Rhubarb Bread – Easy and Delicious

Who figured out what plants were edible and which were not? The guy who drew the short straw? “Here, *insert name*, chew on this leaf. Still with us? Have another, then let us know how you feel later.” Regardless, I am very grateful to the person that found out that rhubarb leaves are poisonous, BUT the rhubarb stalks, however, are not only edible but delicious in baked goods. Thanks to whomever made the discovery, I get to enjoy this beyond delightful Rhubarb Bread, and that is something to celebrate.

What is Rhubarb?

I am going to keep this simple, because I’m not the only one with the access to the all-knowing Google. The main little bit of trivia that I want to bring to your attention is that rhubarb is a vegetable, so here I go sharing yet another healthy veggie filled recipe with you. This is one veggie I will happily get 5 servings of in a day. Thank you and you’re welcome.

The Spruce Eats has a brief article about rhubarb if you want to know more.

Are Rhubarb Leaves Poisonous?

If consumed in large quantities, yes, they are. OSU lists all the unpleasant side effects here for those curious minds who now just need to know. They are not the kind of poison that will kill you by touching them though, so no worries there! Just make sure to continue to make your salads from lettuce, spinach, and kale, and leave the rhubarb leaves in the compost bin where they belong.

What is Rhubarb Bread?

To describe this mouthwatering Rhubarb bread, imagine the delicious treat that would be created if rhubarb pie and a sweet quick bread had a baby. Oh, what a baby that would be! Delicious flavor of rhubarb, sweet with the faintest hint of the expected rhubarb tartness that cuts the sweetness perfectly. A moist and perfectly tender quick bread that is delicious warm, cold, and especially toasted smeared with a little butter- oh, holy Hannah is that good! An optional vanilla drizzle that adds the extra sweetness to the Rhubarb bread almost pushes it into the dessert category. However, rhubarb is still a vegetable, so this bread is good any time of the day: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, okay yes, dessert too – it’s part of a well-balanced diet!

The Taste of Rhubarb Bread

This bread has so much flavor. Warmth and sweetness from the brown sugar, vanilla, and touch of cinnamon, and then a bit of an almost tart kick from the rhubarb to cut through the richness and really brighten the bite. If you top this beauty with the vanilla drizzle then you also have the extra sweetness and notes of added vanilla to really make this bread a treat enjoyed by all.             

How to make Rhubarb Bread

This rhubarb bread is a quick bread so like the name implies, it’s ‘quick’ to make. Mix wet ingredients. Whisk together dry ingredients. Stir together. Add chopped rhubarb, stir. Pour into the prepared pans, bake. Voila – you made rhubarb bread! Here is the tricky part, just kidding, no tricky parts to the baking! The only trick is, yes you guessed it, this is a baking blog so I bet you can see where this is going… The only tricky part is to not eat it all in one sitting.

Baking Tips for Rhubarb Bread

Here are some tips that I use in baking that helped in this recipe. I toss my fruit with about a tablespoon of flour before stirring it into my quick breads, the chopped rhubarb was no exception. I took out about one tablespoon of flour from the flour I was adding to bread (hence the extra tablespoon in the recipe), and tossed the rhubarb in that tablespoon of flour before stirring it all into my batter. This helps the rhubarb not all sink to the bottom of the pan.

Line your bread pans with parchment paper so it overhangs on the long sides (these are your handles). Spray the parchment paper and the two short unlined sides of the bread pan. When your pans of rhubarb bread have been out of the oven for about 5 minutes, run a butter knife along the two short sides of the pan to make sure the bread is loose, then lift the rhubarb bread out using the two parchment paper handles. This allows for perfect rhubarb bread removal every time – cheers to perfectionism!

Check your bread after about 30 minutes and make sure it isn’t starting to brown too much, if it is, tent the bread with foil. The tent is key so it doesn’t stick to the top of the loaf, but also prevents too dark a crust while allowing for a perfect bake on the bread.

To drizzle or not to drizzle – that is the question!

The vanilla drizzle is optional. If you want to enjoy the rhubarb bread in its purest and most authentic form, try this flavorful and tender bread as is!

If you are someone who adds ice cream or whipped cream to all your desserts, go ahead and add the sweet vanilla drizzle to the top of the Rhubarb Bread after it is cooled. This vanilla drizzle not only adds another hint of vanilla to this delicious bread, but an extra sweetness as well that non-rhubarb veterans will especially enjoy on this delectable Rhubarb Bread.

Since decisions are my nemesis, I go with the best of both worlds. Drizzle one with the sweet vanilla decadence and leave the other delightful un-drizzled and let that rhubarb shine.

Baking Therapy

Rhubarb quick bread is bright and comforting in flavor as well as easy to whip up. If you need it, rhubarb quick bread is the perfect gateway bake to remind yourself what you can do with a few minutes in the kitchen. Or maybe it can be your first bake and a kind yet still exciting way to dip your toes into the wonderful world of baking.

Either way, it counts as baking therapy, of which I am a firm believer. Whether you bake it or eat it, this bread brings joy in its simplicity, and for that I am grateful and happy to share!

More Delicious Recipes

‘Four Cups of Zucchini’ Bread

Cinnamon Applesauce Snack Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

Raspberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Continue to Content

Rhubarb Bread

Yield: 2 loaves

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 10 minutes

A moist and perfectly tender quick bread that is delicious warm, cold, and especially toasted and then smeared with a little butter. There is warmth and sweetness from the brown sugar, vanilla, and touch of cinnamon, and then a bit of an almost tart kick from the rhubarb to cut through the richness and really brighten the bite. Topped with a vanilla drizzle - this bread is irresistible.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour milk*
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp* all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups rhubarb (diced)
• Drizzle Ingredients
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 tsp milk or cream
• Dash of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare your two 8"x4" baking pans. Line your pans with parchment paper so it overhangs on the long sides (these are your handles). Spray the parchment paper and the two short unlined sides of the bread pan.
2. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Gradually add sugars. Stir until well combined. Mix in oil, sour milk and vanilla. Stir until combined.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups of flour (reserve the extra tbsp for later) and the rest of the dry ingredients.
4. Stir flour into the sugar mixture until just combined, careful to not over stir.
5. Toss diced rhubarb with the reserved 1 Tbsp of flour. Gently stir in rhubarb and any remaing flour into the batter.
6. Pour batter evenly between the two prepared bread pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 mins to an hour. Check bread around 40 minutes to make sure it is not browning too quickly. If it is, tent foil over the bread until bread is done. Bread is done with toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. When your pans of rhubarb bread have been out of the oven for about 5 minutes, run a butter knife along the two short sides of the pan to make sure the bread is loose, then lift the rhubarb bread out using the two parchment paper handles. This allows for perfect rhubarb bread removal every time – cheers to perfectionism!
8. When bread is cooled, if you choose to add the drizzle, now is the time. Mix sugar, vanilla, and a dash of salt until combined. Add one teaspoon of cream (or milk) at a time until icing is a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle over one or both loaves.
9. Allow rhubarb bread loaves to cool, and the vanilla drizzle to dry, before wrapping bread in cling film or store in an airtight container. This bread is good warm or cold, drizzled with icing or smeared with butter.
   

Notes

Sour milk is made by replacing one Tbsp of a cup of milk with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. Allow milk to sit for about 5 minutes before adding to your batter. I prefer lemon juice with baking as it adds that touch of brightness.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 159Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 216mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 1g

This information was obtained using an ingredient calculator to provide an idea of nutritional value. To obtain the most accurate numbers for nutrition information of any recipe, you should figure the nutritional information with the ingredients you used in the recipe. Each individual user is responsible for making sure that any nutritional information used is correct.