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Bursting with diced rhubarb and topped with a cinnamon topping, these moist and tender Rhubarb Muffins are the perfect way to start the day!
My list of priorities when we moved into our new home went like this…
1. Get the girls’ beds put together
2. Furnish the essentials & fill the fridge with eggs, milk and butter
3. Plant rhubarb 😉
Ok, so maybe there were a few other priorities in the mix, but I wasn’t gonna wait long to get the rhubarb planted! I was lucky to have my grandparents dig some up for me from their garden, so we got it transplanted a couple weeks ago. Once rhubarb is transplanted, you’re supposed to wait 2 years to harvest any…we’ll see if I can wait that long! ha!
Is rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable?
Technically, rhubarb is a vegetable. Think of it kind of like celery – it’s a stalk with leaves on top. However, it’s typically prepared in a sweet application, like a fruit.
Though it can be prepared in many different ways, a few of my favorite rhubarb recipes include Rhubarb Cookies, Rhubarb Custard Pie, Rhubarb Crunch, Rhubarb Cake and the muffins I’m sharing with you today! There’s just something about little pieces of tart rhubarb nestled in tender muffins with a delicious crumble topping…..mmmmmm!!
Ingredients Needed
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar – Be sure to pack it into your measuring cup for an accurate measurement; dark or light brown sugar will work great
- Vegetable Oil
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use a milk + vinegar mixture instead (1 tablespoon white vinegar plus enough milk to equal one cup of the milk mixture)
- Egg – I use large eggs when I’m baking.
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda – Be sure to check the expiration date! Old baking soda won’t give your the muffins a light and fluffy texture they should have
- Rhubarb – Cut the stalks into small pieces (about ¼ – ½ inch thickness)
- Topping Ingredients – Sugar, Cinnamon and Butter
How to make Rhubarb Muffins
Rhubarb Muffins really are a super easy recipe to make and you don’t really even need an electric mixer. Prepare the muffin pan by adding muffin liners or greasing them well with cooking spray.
For the batter, you’ll combine the sugars and wet ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the dry ingredients. Be sure to stir just until the ingredients are combined. (If you overmix muffin batter, you’ll have funky shaped muffins with pointy centers) Add the rhubarb and set aside.
Then, the crunchy topping that makes these muffins SO good! Simply combine the three topping ingredients and set aside until ready to use.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full. Then, divide the cinnamon sugar topping between the 24 muffins, about 1 teaspoon each. Bake then cool on a wire rack.
How do you cut and prepare fresh rhubarb?
Before adding rhubarb to any recipe you need to grab it from the rhubarb plant and prepare it. You’ll grab the stalks of rhubarb at their base and pull. The root will stay in the ground and the stalk should come out pretty easily. Now you’ll clean and cut the rhubarb.
- Wash the rhubarb stems with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Cut off the leafy end of the stem and discard it. Trim the bottom of the stems as well.
- Cut the rhubarb stems into small chunks, usually 1/2 an inch to an inch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Yes, you can use frozen rhubarb in muffins. However, it is important to thaw the rhubarb first and drain off any excess liquid before adding it to the muffin batter. This will prevent the muffins from becoming too wet and make sure they bake evenly.
Yes!! My grandma always had rhubarb muffins in the freezer, thought they never lasted long! 🙂 Store in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Alright, who’s ready to get baking?!
These Rhubarb Muffins have been a family favorite for years and I’m pumped to have you try them! And if you’ve got piles and piles of rhubarb (or plenty in the freezer from last rhubarb season), check out more rhubarb recipes here!!
Rhubarb Muffins
Equipment
- Oven
- muffin tin
Ingredients
Muffins
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups diced rhubarb
Topping
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and add muffin liners to 24 muffin cups.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla.3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk*, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Next, add the flour and baking soda and stir until just combined.2 3/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Add the rhubarb and stir until well dispersed throughout the batter; set aside.3 cups diced rhubarb
- Next, add the topping ingredients in a small bowl and use a fork to mix until combined.1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon butter
- Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full and top each muffin with about 1 tsp topping.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes.
- Let cool for 15 minutes and remove from the muffin tin to cool completely.
Do these freeze well?
They do!! We freeze them all the time! ~Kelsey
Can frozen rhubard be used or is fresh recommended?
These muffins are absolutely amazing, a family favourite. And right now I’m attempting to turn them into a cake as well 🤷🏼♀️
Soooo happy to hear, Sierra!! They’re a family favorite here, too. I have a feeling it’ll make a delicious cake! -Kelsey
Love Rhubarb and these muffins!
These were very good and moist. A lighter color than others I have made. Made some into tiny breads which we eat like muffins.
These are the best rhubarb muffins I’ve ever had! I made a bit more topping because I love the crumble on top, and so glad I did. I also added about half cup extra rhubarb so I’d get rhubarb in every bite! Had to try one 5 minutes after they were out of oven and then had to eat another one; couldn’t help myself! They are delicious! Love this recipe and will be my go to muffin from now on. Thank you!
These are a new favorite! Thank you
These are amazing! This recipe has been added to my faves. Thank you!
My sister made these for the family. They really are delicious!! I’m making them again for my daughters birthday today. Our family loves rhubarb and every year we make our own rhubarb bread, pie and jam. We are adding these muffins to our list!
Could you make some, I’m sure there delicious like everything else
My family loved them!!! The are so moist and yummy. I am making them again for friends and family.
These are delicious! I love rhubarb! They’re not dense or heavy.
Delicious, and easy to make!
These are super delicious and very moist. Definitely a keeper.
Amazing! I subbed gluten free Cup4Cup flour and an extra egg (because of the gluten free flour) and they turned out fabulous! Soft, stretchy, delicious!
Really easy and delicious. Everyone loved them and wanted recipe!
These are wonderful! I first made them for my family and they were gone in one day. I made them again for a potluck. Everyone complimented how delicious they were. The recipe is easy and reliable. Thank you!!
These were excellent, very flavorful. Everyone loved them, will make these again. I added chopped pecans for more texture.
Oh, that sounds really good!
I made these this morning and OMG! They are so delicious! I used melted sweet cream butter instead of the oil and they are so yummy! I will definitely be adding this to my recipes to use. Love them!
They taste good, but they stuck to the liners terribly, and took more than 30 minutes to cook at 350.
Not sure what I could’ve done wrong.
Hi Lauren – Hmm, I’ve never run into this issue with my Rhubarb Muffins. I’d recommend double-checking your oven temperature and maybe using a lighter colored pan (sometimes the darker pans can get too hot and burn the edges). Hope that helps! ~Kelsey
Fabulous recipe. Even better the next day. I did add a vanilla/powdered sugar glaze over the streusel topping, but otherwise followed the recipe. I will definitely make these again. My 88-year old mother devoured two in minutes!