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- 1
Preheat and prep your pan
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides. The parchment is the move here — it turns 'unmolding the bars' into a non-event and gives you clean edges.
- 2
Cream the butter and sugar
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup softened butter until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar (set the rest aside for the filling) and beat for a full 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Don't rush this part — really fluffy butter is what gives shortbread that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- 3
Add vanilla, flour, and salt
Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract. Add 2 cups of the flour and the 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix just until the dough pulls together into a ball — the moment the white streaks of flour disappear, stop. Overmixing builds gluten, which is great for bread but turns shortbread tough instead of crumbly. We want crumbly.
- 4
Press and bake the bottom crust
Divide the dough into two pieces, with slightly more than half in one. Press the larger piece evenly into the prepared pan. Wrap the smaller piece and pop it in the fridge — that's your topping. Bake the bottom crust at 375°F for about 15 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Pull it out and lower the oven to 350°F.
- 5
Make the rhubarb filling
While the crust bakes, slice the 3 cups rhubarb lengthwise into halves or thirds (so you don't get giant chunks), then chop into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces. Put it in a medium bowl with the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, the tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Stir to coat. The lemon doesn't make these bars taste lemony — it just wakes up the rhubarb so it tastes more like itself.
- 6
Assemble and bake
Pour the rhubarb filling evenly over the warm crust. Pull your chilled dough out of the fridge and break it into rough chunks with your fingers — irregular pieces, anywhere from grape-sized to walnut-sized. Scatter them across the top. You do NOT need to cover every inch; the gaps are where the filling bubbles up and looks gorgeous. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the topping is golden in spots and a fork slides easily into the rhubarb with no resistance.
- 7
Cool, glaze, and slice
Let the bars cool completely in the pan — this is the patience part, but it's what lets the rhubarb filling set so you get clean slices. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars and let it firm up for 20 to 30 minutes before lifting the parchment out and slicing into 9 squares.
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Rhubarb Shortbread Bars
Created by: SugarAndButter
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 cup rhubarb
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat and prep your panPreheat the oven to 375°F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides. The parchment is the move here — it turns 'unmolding the bars' into a non-event and gives you clean edges.
- Cream the butter and sugarIn a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup softened butter until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar (set the rest aside for the filling) and beat for a full 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Don't rush this part — really fluffy butter is what gives shortbread that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Add vanilla, flour, and saltBeat in 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract. Add 2 cups of the flour and the 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix just until the dough pulls together into a ball — the moment the white streaks of flour disappear, stop. Overmixing builds gluten, which is great for bread but turns shortbread tough instead of crumbly. We want crumbly.
- Press and bake the bottom crustDivide the dough into two pieces, with slightly more than half in one. Press the larger piece evenly into the prepared pan. Wrap the smaller piece and pop it in the fridge — that's your topping. Bake the bottom crust at 375°F for about 15 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Pull it out and lower the oven to 350°F.
- Make the rhubarb fillingWhile the crust bakes, slice the 3 cups rhubarb lengthwise into halves or thirds (so you don't get giant chunks), then chop into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces. Put it in a medium bowl with the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, the tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Stir to coat. The lemon doesn't make these bars taste lemony — it just wakes up the rhubarb so it tastes more like itself.
- Assemble and bakePour the rhubarb filling evenly over the warm crust. Pull your chilled dough out of the fridge and break it into rough chunks with your fingers — irregular pieces, anywhere from grape-sized to walnut-sized. Scatter them across the top. You do NOT need to cover every inch; the gaps are where the filling bubbles up and looks gorgeous. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the topping is golden in spots and a fork slides easily into the rhubarb with no resistance.
- Cool, glaze, and sliceLet the bars cool completely in the pan — this is the patience part, but it's what lets the rhubarb filling set so you get clean slices. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars and let it firm up for 20 to 30 minutes before lifting the parchment out and slicing into 9 squares.