Rhubarb Muffins
Tender buttermilk muffins studded with pockets of tart, jammy rhubarb and finished with a crackly cinnamon-sugar top. The tang of the buttermilk plays up rhubarb's brightness, while brown sugar and oil keep the crumb moist for days. Tossing the diced rhubarb in a spoonful of flour keeps the fruit suspended in the batter instead of sinking, so every bite gets its share.
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a 12-cup muffin tin. Dice 300 g (2 1/2 cups) rhubarb into 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces and toss with 1 tablespoon of flour taken from your measured amount. Whisk the remaining flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt in one bowl; in another, whisk 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk with 150 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar, 80 ml (1/3 cup) oil, 1 egg, and vanilla. Fold wet into dry until barely combined, fold in the floured rhubarb, portion into the tin, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake 20-22 minutes until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then finish on a rack.
- Toss the diced rhubarb in flour before folding it in — it stops the pieces from sinking and soaking the crumb around them.
- Stop mixing while streaks of flour remain; the batter finishes combining as you fold in the fruit, and overmixing makes gummy muffins.
- Fill the cups nearly to the top — this batter is thick and moderately sweet, so generous portions give you tall, bakery-style domes.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper liners
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Flexible spatula
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Wire cooling rack
מצרכים
Muffin batter
- 250 g all-purpose flour, reserve 1 tbsp for tossing the rhubarb
- 7 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 3 g fine salt
- 150 g light brown sugar, packed
- 240 ml buttermilk, well shaken
- 80 ml neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower
- large egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 300 g fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces
Cinnamon-sugar topping
- 25 g turbinado or granulated sugar
- 1 g ground cinnamon
אופן ההכנה
- שלב01
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 200°C (400°F). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease the cups well. Stir the turbinado sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set the topping aside.
- שלב02
Trim the ends from the rhubarb stalks and slice them lengthwise if thick, then cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces. In a small bowl, toss the rhubarb with 1 tablespoon of the measured flour until every piece is lightly coated. The flour coating keeps the fruit from sinking and helps thicken the juices it releases in the oven.
- שלב03
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended. Whisking now means less stirring later, which protects the tender crumb.
- שלב04
In a second bowl, whisk the brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth and no lumps of sugar remain. The mixture should look glossy and slightly thickened.
- שלב05
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until a few streaks of flour remain. Add the floured rhubarb and fold 3-4 more strokes, until the flour disappears and the fruit is distributed. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy — that is exactly right.
- שלב06
Divide the batter among the 12 cups, filling them nearly to the rim, then sprinkle each muffin generously with the cinnamon sugar. The topping bakes into a crisp, sparkly crust that contrasts with the soft interior.
- שלב07
Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pan once at the 15-minute mark, until the tops are golden, spring back when pressed, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (avoid poking directly into a rhubarb pocket, which will always read wet).
- שלב08
Let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack for another 5 minutes before eating. Cooling on a rack keeps the bottoms from steaming and turning soggy.
Make ahead
The night before, whisk the dry ingredients in one container, dice the rhubarb into another (refrigerated), and combine the wet ingredients except the egg in a jar in the fridge. In the morning, whisk the egg into the wet mixture, fold everything together, and bake — fresh muffins in about 30 minutes. Do not mix the full batter ahead, as the leaveners lose lift once wet.
Storage
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, with a paper towel underneath to absorb the moisture rhubarb releases. For longer keeping, freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature or refresh in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 8-10 minutes. Avoid the fridge, which dries and toughens the crumb.
Variations
Strawberry-rhubarb
Swap 100 g (about 3/4 cup) of the rhubarb for diced fresh strawberries for the classic sweet-tart pairing. Keep the pieces small and toss them with the rhubarb in the flour so the extra-juicy berries don't create wet pockets.
Dairy-free
Replace the buttermilk with 240 ml (1 cup) unsweetened soy or oat milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar; let it sit 5 minutes to thicken before using. The acid still reacts with the baking soda, so the rise and tang stay intact.
Orange-cardamom
Add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the wet ingredients and swap the cinnamon in the topping for 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom. The floral citrus notes flatter rhubarb's tartness and make these feel bakery-fancy.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
שאלות נפוצות
Can I use frozen rhubarb in rhubarb muffins?
Yes. Use it straight from the freezer without thawing — thawed rhubarb releases a lot of liquid that can make the batter heavy and the crumb gummy. Toss the frozen pieces with the reserved flour just as you would fresh, and expect to add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Do I need to peel rhubarb before baking with it?
No. The skin softens completely in the oven and carries most of the rosy color. Just trim the ends, discard any leaves (they are toxic and should never be eaten), and pull off only the tough, stringy outer fibers if a stalk is unusually thick.
Why did the fruit sink to the bottom of my rhubarb muffins?
Two usual culprits: the pieces were cut too large, or they went in uncoated. Keep the dice around 1 cm (1/2 in) and toss it in a tablespoon of the measured flour before folding it in — the starchy coating grips the thick batter and holds the fruit in place as the muffins rise.
Can I make these without buttermilk?
Yes. Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 240 ml (1 cup) of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly curdled. The acidity matters here — it activates the baking soda and tenderizes the crumb, so plain milk alone will give you flatter, blander muffins.
How sweet are these — will the rhubarb be too sour?
The batter is moderately sweet on purpose, so the tart pockets of fruit read as bright rather than puckering, and the cinnamon-sugar top adds a final layer of sweetness where you taste it first. If your stalks are very green and sour, you can toss the diced rhubarb with an extra tablespoon of sugar along with the flour.
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