As I’ve mentioned in a past post, I LOVE rhubarb! Unfortunately, my family is not quite as crazy about it as I am. I’m working on that. It is my humble opinion that if you are to truly consider yourself to be from the “country” that you like to eat this spring fruit. I concocted these fresh rhubarb crisp muffins in the hopes my family will begin eating rhubarb more often and they come to see how delightful it is.
Fresh Rhubarb Crisp Muffins Recipe…
The great thing about this recipe is that you probably have everything you need right now in your pantry. Go pick about 4 stalks of rhubarb and you’re set! If you don’t have buttermilk, no worries. Simply add 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 c. of milk and let it sit for five minutes. The acid in the lemon juice/vinegar will cause the milk to curdle and thicken, just like buttermilk.
The trick is to chop the rhubarb very fine. I cut my larger stalks in half and then sliced the pieces less than a quarter of an inch wide. That way, the rhubarb crisp muffins taste more like the best part of a crisp…the topping! The little chunks of rhubarb add great flavor and moisture, too, but the small pieces don’t make the dough soggy.
These muffins are also very fast to put together thanks to being able to use one bowl. I mixed together the wet ingredients (plus the oatmeal so it could soak a little) and then added the dry ingredients. It worked great! However, just like any other muffin recipe, be sure to mix just until the batter comes together. Do not over mix, or your muffins will be tough, have tunnels through them, and pointed tops.
The original recipe for rhubarb muffins did not contain oatmeal. I thought oatmeal would add nice texture and flavor, so after looking at a couple other muffin recipes to determine ratios, I lowered the flour amount to 1 1/4 cups and added 1/2 c. old fashioned oats. Rhubarb crisp also has a wonderful streusel topping, so I created a smaller version of this to sprinkle on the tops of the muffins before baking. As you can see below, it is so pretty! 🙂
These little lovelies baked in a low oven at 325° F for almost 30 minutes. This is a long time for a muffin, but the longer baking helped to cook the rhubarb thoroughly. I was very pleased with how these rhubarb crisp muffins came out, and they made my kitchen smell heavenly!
The streusel added a sweet, crispy topping while the middles of the muffins were tender and moist. The crumb was perfect! My husband ate two for breakfast, adding the were very good! I couldn’t have been happier with his opinion. I believe I’ve hit the jackpot with these muffins. Rhubarb haters beware! I dare you to try this recipe…it might just change your mind about this humble spring beauty. 🙂 I hope it does!
Notes
Frozen rhubarb could be substituted for the fresh, simply stir it into batter frozen. Do not thaw it first.
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
- 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c. buttermilk (or 1 T. lemon juice and add enough milk to make 1/2 c.)
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 c. flour
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 c. chopped nuts
- 1 c. finely chopped fresh rhubarb
Topping:
- 2 T. brown sugar
- 2 T. old fashioned oats
- 2 T. flour
- 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 2 T. butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325° and line muffin pan with papers or spray with oil well.
- Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, salt, vanilla, oatmeal, and buttermilk.
- Add flour, baking soda, nuts, and rhubarb, mixing well.
- Spoon batter into muffin pans and set aside.
- Combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, and brown sugar for the topping ingredients. Using the tines of a fork, cut the butter into the mixture until it is evenly mixed.
- Divide the topping evenly over the muffins.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for five minutes in muffin pan prior to removing muffins from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
- Store covered tightly.