Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

My parents had a very hearty rhubarb patch in their yard in St. Joe, Iowa – where they spent the first 56 years of their marriage. I have vivid memories of them in the patch, cutting off rhubarb stalks, and bringing it in the house so that Mom could work her magic. She used their rhubarb crop for mostly sweet recipes – rhubarb custard pie, strawberry rhubarb jam, rhubarb nut bread, and so on. Once us kids were grown, she usually sent us home with a jar or two of the BEST jam ever, along with a loaf of Cracked Wheat Bread or Whole Wheat Honey Bread for toasting. She loved giving away her amazing breads and pies, and so most of their neighbors benefited as well.

If I hadn’t eaten rhubarb as a child, I’m not sure I’d be enjoying it today. It’s just one of those hard-to-find ingredients here in Texas and pretty seasonal as well. I encourage you to try it soon!

Ingredients needed for Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins:

• Eggs – Two large eggs needed.
• Butter – I use unsalted butter, and melt it. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the wet ingredients.
• Oil – Canola oil.
• Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make your own by combining regular milk with a splash of vinegar.
• Yogurt – I use full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
• Vanilla – A couple of teaspoons of Watkin’s Vanilla (my fav brand).
• Sugar – Brown sugar for the win.
• Flour – I use a combo of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.
• Baking Staples – Such as cinnamon, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
• Fruit – Diced strawberries and rhubarb. These fruits go great together!

How to make Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins:

1. Dice the fruit. Dice both the strawberries and rhubarb into small pieces. set aside.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, melted and slightly cooled butter, canola oil, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.
3. Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, both flours, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. Make the batter. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until JUST combined. It’s ok to see some lumps of flour. Then add in the diced fruit and combine.
5. Fill muffin liners. Spoon the batter into the muffin liners almost to the top.
6. Bake. In a preheated oven, bake the muffins for approximately 20 minutes, or until done in the center. It may take less or more time, depending on your oven. Remove muffins to a cooling rack.

What is rhubarb?

Rhubarb is a vegetable with thick, sour stalks that range in color from red to pink to pale green. It’s rarely eaten raw due to its sour taste, and almost always cooked with sugar. Typical uses are in jams, sauces, pies, muffins, quick breads, tarts, and crumbles.

Rhubarb requires cold winters to grow, and is best harvested by late June. It’s a good source of antioxidants, vitamin K, and fiber. **Avoid eating the leaves.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)

• Glass Mixing Bowls – This recipe doesn’t require a mixer. Just bowls!
• USA Muffin Pan – Used to bake the muffins.

Make these muffins next: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue