How To Make Rhubarb Bread (From Scratch)
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This Rhubarb Bread recipe is a great classic quick bread that is easily made. The fresh taste of rhubarb is a pleasant change from the usual fruit in bread. It’s incredibly easy to make at home. Served warm with a pat of butter, this quick bread featuring rhubarb is a great breakfast or snack option.
Rhubarb Bread with Buttermilk
Our Rhubarb Bread recipe uses buttermilk which is an ingredient that we don’t always have in our refrigerator. Do not fret. There’s an easy remedy to not keeping buttermilk on hand.
Can I make buttermilk?
Yes, and the process is simple. Make buttermilk by simply using lemon juice and milk! Our friend, Marybeth, explains how over at My Fearless Kitchen. Mix one Tablespoon of lemon juice with one cup of milk. Stir and let sit for several minutes and you have buttermilk!
Rhubarb Quick Bread
Who doesn’t love a good quick bread? You essentially mix all the ingredients in one bowl, pour it into a bread pan and the result is the perfect snack or breakfast. This Amish Rhubarb Bread is no exception.
We love our rhubarb plant that grows each spring. If you are not familiar with rhubarb, you cut off the leaves and just use the stalks. If you try to eat it alone, you would be in for a surprise. It is extremely tart and requires a lot of sugar to sweeten it up.
We are always looking for new rhubarb recipes outside of the typical rhubarb pie or cobbler. This Rhubarb Bread recipe comes from our favorite Pot O’Gold cookbook. The original submitter of the recipe says it is good hot or cold, with or without butter.
How to Freeze Rhubarb
Buttermilk rhubarb bread is a great recipe for using up frozen rhubarb. We try to freeze some of this summer garden staple so that we can enjoy it year round.
Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces and either blanch it in boiling water for about 1 minute OR just freeze it raw. Spread the pieces on a cookie sheet in one layer and put in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers and put in the freezer. It will keep for up to one year.
When pulling it out of the freezer to use, you do not have to thaw the rhubarb but you can. If you use it from frozen, you might want to add a few more pieces to the recipe as it will shrink as it thaws.
Ingredient List
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Large egg
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking soda
- Chopped Nuts
- Rhubarb Stalks
How to Make Rhubarb Bread
Step By Step Instructions
- Prepare two bread loaf pans by greasing and flouring all sides.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients in the order listed in the recipe card below.
- Pour batter into the prepared pans – divide evenly between the two.
- Bake for 40-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the loaf.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing bread from pans.
Full recipe and ingredient list for Amish Rhubarb Bead is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
- This is a Rhubarb Bread recipe with buttermilk. This is an ingredient that many people don’t always have in their refrigerator. You might be asking “Can I make buttermilk?” or “What can be used in place of buttermilk?” You can make buttermilk by simply using lemon juice and milk!  It’s basically one Tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of milk. Stir and let sit for several minutes and you have buttermilk!
- You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb in this recipe.
- Want a fancier version? Try our Rhubarb Nut Bread which has a sweet, crunchy topping.
- This rhubarb quick bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Visit our Amazon store for our favorite pantry essentials and kitchen gadgets.
How do you take the tartness out of rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a naturally tart vegetable, and if you’ve never tried a piece, you’ll get a big surprise if you bite into the stalk when it’s raw. To take out the tartness, sugar is required which is why rhubarb is typically used in desserts with ample amounts of sugar in the ingredients.
Our Favorite Rhubarb Recipes
We have several rhubarb recipes on the blog, see our roundup of our recipes and some from our friends here.
Rhubarb Muffins with Applesauce
Rhubarb Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2/3 cups vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
- 2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cups nuts pecans or walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Prepare 2 loaf pans by greasing and flouring all sides.
- Mix all ingredients in order listed until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Pour into prepared loaf pans.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in pans for 5 minutes before inverting pan to remove bread.
Notes
- This is a Rhubarb Bread recipe with buttermilk. This is an ingredient that many people don’t always have in their refrigerator. You might be asking “Can I make buttermilk?” or “What can be used in place of buttermilk?” You can make buttermilk by simply using lemon juice and milk!  It’s basically one Tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of milk. Stir and let sit for several minutes and you have buttermilk!
- You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb in this recipe.
- This rhubarb quick bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Try our favorite Rhubarb Dream Cake recipe.
- The nutritional information is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used. It should not be used for specific dietary needs.
Nutrition
Thank-you for the recipys—lorna
can I use frozen rhubarb?
Yes, you can. Just make sure it’s defrosted and pat it dry to get as much of the extra moisture off as you can.
Just this morning I was wondering what to do with all this rhubarb, I have at least 4 big plants. Thanks for recipe!
What size loaf pans?
We use either 9×5 or 8 1/2 x 4 1/2.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it is delicious! But the bread never keeps it’s shape when cut into pieces, it literally just falls apart into crumbs. Would adding another egg help?
Hmmm…you could definitely try another egg to see if that helps! Glad you still enjoy it even if it’s a bit messy!
Granddaughter is lactise intolerate can I make buttermilk with lactose free milk??
Yes, you should be able to. Pour 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup and fill it with your choice of milk so it equals one cup. Let sit 10 minutes.
Very easy, very tasty! Thanks much!
So glad you enjoyed it!