Raspberry & Rhubarb Cheesecake Oat Bars

I inherited a garden with a very healthy supply of rhubarb and set out to make something dayummm good with this seasonal ingredient. There are few things better than these Raspberry & Rhubarb Cheesecake Oat Bars! With a hearty oat base that also doubles as the crumble topping and a cheesecake center, what more could you want? You’ll notice these bars are identical to the Blackberry Cheesecake Oat Bars. We love those so much I had to see how they’d stack up with these swapped berries and let me tell you, they hold up! We love the sweet and tart combo and are forever suckers for an oat and cheesecake mash up.

Raspberry & Rhubarb Cheesecake Oat Bars shopping list.

When your garden is overflowing with rhubarb there is only one thing to do… make these Raspberry & Rhubarb Cheesecake Oat Bars, duh! We love the flavor combination of rhubarb and raspberry. It’s a combo as common as peanut butter and jelly or spaghetti and meatballs. Now, pair that tart and sweet fresh fruit mix with tangy cheesecake and a sweetened oat mixture and you’re in business for an amazing treat.

The fruit layer:

• 1 cup rhubarb, diced – Tanging and tart, rhubarb needs a a good heap of sugar to balance it’s flavor and that’s exactly what you get when you pair it with fresh raspberries (and some actual sugar!).
• 1 cup raspberries – Raspberries have to be my favorite berry of them all. They are both soft and crunchy and have the perfect amount of sweetness for my palate.
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice — Lemon juice enhances the flavor of the fruit, if you have fresh lemons you could even add a teaspoon of lemon zest for that next level lemon pop!
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided — The sugar both sweetens the fruit mixture and is used in the oat base and crumble.

The base and crumble layer:

• 3/4 cup salted butter, melted — This recipe also hold up well dairy-free. Swap the butter for coconut oil.
• 1/2 coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 2 eggs, divided
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 cups rolled oats— Rolled oat and quick-cook oats are the best for this recipe. Steel cut oat’s are not a good substitute here as they need a lot of liquid and cook-time to breakdown. 
• 2 teaspoons cardamom— It’s just enough to give a little spice to the oats without overpowering with a strong cardamom flavor. 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

The cheesecake layer:

• 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature — This recipe also holds up well dairy-free. Swap the cream cheese for a dairy-free alternative like Kit Hill plant based products. 
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt — Same as the above, this part of the recipe holds up well dairy-free. Swap the greek yogurt for a dairy-free alternative like Kit Hill plant based products.
• Pinch of salt

Step by step.

The prep.

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Line a square 8×8 dish with parchment paper and set aside. This is helpful for easy clean up and for lifting the entire bake out of the pan for cutting. 

In a small bowl toss the raspberries and rhubarb with lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set this dish aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Macerating the berries helps to soften them and release their juices. 

Next, you’ll use a large mixing bowl to prepare the oat crust and topping. What’s great about this recipe is the crust and topping are the same! In a large bowl mix the melted butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar for 1 minute. Add one egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla, beat until well combined. Add the oats, cardamom, cornstarch and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add all but 1 cup of the oat mixture to the square baking dish. Spread evenly throughout the dish and press firmly to create a crust. The remaining oat mixture will be used in later steps as the crumble topping.

In a separate medium bowl beat the cream cheese, yogurt and remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes. If you have a hand mixer, bust it out for this step or simply put some elbow grease into it with a whisk to ensure it’s nice and smooth. Add the remaining egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until well combined. Pour the cheesecake layer over the oats, spread to evenly coat the crust. Add the macerated berries (and their juices!) to the top of the cheesecake layer. Lastly, top it all off with the remaining oats to create a crumble layer.

The bake.

Place the dish into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. If at the 35 minute mark your topping is beginning to brown but there is a small jiggle to the center, loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake an addition 5 minutes.

The cooling.

Remove the dish from the oven and allow the bake to cool for 1 hour in the pan. The most difficult part of this recipe is waiting for it to cool! If you slice into it before it’s cooled it will completely crumble. Once the Raspberry & Rhubarb Cheesecake Oat Bars have cooled in the baking dish, use the parchment paper edges to lift the bake from the pan. Move the entire thing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. 

Slice once the bake has completely cooled into even squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. 

Looking for more sweet treats?

Here are a few to try:

HAWAIIAN ROLL CINNAMON BUNS W/ SWEET CREAM FROSTING

CARDAMOM CARROT LOAF W/ BROWN BUTTER MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT STUFFED DATES

Lastly, if you make this Raspberry & Rhubarb Cheesecake Oat Bars recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!

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