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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!
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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 Peach Pie 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 (or milk + 1 T vinegar)
- 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.
- Next, add the flour and baking soda and stir until just combined.
- Add the rhubarb and stir until well dispersed throughout the batter; set aside.
- Next, add the topping ingredients in a small bowl and use a fork to mix until combined.
- Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full and top each muffin with about 1 tsp topping.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes and remove from the muffin tin to cool.
Really liked this recipe. Very easy. Used almond milk and vinegar up in place of buttermilk.
Delicious! No tweaks needed. Already planning another batch.
So glad you enjoyed them!!! Happy baking! 🙂
Have made these twice, they turned out great. Everybody luved them. Only thing I did different was put less sugar mixture on top, so I could taste the rhubarb better.😋
Loved* (spelling correction)
Easy yummy. I didn’t have any buttermilk so used heavy cream.
My hubby isn’t crazy about a topping so I added cinnamon to the batter. Family favorite here!
Delicious! These came out perfectly. I tried the topping with brown sugar instead of white and I like the flavour, but I think following the recipe would have been better, so I will do that next time.
I was super impressed with how moist these muffins were and they were just sweet enough to balance out the sour rhubarb. I will be making these over and over again!
So happy to hear!!! Thanks, Nicole!
Oh my! These are delicious! I did substitute the oil for melted butter but otherwise made as per the recipe. Gave in and ate one warm, some reluctantly got given to my ‘taste testers’ who all asked for the recipe! I’ve put some in the freezer for later but I’m guessing they won’t last long. Will make again for sure. Thank you for a fabulous recipe 😊
Best recipe ever
My husband and I both loved these muffins. I did not change any of the ingredients or amounts. I used the tab provided to change it to make 12 instead of 24. That’s a nice feature that you provided. The muffins are moist, full of flavor and my husband especially liked the little bit of sugar, cinnamon butter topping. They’re even better the next day. This is a keeper.
I’m so happy to hear! The topping certainly isn’t 100% necessary, but definitely adds a little extra flavor and texture! 🙂
These are very good – nice and moist and love the tart rhubarb. I did add one tsp baking powder after comparing to other recipes – wanted the crown affect. Didnt happen 🤷♀️.
I may add some brown sugar to the topping next time and see how that turns out. 1/2 c white was way too much.
I could use a muffin right now! Thanks!!
How many stalks of rhubarb equal 3 cups ?
Hi Ann – it totally depends on the size of the rhubarb!
Delicious! I’ve tried a lot of different rhubarb muffin recipes and this is the winner! Thanks for sharing.
The sugar and butter topping on top melted all over my muffins tin and into the oven. Did this not happen to anyone else?
such an easy recipe – I followed it exactly. I’ve made these 2x and have shared them with friends. DpELICIOUS.
My coworkers and family just raved about these muffins. Definitely a hit and will make them again.
Added a lot of cinnamon to the batter and it still seems flat. Should the recipe perhaps call for a bit of salt? Mind you, I eat very little salt and still think it is missing.
You could absolutely add a little salt to the batter!
Fantastic recipe! A new favourite in our house!
Thanks for sharing
I don’t have fresh rhubarb. Can I use frozen?
Yes!!
Quick easy muffin to make. Smells amazing.
Absolutely awesome! Thankyou