I am looking forward to making some. I also know I have leftover condensed milk in the freezer to use.
I’m going to try freezing my leftover condensed milk, thanks Helen, i didn’t know you could do that. Every once in a while I come across the mini cans, which are wonderful!
I love rhu but not sure my potluck people will on Sunday, so I might have to strawb this one up! I much prefer desserts at home, not the restaurant kind, so you are speaking directly to me here !
This would work perfectly with strawberries, but the rhubarb flavor is very mild, Dorothy, so I don’t think anyone would object.
Be still my heart! These are so dreamy, and I love that ethereal pastel color! 🙂
These are absolutely dreamy! I love the pale pink color – how pretty. I bet they have an amazing flavor. Thanks Sue – sharing and pinning!
Thanks Tricia, I love the color of rhubarb, and it’s always slightly different depending on the particular stalks I find.
My rhubarb is just starting to pop up and I am so excited to start using it! These bars look perfect, and so easy too!
That’s nice Denise is that you only need a little bit for this recipe, so you’ll have plenty leftover for whatever else — like pie?