Do banana and rhubarb go well together?

Yes, they do. Ripe bananas are sweet and have a deep flavor. Rhubarb is tart and has a fresh, bright flavor. The two compliment each other well.

Can I make banana bread with bananas that aren't ripe?

You can, but I don't reccomend it. The banana flavor will be too mild and will produce a bland bread. Look for ripe bananas in the grocery store if you can't wait for yours to ripen. The next time you have ripe bananas, peel and freeze them so they'll be ready for making into bread next time.

Can I use fresh or frozen rhubarb in baked goods?

It depends on the recipe. For a quick bread recipe like this one, either is fine. You just want to defrost and squeeze out some of the water from the frozen rhubarb or it will create a gummy, wet bread.

Rhubarb Banana Bread

Description

A rhubarb banana bread spiced with cinnamon and ginger, brightened with lemon zest, and loaded with walnuts for crunch.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped and divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for topping
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon sparkling sugar (optional)

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Instructions

If using frozen rhubarb: thaw in the fridge on the counter, or by rinsing in warm water. If not already, roughly chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Spread on a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze the towel to drain most, but not all, of the liquid. If using fresh rhubarb: wash and roughly chop.
Prep the oven and pan. Heat your oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. Line a large loaf pan (9.5x5") with a sheet of parchment paper with a little overhang on each side for easy lifting later.
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger together in a large bowl. Toss in half of the walnuts.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter until light. Mix in both sugars until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Peel and mash the bananas, then stir them in with the vanilla and lemon zest.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together in two additions, mixing just until no dry streaks remain — don't overwork it. Gently fold in the rhubarb last.
Transfer batter to the pan. Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and smooth out the top. Scatter over the remaining walnuts and a generous pinch or two of sugar.
Bake for 60–70 minutes, but start checking at the 50-minute mark as oven temperatures vary. If the top is coloring quickly, loosely lay a piece of foil over it. The bread is done when a toothpick or tester inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
Cool. Let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

This recipe makes a large loaf, so I suggest using a larger 9x5-inch loaf pan (also called a bread pan). If your pan is smaller, such as 8.5x4.5 inches, it will still work, but might take longer to cook through to the center. Any smaller than that, I would suggest dividing the loaf into two pans.

I highly recommend lining your pan with parchment paper, which makes it very easy to lift out after baking. Without it, you'll have to tip the bread over to get it out of the pan, and the walnuts and sugar may fall off.

If you don't have candied ginger handy, you can use 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and add it with the cinnamon. Or if fresh ginger is available, use two tablespoons of peeled and grated ginger and mix it in when you add the lemon zest.

Prep Time: 25
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American