Healthy Oat Slice With Rhubarb And Ginger (Gluten-free)

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If you’ve ever tried a fruit crumble or crisp, or enjoyed an oat flapjack or granola bar, you’ll love this 7-ingredient healthy oat slice with rhubarb and ginger. Perfect for late night sweet snack cravings, lunch boxes and more!

stack of 3 Healthy Oat Slices With Rhubarb And Ginger on a wooden board with a blue white striped jug in the background

Growing up in England, many gardens had a rhubarb patch! Rhubarb is very sour when eaten raw, but cook it with a little sweetness and it’s perfect in cakes, crumbles and bars.

I loved the ‘rhubarb crumble and custard’ that we Brits know so well when I was a child. I also loved a sort of chewy, oaty slice that we call ‘flapjack’.

So I decided to see if I could come up with a healthy rhubarb recipe that was a kind of cross between a rhubarb and ginger crumble and a rhubarb flapjack. And I think I actually got it about right first time with this healthy rhubarb slice!

collage of 2 images with rhubarb growing in the garden on the left and cut rhubarb on a wooden board on the right

What you’ll love about them

  • You only need 7 ingredients to make them.
  • They take less than 15 minutes to make (plus 30 minutes to bake!).
  • They’re mostly made from wholesome gluten free ingredients, so they’re a healthy treat.
  • They’re delicious! Slightly crunchy on top, chewy and fruity in the middle. Like a cross between a rhubarb crumble and a flapjack.
A Healthy Oat Slice With Rhubarb And Ginger on a blue and white plate with a fork with more and a blue white jug of cream in the background

About the ingredients

Rhubarb: You only need about 4 ‘stalks’ of rhubarb. Find out when it’s in season where you live and grab some while you can! Chop off any tough or leafy parts, then chop into small pieces.

Brown sugar: Just a little, to take the edge off the sourness of the rhubarb.

Butter, brown sugar and honey: To mix into the oats. You can use just honey if you prefer to make them without refined sugar. I do find the mixture holds together better if you add a little brown sugar, however. Feel free to replace the butter with coconut oil, too.

Gluten free rolled oats: Check that the oats you use actually are gluten free (if that’s important for you). Don’t use quick oats.

Almond flour: This acts like a flour and also helps the oat mixture to stay together.

Ground ginger: You can add a bit of chopped candied ginger, preserved ginger or stem ginger too, for an extra gingery taste. Go easy though at first. You can always add more next time!

How to make a healthy oat slice

These healthy oat slices with rhubarb and ginger are super easy to make.

First, cook the rhubarb for about ten minutes with a little brown sugar.

rhubarb and brown sugar in a saucepan on a wooden board

To make the oat mixture, melt a little butter and brown sugar and plenty of honey together before adding oats, ground almonds and ground ginger.

Finally, assemble everything by pressing two thirds of the oat mixture into the bottom of a baking tray. Then spread the cooked-down rhubarb on top.

Sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture on top of that. Then bake!

collage of 2 images showing melting butter and brown sugar and honey in a pan, then spreading oat mixture into a baking pan

The finished result is so delicious and healthy.

As you take a bite there’s the crumbly, oaty top, then the beautiful rhubarb gets your taste buds singing as only rhubarb does. Finally, there’s the slightly chewy flapjack-y layer on the bottom.

closeup of a A Healthy Oat Slice With Rhubarb And Ginger in a baking pan from above

How to eat this healthy oat slice

  • with healthy ice cream or nice cream on top
  • with custard or cream if you fancy a treat
  • as a guilt-free lunch box, after school or late night treat
A Healthy Oat Slice With Rhubarb And Ginger on a blue and white plate with a fork and with ice cream on top

Variations

If you live in a place where you can’t easily find rhubarb, you could go ahead and try these with berries (just don’t cook them first) or really any other fruit.

You could also try nectarines or peaches, but don’t add sugar or cook the fruit down first.

Please let me know how they turn out if you do try that.

Enjoy!

More things to know (recipe FAQ)

Do I have to cook the rhubarb?

Cooking the rhubarb for just a short time with a tiny bit of sugar makes it just the right consistency when the bars are baked. Undercooked rhubarb doesn’t taste great!

The bars are really crumbly. What did I do wrong?

Nothing! These oat slices are definitely on the more crumbly side when they’re warm, almost like a crumble or crispy. Feel free to eat when still warm, but they’re better eaten with a bowl and spoon. Yum!

If you let them cool completely, or even chill them in the fridge, they’ll hold together better.

Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?

Yes, that will work fine! If you also replace the honey with maple syrup or another sweetener, the slices are then vegan.

Can I use preserved or stem ginger instead of ground?

For a stronger ginger taste, chop up one or two ‘balls’ of preserved ginger or pieces of stem ginger into small pieces. It’s best to start with less and then increase next time you make these!

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More healthy sweet snacks

Fan of healthy sweet snacks? Check out this 50+ healthy sweet snacks that don’t taste boring!

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5 from 3 votes

Healthy Oat Slice With Rhubarb And Ginger (Gluten-free)

If you’ve ever tried a fruit crumble or crisp, or enjoyed an oaty flapjack or granola bar, you’ll love these oaty bars sandwiched together with fresh rhubarb. Perfect either cold or warm with custard, ice cream or cream.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 large or 16 smaller slices

Ingredients 
 

For the rhubarb

  • 4 full-size ‘stalks’ fresh rhubarb, chopped into 1-cm pieces
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the oaty mixture

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons clear honey
  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats*
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • custard, ice cream or cream, to serve (optional)

Instructions 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 410F/210C and line a 8 x 8 inch pan with baking paper.
  • Heat the rhubarb and sugar in a large pan with 1 tablespoon water for 10 minutes until cooked down but with some pieces of rhubarb still whole. Set aside.
  • In another pan, melt the butter, sugar and honey, then take off the heat and stir in the oats, ground almonds and ginger until all the oats are well coated.
  • Spoon two thirds of the oaty mixture into the baking tray and press down well with the back of a metal spoon. Spread the rhubarb over the oats, then sprinkle the rest of the oaty mixture over the top.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the oats are golden brown. Leave to cool before cutting into slices or serve while still slightly warm with custard, ice cream or cream. Will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few days.

Notes

*If you only eat gluten free, please check that the oats you use are in fact gluten free. In theory oats should be, but some brands can be contaminated with small amounts of gluten.
You could use another fruit instead of rhubarb, such as berries or nectarines/peaches, but don’t add sugar or cook the fruit down first.
Adding a teaspoon of ground ginger gives a nice subtle taste of ginger. Add a little more ginger for a deeper gingery flavour if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 43mg, Potassium: 178mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 155IU, Vitamin C: 2.1mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 1.8mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Helen Schofield

Don't expect to find anything fussy or complicated here. Just QUICK, EASY & (mostly!) HEALTHY recipes from the Mediterranean and beyond. ENJOY!

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84 Comments

  1. I cannot WAIT to try rhubarb. These bars sound amazing!
    It is so neat hearing about all your different travels. You get to see and try and watch so many things I never would’ve thought of! Keep up the fantastic blogging, even though you have so much going on!

    1. Thanks so much, Mary Frances … hope you are having a great time on vacation! We’re getting through our list of things to do, but have got to go back to Australia again soon. Can’t believe it! Please DO try some rhubarb … you’ll love it!

  2. Sounds like your parents have a wonderful garden/greenhouse. Thinking we might see a tomato recipe soon from you as well……. Love oaty crispy sweets, they are my favorite, bet the ginger gave it a nice flavor. That’s really a nice way to face and handle change Helen, always think about what is good that is happening now.

    1. My dad is busy tending the tomatoes every evening after work so I’m sure it’ll be a good crop. I don’t think we’ll be here to enjoy them, though (got to go to Australia again). I wish we were, because tomatoes are very expensive in Australia believe it or not (there I go comparing again!). Hope you are enjoying Oregon, Cheri!

  3. Hi Helen!
    I totally agree with you when you say that when we are in another country, we keep comparing with another one. I happens to me when I moved to Canada from France, I let you imagine the supermarket comparison I was making…
    Funny enough, now, I adopted Canada as my home (or Canada adopted me :)) and I compare it with France when I visit… Could I re-adapt one day? not sure!
    Can you picture living again in England after so many “homes”?
    Anyway, I am going into a conversation alone! Again, you do need to move to Canada so we can have coffee chat as I mentioned before! This recipe would work perfectly at any time for me!
    Cheers,
    Melanie
    PS: Thanks for the head-up for my comment problem on my blog! I really appreciate it!

    1. Hi, Melanie! You know what? If I ever visit Canada (which I would love to some day – I visited Quebec many years ago but there is still so much of Canada to see) we will have that coffee chat. Or if you ever visit the UK! I’m wondering if I can adapt back to the UK now too after so many years, especially right now as I watch the rain streaming down the windows for the third entire day in a row. (oops – better not complain!) Glad you like the recipe!

  4. Love the sound of these oat bars! I can only sometimes find rhubarb but I’ve seen it at the store the last week or two!

    It is hard not to compare too much – when we first moved here from DC I found myself doing the same thing. But we love it in NC now : ) It was just such a change from DC!

    1. It’s funny to think that you live in such a big country that states can be so different from each other. I would love to go on one of your big US road trips to experience some of those differences! It is hard not to compare, isn’t it? I’m sitting here right now trying not to compare the 3 rainy days we’ve just had here with the sunny weather I’m sure they’re enjoying right now in Greece. (I won’t, I won’t.)
      So glad you like the bars and … snap up that rhubarb while you can! Or hunt out a friendly neighbour with a patch in their garden!

  5. That oaty mixture is singing sweet nothings to me because it looks marvelous! What a great treat!

  6. This looks fantastic! I have never ever had rhubarb, I keep seeing it on blogs but I don’t know of anyone that cooks with it. That is one reason why I love blogging and the blogging community, there are so many great ideas out there and this makes it so easy to share them!

    1. I totally agree, Annie. I see ingredients that I’ve never cooked with all the time on blogs – healthy ingredients, especially. If you can get hold of some rhubarb, I’d definitely try it just to see what you think. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. So glad you like the recipe!

    1. That’s exactly what they tasted like, Liz, but with a chewier layer on the bottom. Exactly as I wanted them to be! Glad you like them!

  7. Reading your blog makes me want to travel so much more! Now if I could just win the lottery and vacation for a few years : )

    These rhubarb and ginger oaty slices sound delicious. So happy rhubarb is in season!

    1. We always want what we don’t have, I guess. I would give anything right now to just get settled … but trying to see the ‘excitement factor’ of the travelling here and there!
      So glad you like the rhubarb slices … I have to admit I was pretty pleased with how they turned out. 🙂

  8. It is so interesting how people from different places do things so differently. It can definitely be hard to leave things behind that you loved, but I always like that think that better things are on the horizon. Love these rhubarb oaty slices!! And I love the word “oaty”! That is awesome that they have a garden with fresh tomatoes AND rhubarb! Rhubarb is so pretty when it grows. I really need to start using rhubarb more while it is still in season, because I really love its tartness 🙂

    1. Yes, it has such a unique flavour, which I love. So glad you like the slices (and the word ‘oaty’ – OK, I admit it, I did make that one up) and your point about looking to better things on the horizon is lovely … totally agree.