Rhubarb Muffins

Simple whole-grain muffins studded with soft, sour pockets of a late-spring treat, rhubarb, some times called "pie plant" because yeah, rhubarb pie. My Rhubarb Muffins are barely sweet and oh-so-tender and definitely – definitely! – not cupcakes. (And oh! That crisp thin layer of cinnamon and sugar on top ... ) For all who prefer a less-sweet, less-rich but ever-so-satisfying morning-bread treat, this is your recipe!

Memorable Homemade Muffins, A Summer Classic. No Mixer Required. Fun Picnic Food. Weekday Easy, Weekend Special. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

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My "Victory!" Garden

People! Did you hear crazy cheers of joy from the back yard this week?!! Did you see the CNN cameras? Did you see the headlines at Fine Cooking, Saveur and Gourmet? Did you watch the heavens part and world peace descend?

Because I finally harvested my very own rhubarb – yep, those crisp, bright-red stalks of late-spring sourness – from my very own rhubarb patch in my very own garden. I harvested my own rhubarb! [insert squeals of glee]

It's been a long, long time coming – a lo-o-o-n-g time, we're talking years, here.

Interstate-transport, a cross-town move and transplant shock all contributed to the delay. My mom's rhubarb, our dear Auntie Meryl's rhubarb, even local rhubarb, none of it thrived in Missouri's hot, dry summers.

Three years ago, it looked as if all was lost. Someone – I'm not sayin' who except that he now goes by no-longer-around – sprayed my rhubarb with Round-Up. That was the saddest-maddest day ever. Granted, the rhubarb leaves were small and looked a lot like the wild burdock that grows with weedy-abandon in the wooded areas nearby. But still! What was he thinking?! That was my rhubarb!

Despite the setback, I held out hope. After all, for years my own father tried to kill my mom's back-step rhubarb, one spray after another. He was unsuccessful! Even on the north side of the house, with little sun, a plant or two survive.

Still, extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary action.

I erected fences for protection. I put up flags to call attention. And I warned anyone who dared come near, "Stay back! That's my rhubarb!"

Those Mama rhubarb-protector instincts paid off! A few weeks ago, tiny leaves poked their curly fronds out of the ground. Now they are giant leaves and the stalks are bright red and totally sweet.

So yeah, people. I harvested my own rhubarb.

And then I made muffins. And for the first time this year, we ate breakfast on the patio. It was a perfect day.

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Recipe Overview: Rhubarb Muffins

• These Rhubarb Muffins are everything I love about baking with seasonal produce — tangy, tender, and just sweet enough to accentuate rhubarb’s natural tartness. The muffins come together quickly, no mixer needed and bake up tender with a sweet and sugary cinnamon topping. They're a spring favorite, especially warm from the oven. As a native Minnesotan, it's no wonder I'm picky about rhubarb muffins. In fact, my recipe has evolved over several years, tweaked and simplified over time.

• When to Serve = Breakfast? Of course. As a sweet treat with a cup of coffee? Swoon. A picnic lunch? Yum.
• Diet Needs & Choices = As written, the recipe is vegetarian.
• Distinctive Ingredients = Rhubarb + Cinnamon + Nutmeg + Raw Sugar for the Topping
• Short Ingredient List = all the above + salted butter + buttermilk + 1 large egg + vanilla + brown sugar + whole wheat pastry flour + baking powder + baking soda + salt
• Flour Options = Whole-wheat pastry flour makes these muffins both tender and 100% whole-grain but I know not everybody keeps this specialty flour on hand. (I don't either.) So over the years, I've tried other flour variations. One is to mix half whole-wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. Another is to simply use all-purpose flour; this last is my least favorite because that nuttiness from whole-grain flours is lost and to my taste, it works especially well with rhubarb.
• Tasting with our Eyes = If you like, place one or more thin pieces of rhubarb on top of the muffins, especially if you have pretty red rhubarb. This is my favorite kind of garnish, easy, pretty and telling people what's inside.
• Kitchen Tools = A bowl for mixing + a twelve-cup muffin pan for baking
• Hands-On Time = Allow about 20 minutes time up front for mixing the muffin batter.
• Time-to-Table = It takes an hour for the muffins to be ready to eat, including the mixing time, the baking time and a little time for cooling too.
• Texture = The muffins themselves are rustic but tender. Don't skip the crispy Cinnamon-Sugar Topping, the contrast in textures is great.
• Taste = The muffins are barely sweet, definitely muffins not cupcakes.
• Shop Your Pantry = This is a pantry-friendly recipe, just pantry ingredients (or substitutes) plus fresh rhubarb.
• Watching Our Waistlines = This is a calorie-friendly recipe, especially compared to other recipes. A sure way to tell is when a dozen muffins calls for only 4 tablespoons of butter (many muffin recipes call for twice that) and a low-calorie "filler" like rhubarb.
• Staying Cost Conscious = Rhubarb has gotten pricey in grocery stores but maybe you or a neighbor grow rhubarb?
• Makes = A dozen muffins. To cut the recipe in half for just six muffins, just one ingredient is fussy, the single egg. For this recipe, I recommend whisking that egg until no white or yolk is visible, then using half.
• So good! I hope you love these!


• You may also love my Raspberry Muffins, in fact, hmmm, I think they'd make an excellent rhubarb muffin!
• Not quite what you're looking for? Check out my other muffin recipes.

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What's In Rhubarb Muffins? Pantry Ingredients (Plus Rhubarb ...)

In all my recipes and most well-written recipes, every ingredient serves a purpose. Each one matters. Each one contributes to the overall dish. It's not that an ingredient can't be substituted by something else but when choosing the substitute, it's important to understand why the original ingredient was present in the first place.

• From the Fridge salted butter, buttermilk (or sour cream or Greek yogurt), 1 large egg
• From the Pantry brown sugar, whole wheat pastry flour (or a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour or even 100% all-purpose), salt
• For Leavening* baking powder and baking soda (*leavening is what makes the muffins rise up light and tender)
• For Flavor! vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon (or a wonderful Penzey's blend called "Cake Spice")
• Let Us Not Forget 2 - 3 cups of finely diced fresh rhubarb
• For the Crackly Topping more cinnamon, raw sugar (or plain sugar)

You Might Wonder Be Wondering ...

Have another question? Ask away, I'll do my best to answer!

• What About Frozen Rhubarb? Maybe. I've only made Rhubarb Muffins with rhubarb fresh from the garden, not frozen rhubarb. Still, I know many bakers use frozen rhubarb in baked goods. If you do want to give this a try, keep the rhubarb frozen before mixing it in. (And see? That's the rub with frozen fruit. In their frozen state, they may be all clumped together so you have to let them thaw a bit. And while thawing, the liquid leaches out. And even if they're not clumped together, when you add frozen fruit to a muffin batter, it's going to seize up. Yeah. As I say, "maybe" frozen rhubarb will work.)

Why I Love This Recipe & You Might Too

• LESS SUGAR really lets the rhubarb tartness shine through.
• THE SWEET, CINNAMONY CRISPY TOPPING makes for great taste and texture contrast with the muffin itself.
• SIMPLE INGREDIENTS Is the rhubarb ready for harvest? Then you probably have all the other ingredients.
• MIX BY HAND I'm sentimental about recipes that need no special tools, perfect for weekend muffins at the cottage or summer muffins at a beach house.
• BELOVED My husband asks for these and even brings home rhubarb from the store so I'll make them!
• Ready to get started? Here's your recipe!

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RHUBARB MUFFINS

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour
Makes 12 regular-size muffins

WET INGREDIENTS
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces/57g) salted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup (168g) buttermilk or low-fat sour cream or low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

DRY INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
• 1-2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring or 207g
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt (yes, even with salted butter)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or my favorite spice blend, Penzey's Cake Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 to 3 cups (200-300g) diced rhubarb

CINNAMON-SUGAR TOPPING
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar (or regular sugar)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

PREP Heat the oven to 350F/180C. Spray the cups of a standard-size muffin pan with baking spray.

MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS BY HAND In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter in microwave in ten-second increments until melted. Whisk in the buttermilk, this will cool the butter down so not to cook the egg. Whisk in the egg and vanilla.

MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS & RHUBARB BY HAND In a second bowl, smash the brown sugar with the back of a spoon to remove any lumps or tiny clumps. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until completely combined. Stir in the rhubarb, this coats the pieces with flour so they won't sink to the bottom of the muffins. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

COMBINE Pour the buttermilk mixture into the center of the well, use a spatula to gently combine the wet and dry mixtures. You don't want to overmix, just stir until combined, otherwise the baked muffins will have small tunnels (but don't worry too much if this happens, the holes don't affect the taste, just the appearance).

FILL THE MUFFIN CUPS With two spoons, one to scoop and one to scrape, or a large cookie scoop, fill the muffin trays.

SPRINKLE THE CINNAMON-SUGAR TOPPING In a small bowl, stir together raw sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, use a spoon to sprinkle over the muffin tops.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes until the muffin tops are crisp and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

COOL A BIT Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then use a slim fork or knife or something similar to help gently lift the muffins out of the muffin tins.

AND FINALLY, DIG IN! Rhubarb Muffins are best warm from the oven but stay fresh and special for at least two days. Longer than that? No idea because they never last that long!

ALANNA's TIPS My favorite muffin recipes are the ones that for twelve muffins, first call for a half stick of butter (versus the whole stick in many richer recipes that produce cupcake-like muffins) and second call for an "acidic" dairy like buttermilk, sour cream or Greek yogurt. Like this one! No whole-wheat pastry flour? Use a 50:50 blend of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour. All all-purpose works too but you do lose some of the appealing nutty color and taste. Rhubarb Muffins feel "naked" without a sugary coating on top, just an extra tablespoon. I love the look and texture of raw sugar, a less-processed sugar, but again, regular granulated sugar is fine too. I recommend Penzey's Cake Spice (and its newer Baking Spice) all the time – and have for at least fifteen years, maybe longer. Any time that cinnamon is called for, Cake Spice and Baking Spice add a noticeably brighter taste. People always ask, "What's that spice?"

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. Confused about salt, these days? No wonder, it is confusing. Check my FAQs for an explanation. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2015/05/rhubarb-muffins.html .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Muffin: 118 Calories; 4g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 28mg Cholesterol; 239mg Sodium; 18g Carb; 1g Fiber; 14g Sugar; 2g Protein WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 2.5 & PointsPlus 3 & SmartPoints 6 & Freestyle 6 & myWW green 6 & blue 6 & purple 6 & future WW points

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If you like Kitchen Parade's recipes, you'll love A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables with more from-scratch recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, home to the famous Alphabet of Vegetables and vegetables in every course, seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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What's In Store for My Rhubarb Patch?

• THE RECIPE Rhubarb Cake Simple and rustic, less sweet to taste rhubarb's wonderful "sour". (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Move over, pineapple. Rhubarb's the new kid in town.

• THE RECIPE Perfect All-Rhubarb Pie A summer masterpiece. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Rhubarb Custard Pie A rustic, country pie, my first and forever favorite rhubarb pie. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Sweet Rhubarb Pizza A surprising take on pizza with a cookie dough "crust" and streusel "cheese". (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Rhubarb Pudding Cake Hits somewhere between cake and crumble.

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ rhubarb recipes ~
~ buttermilk recipes ~
~ sour cream recipes ~
~ yogurt recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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