Rhubarb Banana Bread with Cardamom Glaze – this banana bread is moist, sweet with a hint of tartness and the cardamom glaze really makes this one stand out in a crowd! This is a perfect way to use up your remaining rhubarb.
How has your summer been so far? July is here and finally we are getting some hot weather again which makes me super happy. I am hoping that soon I will be able to have a beach day, because what is summer without a trip to the beach?
I feel like rhubarb season only just begun here in Manitoba, but apparently in other areas of the continent it is pretty much over. It seems crazy to me and I feel so behind sometimes because of it! However, at least rhubarb is one of those things that everyone always seems to have an abundance of, and it freezes well too so can be enjoyed any time of the year. So if you’ve got some rhubarb left that you have been wondering what to do with, this rhubarb banana bread is for you!
This was the first time I’ve ever paired rhubarb with bananas, and I have to say it is pretty delicious. This is a nice sweet loaf with hints of tartness, and I hate using this word, but this loaf is moist (sorry). The rhubarb definitely makes this banana bread stand out from the crowd, and the cardamom glaze doesn’t hurt either. I must admit this is almost more of a cake than a loaf, but that still didn’t stop me from enjoying a slice or two of this for breakfast. And for a snack. Dessert too!
This rhubarb banana bread is the perfect way to finish off the rhubarb season, so go on my friends and make this rhubarb banana bread while you can!
If you try this recipe for rhubarb banana bread with cardamom glaze please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, post on the Zest & Simmer Facebook page or share photos on Instagram using the hashtag #zestandsimmer. I’d love to see it and love hearing from you guys!
Rhubarb Banana Bread with Cardamom Glaze
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 cups rhubarb , cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup white granulated sugar , divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 2 large eggs
- 3 very ripe bananas , mashed
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the glaze:
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
Instructions
For the bread:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan, setting aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the rhubarb with 1/2 cup of the sugar, coating evenly. Set aside.
- In another medium sized bowl,mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together. Beat in the eggs, then mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until fully mixed together, then fold in the rhubarb.
- Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until when inserting a toothpick it comes out clean.
For the glaze:
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, milk and cardamom.
- Allow bread to cool for at least 20 minutes prior to pouring glaze over top. Slice and serve.
Will this work with vanilla Greek yogurt??
Hi Kristen! Yes I think it would work just fine, it just may add a bit of extra sweetness to the final result, depending on the brand of Greek yogurt you use!
Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Luchinka!!! I am happy you enjoyed it!
This bread is SO GOOD! I love how tender it is and the glaze makes it with the cardamom. All the flavors balance wonderful. Bomb x 1,000,000 🙂
Hi Amy! Thank you so much!!! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe! ☺️
I’ve already harvested my rhubarb and it’s in the freezer. Can I used frozen in this recipe?
Hi Kate! Yes you can you frozen. I would just suggest letting it defrost and draining excess liquid from it before adding to the batter! Otherwise the excess moisture may cause it to not bake properly. Enjoy!
This bread is delicious. I had a couple black bananas and fresh cut rhubarb. I didn’t even put the glaze on it. It tasted amazing without it!
Hi Beth, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for giving it a try ❤️
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Does this freeze ok? I was thinking of doing a double batch.
Hi Darcy! I haven’t frozen it myself so can’t say for sure from experience, but I’ve frozen other banana bread just fine in the past and it was okay! Just make sure to store it properly. I would suggest wrapping tightly in cling wrap, and then store in a sealable freezer bag for optimal freshness.
Also to add, I would suggest not putting on the glaze it if you are freezing it. Add the glaze after it has defrosted!
Next time I use a round pan. It really is more like a cake. The entire bottom got stucked in the bread pan; as it is very moist I had to add 15min and then it is a bit more brown overall. But absolutely delicious!
I was thinking of making banana bread but I also had some frozen rhubarb to use up. After searching for recipes I found this one. It was meant to be. In fact, not only did I have exactly the right amount of bananas and rhubarb, I also had the exact amount of sour cream on hand.
I decided to make a slightly smaller loaf and a few muffins because I was making this to take to a friends and didn’t want to be rude and say hey, I’m not leaving the leftovers here. 🤣
So I have a few muffins to enjoy today.
We all loved the loaf. Delicious and yes, moist! Haha.
I was a little short on time so I didn’t make the glaze. But I love cardamom and I will for sure make it next time!
Thanks for an excellent recipe!
Hi Marci! Thank you SO much for trying my recipe and I am so happy you enjoyed it! I love how it all worked out that you had perfect amounts!
This recipe is amazing. The cardamom glaze is so creative and it was absolutely perfect on it. Cardamom is one of my favourite flavours so I knew I’d love it. I know it’s not traditional banana bread, but it’s the best banana bread I’ve made! Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Alyssa, thanks so much for trying my recipe! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This is by far the best rhubarb bread I have ever made. My kids devour my bread and I think they will enjoy this. They are all grown-ups with their own homes but always enjoy a treat of my bread. I am excited to give this to them this weekend. i doubled the batch and got 2 medium loaves and one small one. Extra happy about it being a little bit healthier with the adding bananas. I always freeze my bananas when they start to turn brown so that is what I use. Also I freeze my rhubarb and of course allowed it to thaw and drain before using it. I didn’t use the glaze as the bread is wonderful without. I really love your recipes and aim to try your avocado brownies next.
Hi Penni, thank you so much for your kind comments and for trying out my recipe! I am so happy that you and your family all enjoy it! ❤️ I hope you enjoy the brownies when you make those too!
Huge hit with the whole family. Delicious. I used frozen rhubarb and did not drain off the liquid from it. I figured it was inside the rhubarb when it was fresh so it belongs in the recipe. It overflowed my loaf pan so next time I’ll make a couple of muffins too. Thanks for the recipe
Happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for trying it out!