An incredibly moist banana bread whose sweetness is balanced by the tart addition of rhubarb.
I’ve discovered the best way to do recipe testing.
Get you guys to do the work for me!
Just kidding. But you lovely readers really helped me out with this recipe! I posted a pic of my first attempt at rhubarb banana bread on Instagram and had so many people ask me for the recipe. I knew the recipe needed work so I quickly made another loaf, which I thought was perfect. But I’m just one opinion. Then I sent the recipe to anyone who needed it asap to use up rhubarb sitting in their fridge.
A few people made it and got back to me right away with reviews such as….
“Mmm fresh banana rhubarb bread! @smartnutritionca never stop giving us recipes!”
and…
“The banana rhubarb bread was unreal!! I’m copying the recipe into my personal cookbook right now!!”
I swear I didn’t add those extra exclamation marks in; those were legit in the review.
You can see from this photo why I needed to work on the recipe after the first attempt. On the left is the first loaf. While it was extremely tasty, it was an aesthetic flop. I was going for moist so I based it off Ricardo’s Ultra Moist Banana Bread but it was just far too moist and floppy. The poor thing had no chance of rising to success. It also needed MORE rhubarb. You can eat banana bread all year long; when it’s rhubarb season you gotta have the taste of rhubarb shine through!
The second loaf (photo on the right) was still very moist but it held together like a bread should and was the perfect balance of rhubarb to banana flavour.
why it’s a smart choice
I’m not going to pretend that this is an uber healthy breakfast option or anything. If I were to rank this recipe I would say it’s a healthier option for a dessert but more of a treat for breakfast.
Each slice will give you half a serving of fruit, which is pretty decent for a dessert! But if you’re enjoying this for breakfast, stick to one slice and fill up on a hard boiled egg and some more fruit on the side 🙂
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or snap a photo and tag it with #smartnutritionrecipes on Instagram! I’d love to see your creations!
rhubarb banana bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 ½ cups chopped rhubarb
- 3 medium sized over ripe bananas
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup sugar
- ½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a loaf pan and line with a wide strip of parchment paper.
- Stir together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the chopped rhubarb.
- Make a well in the centre and set the bowl aside.
- Place the remaining ingredients in a blender. Start on low then turn up high. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended ingredients into the bowl and mix until just combined (don’t over stir!).
- Place pan on a baking sheet (to catch any drips!).
- Bake for about 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes then lift out of pan using the parchment paper like a sling. Allow to cool on a cooling rack before slicing.
Nutrition
Do you have more rhubarb than you know what to do with? Try these rhubarb breakfast parfaits too!
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I have a question about using frozen rhubarb.
I have about a cup of rubarb juice. Do I add that into the recipe or set it aside?
I’m making a double batch so that’s coming from five cups of rhubarb.
Rhubarb juice would be too much liquid. You’d need to add the rhubarb itself into the bread for it to work!
I think this is a good recipe, but there’s a correction it needs. Either we’re doing the liquids like a “regular cake”, i.e. cream butter, add sugar, egg, vanilla, then bananas, or we’re melting the butter and bunging it all together in a “blender” sorta way. A blender strikes me as a bad idea if you’re dealing with softened, not melted, butter, and why exactly not melted when it’s a quick bread?
Also, suggest large loaf pan…It almost overflowed mine.
So delicious!!! I added 8 mins to the time. 68 mins in total.
Glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for the feedback.
Loved the texture! And I loved that it used up bananas and rhubarb! two ingredients I always have too much of! I think this recipe definitely needs some cinnamon. Next time I make it I will add some cinnamon!
Cinnamon sounds like an amazing addition! Thanks for your comment!
Excellent, super moist! Love it! I did add 1/2 tsp salt.
Moist banana bread is the best! Glad you love it!
I used 5 bananas….I usually double any banana in a bread recipe…
Super Moist and delicous Bread….will make again.
Thank you for your feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!
I was really excited to try this recipe and it is very moist but mine fell just like your photo on the left. I also felt it lacked flavor, I should have added some cinnamon or something. It is just bland. I will not be making this again. Sorry.
Omg it’s the best combo!!! Thank you I love it!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Made this a few times now and its really good. Tasty and Moist
So glad you are enjoying the recipe!
I cut a slice after about an hour out of the oven. It seemed a bit oily, and I was already thinking about next time with less butter.
Ah, but next morning it was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks so much.
Thank you for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!
Easy recipe! I only had 2 bananas so added 2 tablespoons of apple sauce and it came out moist and delicious.
That sounds like a fantastic variation to the recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Followed the recipe to the letter right up to folding in the wet ingredients with the dry. The batter was supper fluffy right before placing it in the pan so I split between to loaf pans. Both pans were 3/4 full. 65 minutes in the oven and loaves were done. Still filling 3/4 of the pan. 5 minutes on the cooling rack and they both fell. Still tastes good but…
This recipe is almost identical to my full proof banana bread. Next time I’ll use that recipe and add the rhubarb.
Changes:
Omit the baking power.
6 not 8 tablespoons of butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup of Greek yogurt
Loaf is always moist and rises well.
Took an extra 20 minutes to bake, i.e., 1 hr. 20 minutes, and I do have a thermometer inside my oven to double check oven temps. But it did turn out fabulous! Rave reviews from friends.
I make these as muffins, for grab and go.
I change out the rhubarb with peaches, or mango. You can use frozen, just let it thaw and chop if too big. I also add toasted almond slivers and unsweetened cocnut if the mood strikes. These are my go to.
Easy great recipe. I almost cry when I realize I don’t have an egg available.
Thank you. I don’t add the full sugar amount either. 1/2 cup is fine.
Thanks for the modification suggestions and so glad you like them!
Great recipe, very yummy! Any suggestions for other ways to use the left over Miso paste? Marinade? Make into another type of sauce? Ideas??? It’s too good to not use up!
I’m super excited to make these ~ what a wonderful combination of ingredients. Just wondering if you know if I need to change anything if I plan on making them into muffins? Thanks in advance!
I think they should work just as well in muffin form!
OMG! Extremely moist. Making it again this morning.
Sweet! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can the recipe be used without yogurt?
I’m either lactose or anything cow related sensitive.
I cannot use yogurt.
Hi Holly, I haven’t tried it without yogurt. Maybe a soy or coconut based yogurt would be worth a try to substitute?
Hello and thanks for the recipe. I cannot help altering any recipe I try 🙂 I thought sugar and butter were a bit too much in this recipe so I put only 1/2 a cup of sugar and 80-100g butter. Added cinnamon and nutmeg, and an handful of walnut, and 2 eggs (because I had to finish them) and it is delicious!
I think next time I’ll put only 50g butter and see how it goes.
It took a bit longer to cook, 1h and 20 minutes in the fan oven 180°
I hear you… I have a hard time not altering recipes either! Which is what led me to start my own food and nutrition blog 🙂 I’m glad this was a good starting point for you!
Never going back to reg banana bread after this! Delicious!
Awesome! Thank you for the review. I’m glad you love it so much 🙂
Loved this recipe. I also had some rhubarb and very ripe bananas begging to be cooked! I googled the 2 words and your recipe came up. I added some chopped walnuts and vanilla yoghurt and my family love it- I was going to freeze half but it’s not worth doing because the whole thing will be eaten within a few days! Very moist and great recipe.
Yeah, gotta do a double recipe if you want to freezer any!!! so glad you enjoyed it. The walnuts sound divine!
The recipe worked well for me, thanks so much for posting. I’m doing a freezer clean out and had rhubarb and bananas to use. I didn’t want to use the blender, but in the end I got it out and it did work much better than the hand mixer on the butter-banana combo. The texture of this bread is fabulous. Good luck on a yard with sunshine and growing your own rhubarb. I wish I had divided my plant sooner. I was always giving away pieces and finally replanted a couple of divisions myself and now have more than ever. I don’t think that the frozen rhubarb has the same punch as freshly harvested, but in the midst of a February freeze with snow falling outside, it sure was nice to make this banana rhubarb loaf! My house smells wonderful!
Good on you for doing a freezer cleanout! So happ you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 We actually moved last summer so I’m excited to acquire and find a spot for rhubarb this spring!!!
Thanks for the recipe Jessica. My sister made gluten &dairy free rhubarb banana bread which was enjoyed by my toddler so much it is now called Jo in her auntie’s honour. I didn’t get the recipe from her though. Thanks to Google I found yours. I used oat flour and canned coconut cream instead of yogurt the first time and it turned out great. I’m using yogurt this time as we are re reintroducing dairy. Both times I’ve added hemp hearts. I also skipped sugar but used a bunch of blueberries for sweetener +a half a cup of coconut flour for flavour and to absorb extra moisture from my de-frosted rhubarb (I had to basically squeeze it before putting it in the flour). Your recipe worked great as a base and guidance for my experiment: my toddler loved it and so did I, without the added sugar it’s lovely for breakfast 🙂 It freezes well in portioned sizes. That’s my 5 cents for today. Thanks again!
Awesome! Good to know that it freezes well and that it works to skip the sugar!
So tasty
Beautiful!!
Best recipe ever, have topped with cream cheese icing for a fancy afternoon tea, but will make for a snack through the week, served with yoghurt
Mmm, love the idea of serving with yogurt! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
how many cups is 3 medium bananas?
this recipe pretty much kicked A$$. i am thrilled with the quality my current season’s rhubarb, and i am trying as many recipes as i can find. i just HAPPENED to have some almost- icky bananas while looking, so i googled rhubarb banana bread. i tried yours. i will look no further! this one is a winner. 🙂
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I’m moving to a place with a YARD soon and hope to have my very own rhubarb plant one day! Cheers to a good rhubarb harvest this year!
I wanted to make it slightly healthier, so I used whole wheat flour and subsituted honey and maple syrup for the white sugar. (I didn’t have enough honey so ended up with half honey/half maple syrup). I also added cinnamon and allspice. I forgot to add the last 2 ingredients ( butter and the vanilla)! Nevertheless, it turned out great. It rose well, with a nice rounded top. It’s moist, not too sweet and just the right amount of tang. I’m going to make it again and add the butter to see the difference. Don’t know if I need the extra calories!
Thanks for the review! Good to know that it worked without the butter as well 🙂
Wow! I have to try this. I don’t know if you edit these once they are posted but your last paragraph says “cook for 5 minutes ” when I think you mean cool.
I’ve been using coconut oil in baking recently because of David Klassen being in our small group and stuff needs to be dairy free. Which is healthier, butter or coconut oil. Maybe I need to read your post again.
I made a sourdough rhubarb/strawberry muffin today with coconut oil today. Pretty good
Oh yum! Did you use the sourdough to rise the muffins or just flavour them? And thanks for pointing out the typo as yes, I’m able to edit them!