Best Rhubarb Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake
This rhubarb bread is a moist, tangy quick bread made with fresh rhubarb, buttermilk, and simple pantry ingredients. It bakes into a tender loaf with jammy fruit pockets and a lightly crisp sugary crust, making it an easy and impressive homemade treat.
Equipment
- Loaf pan
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- spatula
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Produce
- 2 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
Wet Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or more to taste
Sweetener
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp reserved for topping
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Dice rhubarb into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Whisk in baking powder and salt, then gently fold in flour until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in diced rhubarb evenly throughout the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake for 60–65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Do not overmix the batter to keep the bread soft and tender. Fresh rhubarb works best for texture, but frozen can be used if thawed and dried well. You can customize the loaf with strawberries, citrus zest, or nuts for variation.