Name: Rhubarb Bread Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 large egg; 1 1/2 cups brown sugar; 2/3 cup canola oil; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 cups rhubarb (- diced); 1 cup pecans (or walnuts) (optional) (- diced ); 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter (- cut into small chunks)

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This Rhubarb Bread Recipe uses tart rhubarb and nuts to make the most delicious quick bread of all time. Straight from Norma Jean’s Kitchen, this recipe will surprise you, and you’ll soon be baking all the rhubarb sweets and treats!

Try our Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins next!

Side view of halved loaves of rhubarb bread.

Memories are forever.

My mom and dad had a very hearty rhubarb patch in their yard in St. Joe, Iowa where they spent the first 56 years of their marriage. I have vivid memories of my parents in the patch, cutting off rhubarb stalks, and bringing it into the house so that Mom could work her magic. She used their rhubarb crop for mostly sweet recipes – rhubarb custard pie, strawberry rhubarb jam, rhubarb nut bread, and so on.

Once we kids were grown, Mom usually sent us home with a jar or two of the BEST rhubarb jam ever, along with a loaf of Cracked Wheat Bread or Whole Wheat Honey Bread for toasting. She loved giving away her amazing bread and pies, and most of their neighbors benefited as well AFTER Dad got his fair share. 😀

These are some of my favorite memories and the ones I’ll hang on to as time goes by. I miss the mom I called so often to ask about a recipe, which then led to a discussion about our sweet boys, her grandsons whom she loved dearly.

Overhead view of sliced rhubarb bread and some stalks next to it.

What is rhubarb, anyway?

I’m surprised at how many people have no idea what rhubarb is. When buying it at the store, I’m guessing about 90% of the cashiers have to ask me what it is, which is a pretty good indicator of the mystery that is rhubarb. Read on, friends!

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable but is often considered to be a fruit.
This plant is known for its brightly colored stalks and distinct tart flavor.
It is a hardy perennial and thrives in cool locations with full sun. (A rhubarb plant would not survive in our warm Texas heat.)
It is harvested in the spring and sold by the stalk, like celery.
Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, while the stalks can be safely consumed.
It’s full of nutrients, like antioxidants, fiber, Vitamins K and C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Rhubarb is used predominantly to make sweets, like pies, custards, jams, and quick bread.

FYI – Rhubarb Season is in spring and summer. I recommend buying in bulk and freezing diced rhubarb for this simple bread recipe and other rhubarb recipes.

Why This Recipe Works:

ONE BOWL – This quick bread recipe can be made in just one bowl which makes clean-up a breeze. This a great recipe to make as a beginner baker too.
SWEET BUT TART – The brown sugar adds sweetness and the rhubarb adds tartness. Together they make the most delicious treat.
MOIST RHUBARB BREAD – This is a seriously tender quick bread and is the perfect recipe to try rhubarb. Before you know it, you’ll be making a second batch for later.
PRETTY – The beautiful flecks of pink rhubarb make this bread pretty. We eat with our eyes first, right?

Ingredients for Rhubarb Nut Bread

All of these ingredients are easy to find in your local grocery store. However, fresh rhubarb is seasonal but you can use frozen rhubarb in the off-season if you can find it.

Milk. You’ll need some buttermilk for this bread.
Egg. One large egg is needed.
Oil. Norma usually used canola oil in her quick bread. This helps make it amazingly moist.
Vanilla Extract. She also used Watkins Vanilla as I do.
Dry Ingredients. You’ll simply need all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda.
Stars of the show. Rhubarb and pecans, of course! If you don’t like nuts, just leave them out. You can also substitute walnuts for pecans in this tasty quick bread.
The streusel topping. You’ll need flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter for this easy topping. OR, you can leave it out completely.

The labeled ingredients for the rhubarb bread.

The labeled ingredients for the crumb topping.

How to make Rhubarb Nut Bread

Guess what? You just need ONE bowl to make this amazing quick bread. 😀

Step 1
Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare two bread pans with baking spray.

Step 2
Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients – the egg, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Pro-Tip: To make your own buttermilk, simply add a splash of vinegar to milk, stir, and let sit for 15 minutes.

Step 3
Add dry ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients to the bowl – the brown sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir until just combined.

Step 4
Add the rhubarb and pecans. Gently stir the rhubarb and pecans into the bread batter.

A bowl of the batter with the diced rhubarb and chopped pecans.

Step 5
Prepare streusel topping. Prepare the simple streusel topping by combining the sugar, flour, cubed butter, and salt together. Use your fingers to press the butter into the dry ingredients.

Step 6
Add batter to pans. Pour batter evenly into two bread pans, smoothing evenly to all sides.

Step 7
Top with streusel. Then use your hands to sprinkle the streusel ingredients evenly over the bread batter.

Two pans of the rhubarb batter ready to bake.

Two pans of prepped rhubab bread with the crumb topping.

Step 8
Bake. Bake rhubarb nut bread for 40 – 45 minutes, or until the center is done. I usually test it with a toothpick, and it’s done when it comes out clean. If you are like my fam, take a few minutes off the baking time for a slightly gooey center.

Step 9
Cool. Let the loaves sit in pans for about 10 minutes, and then carefully remove the bread to wire racks.

Storing and Freezing:

Store rhubarb bread at room temperature, in an airtight container, or wrapped in plastic wrap. Leftover bread should last 4-5 days on your countertop.
Freeze bread in freezer bags for up to three months. This is a delicious loaf to surprise your friends and family at any time of the year.

Other delicious quick bread recipes:

These are some of our favorite quick bread recipes for you to try next.

Side view of two half loaves of rhubarb stacked on a board.

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xoxo ~Sue