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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.
Oh my gosh! I couldn’t wait for these to cool for 15 minutes. After 2 minutes I had to dig in. AMAZING! I quickly packed some up and delivered to my elderly neighbours. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
They tasted good, but I would add a tiny bit of salt.
Great change from the sugery desserts.
I just finished making my third batch of these muffins. Had to: all the people in my family who “don’t like rhubarb” can’t stop eating them! Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Aww I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 ~Kelsey
What flour did you use please
All-purpose flour! ~Kelsey
They were excellent!! Anyone have any idea how many calories are in one muffin ?
Hi Cindy! The nutrition information is at the bottom of the recipe – click the teal “Nutrition Info” button and you should see all the details! 🙂 ~Kelsey
My son and I made these together. We added 1 and a half cup of chopped strawberries to the recipe and it was a big hit. Everyone who tasted them, loved them.
So happy to hear, Danielle! 🙂
Can you make these into rhubarb bread
Hi Darlene – I used this recipe to make rhubarb bread awhile back and it turned out great! I think I made two small-ish loaves? If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes! ~Kelsey
I love this recipe today I’m going to try peaches today you just can’t go wrong using this recipe Thank you so much
Made these today and they were amazing tasting! I followed the recipe step by step and all ingredients measured out but for some reason the muffins seemed too moist and weren’t holding like they should and sticking to the bottom of the cases. They were 100% cooked but I don’t know if the rhubarb when cooked made them like this? Is there anything I should have done differently?
Hi Dani – did you use fresh or frozen rhubarb? Some rhubarb has so much moisture (especially if used frozen) which may have caused the issue. Let me know!
I love this recipe. I prep and freeze rhubarb in season in premeasured amounts. I mix my wets, and add the frozen rhubarb to the drys. I feel like its less likely to sink and the rhubarb still has some bite. Finally, a recipe for rhubarb that is not so ashamed it asks for strawberries for help! Truly a simple and yummy muffin!
Fantastic, easy recipe, I’ve never used raw rhubarb like this before. Cooked perfectly but did add 10 mins to cooking time as I used (no sugar) maple syrup for half the sugar and the raw mixture was very moist. Also added instant coffee instead of vanilla and the results were amazing! thank you.
Nice recipe. Although, not sure if I can add chocolate to the mixture. What’s your thoughts?
Hi Hugh – I don’t like rhubarb and chocolate together, but that’s just me! 🙂 ~Kelsey
Can u use frozen rhubarb?
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. Hope that helps! ~Kelsey
Simple, great flavour and mouth feel .. love the topping!
Loved it! It will be a favourite, I’m sure.
Happy to hear, Audrey! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! ~Kelsey