From the Garden: Rhubarb Zucchini Bread Recipe
Combine rhubarb and zucchini for a healthy, delicious snack. Try our rhubarb zucchini bread recipe.
Rhubarb is an interesting vegetable. It looks similar to celery and tastes tart. Rhubarb does NOT taste good raw – it needs some heat and often sugar to balance out the sour and bitter notes. We love rhubarb in breads, strawberry rhubarb pie, rhubarb apple crisp, and as a sauce for pork.
In this rhubarb zucchini bread recipe, the rhubarb blends with the sugar and applesauce for a sweet and tangy treat. We use our simple homemade applesauce – made just from apples. The zucchini is mild, hardly noticeable for any vegetable-averse kiddos (like my son). He’s not a fan of zucchini, but gobbles the rhubarb zucchini bread. We also boost the fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals by adding our Grain and Seed Mix, made of equal parts chia seeds, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, and oat bran. We keep a big batch of the Grain and Seed Mix at the ready, so adding 1/2 cup to the rhubarb zucchini bread recipe is a cinch. It’s just as easy to add the components one at a time or omit and use another 1/2 cup of flour.
Making this recipe is quick and easy – just combine, stir, and bake. It’s a perfect baking activity to include kids. Even the prep isn’t too bad – just grating zucchini and chopping rhubarb.
Tips for Growing and Harvesting Rhubarb and Zucchini
Rhubarb grows best in a sunny spot with plenty of room to grow. It is a beautiful and low maintenance perennial vegetable; once planted it will live for years.
When starting a new rhubarb plant, don’t harvest the stalk the first year. After one year, harvest when the stalk changes from green to slightly pink/red and is around 7-15″ long. To harvest, twist the stalk just above the root. Use a knife or garden pruner if the stalks don’t easily release.
The leaves are poisonous, so only eat the stalks, NOT THE LEAVES. Make sure to tell your kiddos not to eat the rhubarb leaves, and promptly remove the leaves after harvesting the rhubarb stalk.
Rhubarb produces edible stalks for several months, more than we can use at any one time. Luckily, rhubarb can be frozen raw, blanched, or fully cooked. We prefer freezing rhubarb raw, cut into 1/2″ chunks.
Like rhubarb, zucchini plants grow HUGE. When planning a garden, give zucchini enough room to grow. Check out our garden plan for some tips and ideas. We generally pick zucchini when they are around 8″-10″ long. The skin is tender and there aren’t too many seeds.
When using garden-grown vegetables, wash and inspect before using. Remove any bruises or blemishes and cut both ends off of the zucchini and rhubarb.
Buttermilk Substitution
Unless we plan ahead, we generally don’t have buttermilk in the refrigerator. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, we use a handy substitution. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup milk and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then use as directed in the recipe.
Make and Freeze
Rhubarb zucchini bread freezes and defrosts really well. Enjoy one loaf fresh and freeze the second. Store in freezer safe bags or containers, remove excess air, and write the date on the container. When you’re ready for the next delicious loaf, thaw and enjoy. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or microwave for 30-60 seconds. For another great make and freeze recipe, try Cinnamon Granola.
Check out these other recipes from the garden:
Rhubarb Zucchini Bread Recipe
Servings: two 8″ x 4″ loaf pans
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Rhubarb Zucchini Bread Ingredients
1 cup diced rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup Healthful Boost: Grain & Seed Mix*
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, whisked
Optional: 1/2 cup walnuts, chocolate chips, or raisins
*Grain and Seed Mix: 1/8 cup chia seeds, 1/8 cup flaxseed meal, 1/8 cup wheat germ, 1/8 cup oat bran
Cinnamon Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
How to Make Rhubarb Zucchini Bread
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or spread two 8″ x 4″ loaf pans with oil. Line bottom with parchment paper.
Prepare Rhubarb and Zucchini
*If using frozen rhubarb, place 1 1/2 cups of frozen rhubarb into a sieve over a bowl and allow to thaw and drain for 4 hours (or overnight). Once drained, squeeze the rhubarb to remove excess liquid.
Combine diced rhubarb and grated zucchini in a small bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir to combine. This flour coating prevents the zucchini and rhubarb from clumping.
Dry Ingredients: Combine flours, Grain & Seed Mix, cinnamon, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, combine buttermilk, brown sugar, applesauce, olive oil, and vanilla. Add whisked egg and stir until combined.
Add Wet Ingredients to Dry: Push the dry ingredients against the sides of the bowl with a spoon or spatula to create a well. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the well. Mix by pulling dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
Fold in rhubarb and zucchini, along with any combination of walnuts, raisins, or chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pans.
Add Cinnamon Topping: Combine brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of loaves. Swirl gently into batter.
Bake: Bake for 40 minutes or until internal temperature is 200°F (or toothpick comes out clean from the middle of the loaf).
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then turn pan on the side and gently loosen with a table knife. Turn onto cooling rack.
To freeze, let bread cool completely, then store in freezer-safe container and label with name and date.
Rhubarb Zucchini Bread Recipe
Rhubarb is an interesting and beautiful vegetable. Combined with zucchini, it makes a tasty and healthy bread.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white flour
- 1 cup wheat flour
- 1/2 cup Healthful Boost: Grain & Seed Mix*
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg, whisked
- Optional: 1/2 cup walnuts, chocolate chips, or raisins
*Grain and Seed Mix:
- 1/8 cup chia seed
- 1/8 cup flaxseed meal
- 1/8 cup wheat germ
- 1/8 cup oat bran
Cinnamon Topping
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or spread two 8" x 4" loaf pans with olive oil. Line bottom with parchment paper.
- *If using frozen rhubarb, place 1 1/2 cups of frozen rhubarb into a sieve over a bowl and allow to thaw and drain for 4 hours (or overnight). Once drained, squeeze the rhubarb to remove excess liquid.
- Combine diced rhubarb and grated zucchini in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir to combine. This flour coating prevents the zucchini and rhubarb from clumping.
- Combine flours, Grain & Seed Mix, cinnamon, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine buttermilk, brown sugar, applesauce, olive oil, and vanilla. Add whisked egg and stir until combined.
- Push the dry ingredients against the sides of the bowl with a spoon or spatula to create a well. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the well. Mix by pulling dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
- Once drained, squeeze the grated zucchini to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Squeeze the grated, drained zucchini to remove as much liquid as possible, then fold into batter.
- Fold in rhubarb and zucchini, along with any combination of walnuts, raisins, or chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pans.
- Combine brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of loaves. Swirl gently into batter.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until internal temperature is 200°F (or toothpick comes out clean from the middle of the loaf).
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then turn pan on the side and gently loosen with a table knife. Turn onto cooling rack.
- To freeze, let bread cool completely, then store in freezer-safe container and label with name and date.
Notes
Buttermilk Substitution
Unless we plan ahead, we generally don't have buttermilk in the refrigerator. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, we use handy substitution. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup milk and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then use as directed in the recipe.
Make a Batch and Freeze Half
Rhubarb zucchini bread freezes and defrosts really well. Enjoy one loaf fresh and freeze the second. Store in freezer safe bags or containers, remove excess air, and write the date on the container. When you're ready for the next delicious loaf, thaw and enjoy. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or microwave for 30-60 seconds.
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Cool! Looks easy to make and provides another great source for one of my favorite flavors, rhubarb. It has a great flavor making it difficult not to consume it all in one seating.