Rhubarb Bars Recipe - Regular and Gluten-Free Versions

It seems that just the other day I posted a photo of the rhubarb, just barely revealing its timid little furled stalks above the soil. Good grief! Now look at it! A few warm days later and it's already going to seed!  I did pull the seed head off after taking the photo. My mom would always stash the seed heads and the discarded leaves under the rhubarb plant. I'm not sure why, but she seemed to know what she was doing, so I do that too. :-)


Now I need to bake Angela's Favorite Rhubarb Bars. I wish she were here to eat them. I'm thinking that they wouldn't travel well between Wisconsin and Texas, so we'll think of her when we eat them. :-)


I thought you might enjoy the recipe, so here it is. I'm giving you the usual recipe first, then the Gluten-free version after that.


ANGIE’S FAVORITE RHUBARB BARS

4 c. chopt rhubarb
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
½ t. soda
¾ c. butter
1 ½ c. coconut
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chopt walnuts
2- 3 oz. pkg. Sugar-free Jell-O or 6 oz. sugared (regular) Jell-O.


Combine rhubarb and Jello, to coat rhubarb thoroughly with Jello. Put in greased 9 x 13 pan. I like to use a glass baking dish for this recipe.

 
Mix sugar, flour, soda. Cut in butter. Stir in coconut, vanilla, and nuts. 

Spread over top of rhubarb. Bake at 350 degrees F.  for 30-45 minutes or until rhubarb is bubbling and top is lightly browned. 

Like this:

Warning: These are addictive (no matter which version you make).

Gluten-Free Version:

4 c. chopt rhubarb
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown rice flour (or white rice flour)
1/2 c. tapioca flour
1/2 t. xanthan gum
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. coconut
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chopt walnuts (I'll have to admit that, in my opinion, walnuts make everything taste better!)
2 - 3 oz. pkgs. sugar-free Jell-O or 6 oz. regular Jell-O (contains sugar)

Combine rhubarb and Jello, to coat rhubarb thoroughly with Jello. Put in greased 9 x 13 pan. I like to use a glass baking dish for this recipe.

Mix sugar, flour, soda. Cut in butter. Stir in coconut, vanilla, and nuts. Spread over top of rhubarb. Bake at 350  for 30-45 minutes or until rhubarb is bubbling and top is lightly browned. 

If you have another rhubarb dessert recipe that you LOVE, feel free to leave it as a comment! :-)  Thanks.

P.S. And guess what!  Picky, picky Joe didn't even realize that the recipe I made was the gluten-free version. :-) He just gobbled it down and said it was good! (Don't tell him!)