Rhubarb Almond Cookie Bars

It’s rhubarb season! Lucky for us, we rescued some of the season’s first rhubarb and we’re so excited to share this spring bounty with our PIP community. This vegetable (yes, vegetable!) is actually quite sour and bitter, which is why you’ll often see it prepared with sugar and used in desserts like pies, cobblers, and compotes. It makes for a lovely pink simple syrup for use in beverages (check out these Rhubarb Margaritas) and pairs wonderfully with strawberry (don’t miss these Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake Ice Cream Bars), but can also be enjoyed in savory dishes, paired with chicken or pork, and even pickled!

Rhubarb is a good source of vitamin K, a nutrient essential for bone health and blood clotting. It’s also rich in anthocyanins, a phytochemical responsible for its red-pink coloring. Anthocyanins can serve as antioxidants to combat oxidative stress in the body, reduce inflammation, and protect against heart disease and certain cancers.

With cooler spring temps expected this weekend, we’re in the mood to bake! This week’s recipe is an easy ten ingredient rhubarb dessert that only requires about 15 minutes of hands-on time. Featuring almond flour, rolled oats, almond butter, fresh Perfectly Imperfect rhubarb, and strawberry jam, these Rhubarb Almond Cookie Bars are sweet-tart, a little chewy, and simply delicious. They’re full of healthy fats, contain about 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein per bar, vegan, and gluten free.

Watch How to Make Rhubarb Almond Cookie Bars

Rhubarb Almond Cookie Bars

Active time: 15 Min.

Total time: 60 Min.

Servings: 16 bars

Special diet: GF, VG

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups almond flour (not almond meal)

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking or instant oats)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup natural unsweetened almond butter

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon almond extract

3 stalks Perfectly Imperfect rhubarb, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

¼ cup strawberry jam

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, oats, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir together the almond butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the almond flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or use your hands to combine. It will be soft, sticky, and crumbly.

Reserve ½ cup of the crumb mixture and press the remaining into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Mix the finely chopped rhubarb with the strawberry jam and spread in an even layer over the crumb mixture. Sprinkle the top with the reserved crumbs.

Bake for 35 to 38 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting. For easier cutting, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Cut into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.