Rhubarb Nut Bread

Rhubarb Nut Bread is the perfect snack or lunch box treat. Use fresh or frozen rhubarb.

I have an abundance of frozen rhubarb in my freezer left over from last year and looks like I'll have bags of the stuff from the garden this year. What to do with all that frozen rhubarb?  Of course there are the ever popular cakes, pies, crisps and jam but there's only so much two people can eat of the same thing so I've been scouring the internet for new and unfamiliar recipes to use up the profuse supply of the sour fruit-like vegetable.  Yes, rhubarb is a vegetable, but it would be rather inadvisable for me to serve it next to the potatoes at our next meal. (I did find a vegetable soup recipe using rhubarb but that wasn't what you'd call successful!)

In my search I came across dozens (maybe hundreds) of recipes for rhubarb bread and muffins using a cup or two of diced or sliced rhubarb.  I've made rhubarb bread and muffins lots of times but that only takes care of 1 or 2 cups of rhubarb, so I continued the hunt until I found a recipe for Rhubarb Bread using a rhubarb sauce.  Ah, ha, I thought. I can do this with a banana bread recipe, substituting the rhubarb sauce for the bananas.  So the experimentation began.

I must have made this bread nine or ten times before I was pleased with the outcome.  It just wouldn't rise and always sunk in the middle.  I think the rhubarb is much wetter than I had expected.  It's still not perfect but it's not bad and I've used up loads of that rhubarb trying to find the perfect recipe.  And lots of people have been happy to eat the blog flops. 😋   

This makes a nice moist bread that slices neatly for a snack or breakfast.  Every bite gives you the tangy sourness of rhubarb in a sweet, moist mouthful of the bread. It would be fantastic with a cream cheese spread, particularly a strawberry cream cheese spread.  Rhubarb and  strawberries go so good together.  Mmmm...what a nice treat tucked into a lunch box.  And, if you don't like nuts leave them out.

Printable recipe at bottom of post.

Rhubarb Nut Bread
¾ cup rhubarb sauce, see recipe below
1 egg 
½ cup oil 
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup white sugar 
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans 
¾ cup chopped rhubarb

1 tablespoon white sugar or cinnamon sugar for top, optional

Rhubarb Sauce
Cook 2 cups diced rhubarb with 2 tablespoons water in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until rhubarb is reduced and has turned into a sauce.  You should have about ¾ cup of rhubarb sauce.  Cool before using.  Measure before using.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and line with parchment an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan.  (Or if you wish you may use muffin pans. You should get at least 12-15 muffins.)

In a medium bowl mix together the cool rhubarb sauce, egg, oil, brown sugar and vanilla.  Lay aside.

In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients, white sugar, chopped rhubarb and nuts. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the rhubarb mixture.  Gently mix together until moistened.  Do not over-mix.    Pour batter in greased and parchment lined loaf pan.  If desired sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top of loaf.  This will make a nice crunchy topping.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 15 minutes.  Remove from pan, peel off paper and place on cooling racks until cold.  Store in tightly sealed plastic bags or airtight container.  As with most quick breads, this is best the next day but you may not be able to wait. 

Makes 12 slices.

Make the rhubarb sauce before you begin making the bread.  It will need at least an hour to cool down.  You can make this the day before if you wish.  Make sure you measure the finished sauce.  You don't want too much or too little.

When the rhubarb sauce has cooled mix in the egg, oil, brown sugar and vanilla.  Set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients, white sugar and nuts together.  Make a well in the centre and pour in the rhubarb mixture.  Gently mix together until just combined. 

Pour batter into parchment lined pan.  You may wish to sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking.

Out of the oven and cooled for several hours, this Rhubarb Nut Bread is ready to slice and devour.

Rhubarb Nut Bread  

Ready for a snack or lunch box treat.

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩