Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread with Streusel

This old fashioned Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread is moist and flavorful! It's made with sour cream and baked with a layer of cinnamon streusel.

My recipe for Rhubarb Bread was first published on Sunday Supper Movement where I am a contributor.

This Sour Cream Rhubarb Bread is a super moist quick bread that's baked with lots of fresh rhubarb and a layer of lightly sweetened cinnamon streusel. It's perfect for breakfast or dessert with a cup of coffee!

You can find a rhubarb patch on the edge of every garden in Minnesota. They're ubiquitous in this state come the late spring and early summer. You never really know where the rhubarb patch came from or who originally planted it, but if you garden in the state of Minnesota chances are you tend a patch of rhubarb.

I was always on the fence when it came to rhubarb until I tried a batch of this rhubarb bread. It's the recipe that turned me from a rhubarb skeptic to a rhubarb enthusiast.

It's an old fashioned quick bread made with a simple batter packed with fresh rhubarb. There's a layer of cinnamon streusel baked into the center of the bread. The combination of the tangy rhubarb and sweet streusel makes for a great balanced flavor.

The addition of sour cream makes this rhubarb loaf moist and lemon zest is added to the streusel for even more flavor. All of these elements allow the natural flavor of the rhubarb to shine.

Jump to:

• What Is Rhubarb?
• Can I Use Frozen Rhubarb?
• Ingredients For Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread
• How To Make Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread
• How To Make Cinnamon Streusel
• How To Layer The Streusel Into The Bread
• How Long Does Rhubarb Bread Take To Bake?
• What To Serve With Rhubarb Bread
• How Long Does Rhubarb Bread Last?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread with Streusel

What Is Rhubarb?

What is rhubarb, anyway? Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that consists of long stalks that are green and red or pink in color and and bushy dark green leaves.

The stalks are the only edible part of the plant - The leaves are poisonous as they contain oxalic acid so it is important that you do NOT eat that part!

Rhubarb has a tangy, almost sour flavor and is often added to desserts along with sugar to balance it out. It's in season during the months of May and June in the northern part of the United States.

It's best to use fresh rhubarb if possible. Fresh rhubarb may be harvested from the garden or purchased in the produce section of your local grocery store when in season or at a farmer's market.

Can I Use Frozen Rhubarb?

If you are unable to find fresh rhubarb, you can purchase frozen rhubarb from the freezer section of your local grocery store.

If using frozen rhubarb, it's important to thaw and drain it first. Frozen rhubarb contains more water than fresh rhubarb and may affect the texture of the dough, so it's best to place it in a strainer in the sink and allow it to thaw for 1-2 hours before use.

1. If using fresh rhubarb, simply dice 4-6 rhubarb stalks into small slices (just as you would if dicing celery) (yields 2 cups diced rhubarb).
2. If using frozen rhubarb, pour 2 cups of rhubarb into a strainer and place the strainer in the sink. Allow the frozen rhubarb to thaw and drain. Place the drained rhubarb onto a paper towel and pat dry.

Ingredients For Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• ½ cup Unsalted Butter (equals 1 stick) (softened)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 large Eggs (room temperature)
• ½ cup Sour Cream (full fat) (room temperature) (can sub plain Greek yogurt)
• 2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. Gluten Free Flour Blend (split)
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• ½ tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
• 2 cups Rhubarb (diced) (fresh or frozen)
• 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter (cold)
• 4 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 Lemon (zest only)

How To Make Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread

Even though it's technically a vegetable rhubarb is usually treated like a fruit when it comes to cooking. You'll find it in all kinds of desserts and baked goods like muffins.

This recipe is gluten free and calls for a gluten free flour blend, such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Flour, Measure For Measure or Cup4Cup.

It also calls for sour cream, which helps to make the texture of the bread moist. For optimal texture, it's best that the sour cream and eggs are room temperature. This usually takes 1-2 hours.

This recipe calls for the wet and dry ingredients to be mixed separately and then combined to create the dough. The dough is baked in a loaf pan with a layer of cinnamon streusel.

1. Start by placing the sour cream and 2 large eggs on the counter and allowing to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours (this helps to prevent the batter from becoming clumpy or curdled).
2. In a large mixing bowl combine ½ cup (1 stick) of softened (but not melted) unsalted butter and 1 cup of sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together for a minute using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and creamy.
3. Add the 2 large eggs and ½ cup of sour cream OR plain Greek yogurt to the bowl. Mix together for another 30 seconds on medium speed.
4. In a second mixing bowl combine 2 cups of a gluten free flour blend, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, and ¼ tsp. of kosher salt. Mix together with a fork until combined.
5. The next step is to add the dry ingredients to the wet a bit at a time.
6. Stir the ingredients together each time you add more of the dry. Continue until all of the dry ingredients have been added to the wet and stir until completely combined (the batter will be thick and dense).
7. Add the diced rhubarb to the bowl and fold into the batter using a spatula.

How To Make Cinnamon Streusel

Now for the good stuff - The cinnamon streusel. Streusel is usually used as a topping, but with this recipe it's added to the center of the bread, giving it a layer of sweetness.

Streusel is a crumbly mixture of butter, flour, sugar, and spices and basically makes anything you add it to completely addicting. It adds great taste and texture to this rhubarb bread!

1. To make the streusel, cut 2 Tbsp. of cold, unsalted butter into cubes and place them into a small bowl.
2. Add 4 Tbsp. of light brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. gluten free flour blend, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt to the butter.
3. Using a pastry cutter, combine all of these ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (this may take a few minutes).
4. Zest 1 lemon using a Microplane or small grater. Add the lemon zest to the streusel and mix together with a fork until combined.

Cinnamon and lemon zest might seem like a weird flavor combo but it WORKS - Trust me.

How To Layer The Streusel Into The Bread

As mentioned, the streusel is layered into the bread instead of sprinkled on top. This means that the dough is divided in half and the streusel is added to the middle of it in the bread pan.

1. Generously butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan before adding the batter to prevent it from sticking.
2. Pour half of the batter into the pan and smooth it down with a spatula.
3. Pour the streusel evenly over the batter.
4. Pour the remainder of the batter on top of the streusel and smooth it with a spatula. The batter is very dense and it may take a little effort to even it out.

It's best to use metal loaf pans with a protective coating, glass baking pans, or a nonreactive bread pan, as rhubarb is acidic and can cause discoloration to metal cookware.

How Long Does Rhubarb Bread Take To Bake?

Baking times may vary slightly, but in general it takes 60-65 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for this Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread to bake.

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the bread pan into the oven and bake for 60-65 minutes.
3. Check the bread by poking a toothpick into the center. The bread is finished cooking when the toothpick comes out clean.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Love quick breads? Don't miss this Coffee Infused Banana Bread and Roasted Banana Bread!

What To Serve With Rhubarb Bread

This Gluten Free Rhubarb Bread is great for dessert, breakfast, or brunch. I love it with some butter and, of course, a cup of coffee. It's also perfect served with tea.

Sliced rhubarb bread is great with butter, compound butter, or jam. You can also top it with some mascarpone or nut butter like almond butter.

It's perfect for brunch served with Denver omelette egg muffins, ham and cheese frittata, banana pancakes, roasted banana muffins, or sweet potato breakfast bowls.

How Long Does Rhubarb Bread Last?

This Rhubarb Bread should last 3-4 days stored on the counter at room temperature or in the fridge stored in an airtight container.

It's always best to store quick breads wrapped in a towel or in a bread container to keep them moist.

To keep rhubarb bread fresh, simply place it in an airtight container and it should stay moist for a few days. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap or foil. 

Can It Be Frozen?

Yes! Quick breads like this one can be frozen.

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the recipe as directed and allow to cool completely before transferring to the freezer for storage.
2. Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap, place in a heavy-duty freezer bag, label with the date, and store up to 3 months.

How To Thaw

1. Simply transfer the bread to the refrigerator 24 hours before serving.
2. Alternately, you can allow the bread to thaw at room temperature.

If you like this Rhubarb Bread you'll love this Rhubarb Cake and Cinnamon Streusel Rhubarb Muffins!

Love old fashioned desserts? Check out these recipes!

• Scandinavian Almond Cake
• Old Fashioned Blueberry Buckle
• Baked Lemon Doughnuts
• Buttermilk Bread Pudding
• Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
• Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Looking For More Rhubarb Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Vegan Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

Honey Rhubarb Ice Cream

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble