This deliciously sweet and tangy Rhubarb Banana Bread is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea! Made with fresh rhubarb and past-their-best bananas, this recipe is made without eggs or dairy, yet is super light, fluffy and moist.
Everyone loves banana bread, it's easy to make, and perfect for using up bananas that have gone a bit brown and squishy. This delicious twist on the classic uses tangy fresh rhubarb and lots of vanilla for the perfect morning or afternoon tea time treat.
This recipe is a summery version of my classic vegan banana bread which I have made over and over again, and always turns out perfectly every time. I even use the same recipe to make muffins, like these Banana Raspberry muffins, which again, are perfection every single time!
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🍌Ingredients
- Rhubarb: Seasonal rhubarb is a Spring and Summer treat with a discinctive tart but fragrant flavour that pairs well with sweet things. Rhubarb stalks usually pink but can also be pale green, depending on the variety. Buy it in markets, from the green grocer or grow your own. NB: Don't eat the leaves! If you love rhubarb and want to try another vegan cake but with no banana, try this Vegan Rhubarb Cake with Aquafaba.
- Banana: Use over-ripe bananas in this recipe as they are sweet and mash well. The banana content means that this recipe holds together without eggs, making this easy recipe egg (and dairy free)
- Oat/Soya Milk: I use plain, unflavoured oat or soya milk for this recipe as I find they have the best texture and flavor for dairy-free cooking.
- Plain/All Purpose Flour: Plain flour is perfect for this recipe. I have also tested it with spelt and wholemeal flour and it works well too.
- Soft Brown Sugar: Regular soft brown sugar adds sweetness. Use ordinary white sugar or if you wish you can use coconut or date sugar.
- Nuetral Oil (Eg sunflower): This recipe is best with an unflavoured oil sucah as sunflower.
- Vanilla Paste: Good quality real vanilla essence or paste is essential! It pairs beautifully with the tart and tangy rhubarb. I like to use Nielson Massey Vanilla Bean Paste.
- Baking Powder: Make sure you use baking powder and not baking soda!
- Sea Salt: Brings out the sweetness.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along with these easy step by step instructions for the perfect rhubarb and banana bread!
1. Chop the rhubarb into 1 cm pieces and sprinkle with a little sugar.
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas really well.
3. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and plant milk to the banana. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add the flour & baking powder. Mix well to combine.
5. Add the chopped rhubarb to the banana bread batter and stir to combine.
6. Line a loaf tin, (28cm/11" x 10cm/4") and spread out the batter into it. Bake for 35 minutes at 190C/375F or until cooked in the middle when a skewer is poked in.
Hint: Remove the banana bread from the pan, and peel off the paper lining to cool. This prevents it from becoming soggy and dense.
🍓Substitutions & Variations
This recipe is so easy and always turns out perfectly, even in my old and slightly erratic oven. Here are some variations you can try.
- Gluten-Free- choose your favourite gluten-free flour to make this a gluten free banana bread. I find that sometimes you will need a little extra plant milk with gluten-free baking.
- Muffins - this recipe makes excellent Rhubarb Banana Muffins. Mix in exactly the same way, then bake in a lined muffin tin at 190C/375F for 25 minutes or until cooked. You can also top it with streusel or coconut to be extra fancy.
- Other Fruits -substitute the rhubarb for strawberries, raspberries or apples.
🔪Equipment
I always bake my banana loaf cakes in a 28cm/11" x 10cm/4" tin, which I line with greaseproof paper. A smaller tin will take longer to bake in the oven, so be sure to take that into account when baking. If using a smaller loaf tin, cover the top with foil in the last stages of baking to prevent the top from catching and burning. .
🥫Storage
This Rhubarb and Banana cake keeps well in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months. You can put it back in the oven once thawed for 5 minutes to 'refresh' the freshly baked flavor.
❗Top tip
If using a smaller loaf tin, this recipe will need longer to cook. Pop a bit of foil over the top in the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent the top from burning.
❓FAQ
Choose brown spotty or black bananas for the best banana bread. They are sweeter and mash up easier for a soft and fluffy, sweet banana bread.
Yes, removing it from the pan to cool means you don't end up with a soggy dense bottom. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container.
Other sweet cake treats
Love vegan cakes? Try these sweet treats.
Vegan Snacks
Love to snack? Check out these other vegan snacky things...
📖 Recipe
Easy Rhubarb Banana Bread (without eggs)
Equipment
- oven
- Baking Tin 28cm/11" x 10cm/4"
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 220 g (1 ½ cups) super ripe bananas (about 3 medium ripe bananas. (measured without skins on.))
- 100 g (⅞ cups) chopped rhubarb
- 60 ml (¼ cups) vegetable oil (I use sunflower usually)
- 60 ml (¼ cups) plant milk (you could also use vegan yoghurt or just water)
- 100 g (½ cups) light brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar or coconut sugar usually)
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 240 g (1 ⅞ cups) flour (You can use any kind of flour. If using self raising, omit the baking powder. )
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C°/375℉
- Line a loaf tin with baking paper or parchment. Leave some over the edges, you will use this to pull the cake out of the tin later.
- Chop the rhubarb stems into 1 cm slices and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the sugar.100 g chopped rhubarb
- Roughly mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl220 g super ripe bananas
- Add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and plant milk, and give it a good stir. You want the sugar to start to dissolve.60 ml vegetable oil, 60 ml plant milk, 100 g light brown sugar, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and mix.240 g flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Fold in the rhubarb.
- Transfer the banana and rhubarb cake mix to the lined tin.
- Add extra bits of sliced banana or rhubarb if desired on top & pop in the oven.
- Bake for about 35 mins. Then test the cake with a skewer. If it comes out clean, then the cake is done. If not, put it back in your oven for another 5-10 mins.
- Use the paper you cleverly left hanging over the edges to remove it from the tin, then let the cake cool.
- This banana bread will keep for around a week in an airtight container. It also freezes well!
Notes
Equipment
I always bake my banana loaf cakes in a 28cm/11" x 10cm/4" tin, which I line with greaseproof paper. A smaller tin will take longer to bake in the oven, so be sure to take that into account when baking. If using a smaller loaf tin, cover the top with foil in the last stages of baking to prevent the top from catching and burning. .Substitutions & Variations
This recipe is so easy and always turns out perfectly, even in my old and slightly erratic oven. Here are some variations you can try.- Gluten-Free- choose your favourite gluten-free flour to make this a gluten free banana bread. I find that sometimes you will need a little extra plant milk with gluten-free baking.
- Muffins - this recipe makes excellent Rhubarb Banana Muffins. Mix in exactly the same way, then bake in a lined muffin tin at 190C/375F for 25 minutes or until cooked. You can also top it with streusel or coconut to be extra fancy.
- Other Fruits -substitute the rhubarb for strawberries, raspberries or apples.
Dawn says
In the ingredient list it says to use baking powder but in the instructions it calls for baking soda. It never says when to add the rhubarb, which is in the ingredients list.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
Thank you so much for letting me know these omissions. The recipe should say Baking Powder. The rhubarb gets folded into the batter just before putting it into the tin- I've updated the instructions to reflect that.