Rhubarb Dream Bars [Vegan]

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This dessert bar is made with rhubarb and aquafaba, the magical liquid from a can of chickpeas. It’s a meringue base, so the name is quite fitting because they are dreamy like clouds, baked atop a shortbread crust. Enjoy!

Rhubarb Dream Bars [Vegan]

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter

For the Filling:

1/4 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla beans
2 stalks diced rhubarb

Preparation

To make the crust:

Place the flour and icing sugar together in a bowl, and stir. Make a little well in the center of the bowl, and pour the coconut oil or melted vegan butter into it. Mix well until the wet is incorporated into the dry. It will be crumbly. Press this mixture into the bottom of a greased 8-inch by 8-inch pan, and set aside.

To make the filling:

Place the aquafaba, sugar, and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer and begin beating it at a low speed, just to incorporate. Then turn up the speed as high as it will go for about 6-10 minutes until it is fluffy, smooth, thick and glossy, similar to the texture of melted marshmallows. You can also do this with a hand-held mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Carefully fold about half of the rhubarb into the meringue mixture with a spatula, then scrap it into the pan on top of the crust. Smooth over the top with your spatula, then sprinkle the remaining rhubarb over top.
Bake in a preheated 350° F degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until the top is golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing into squares. Best enjoyed the same day, as the meringue won’t keep well over the long term.

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AUTHOR & RECIPE DETAILS

Rebecca Coleman is a food and travel blogger based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and describes herself as a "localvore with a wanderlust. She is the author of "Aquafabulous!: 100+ Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba (Bean Water)." While solo parenting the world's greatest teenager, she teaches marketing at BCIT and UBC, has an unapologetic addiction to Americanos, and makes the best vegan "pulled pork" ever.