Rhubarb season is here, and I can't think of a better way to showcase this Spring favorite than to bake up some muffins. These Sour Cream Rhubarb Muffins are the perfect balance between sweet and tangy, with a hint of vanilla and citrus. It's a delicious twist on a breakfast favorite!
Rhubarb is the pink-headed stepchild of strawberries. I mean, everyone loves strawberries, but when you ask someone if they like rhubarb, they usually love it, hate it, or have never tried it.
I'm here to change your mind. Rhubarb deserves to be center stage and not always the sidecar to strawberries. Don't get me wrong, rhubarb shines in my strawberry-rhubarb jam, but it's perfect in baked goods, too.
These rhubarb muffins are moist and tender, thanks to the addition of sour cream. Sour cream also helps to balance out the tartness of the rhubarb. The result is a sweet, fruity muffin that will make you a rhubarb convert in no time. And if you're still not convinced, you can try my blueberry lemon muffins- they never disappoint!
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What you will need
In the US, fresh rhubarb is available at grocery stores and farmers' markets in the Spring (usually in April). When buying rhubarb, look for crisp, firm, and reddish-pink stalks without blemishes. Although the color doesn't have any effect on taste, it makes these muffins extra pretty!
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Sugar- Use a mix of dark brown and white sugar.
- Eggs
- Sour cream- You can swap the sour cream for crème fraîche, buttermilk, or Greek yogurt.
- Vanilla
- Butter
- Orange zest
- Rhubarb- Look for bright red stalks without bruising.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Just grab a few bowls, a spatula, a whisk, and a muffin pan.
How to make sour cream rhubarb muffins
Making muffins is as easy as mixing your dry ingredients and your wet ingredients, then combining the two to make a thick batter. Lastly, you will fold in your diced rhubarb and scoop the batter into a muffin pan. That's it!
Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners. Cut the rhubarb into ¼-inch dice. You want them small so they cook evenly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. The sugar will be added to the wet ingredients.
In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just enough until the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix. Fold in the rhubarb.
Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake at 425℉ for 7 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 350℉. Continue baking for an additional 12 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Starting the oven temperature at 425℉ will help the muffins rise and ensure a brown crust. After 7 minutes, you will reduce the temperature to 350°F and cook at this temperature for the remainder of the time.
Helpful Hint: Don't forget to set a timer! You don't want to leave the temperature at 425°F. All ovens are different, so be sure to keep an eye on them.
👩🍳Expert tip
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, and don't overmix the batter.
Make it your own
I adore these rhubarb muffins just the way they are, but here are a few tips and swaps if you are feeling wild or simply don't have an ingredient on hand.
- Try swapping out half of the rhubarb with some sliced strawberries.
- Lemon zest can be used instead of orange zest.
- Play around with spices. Cardamom and ginger would work well.
- No sour cream? Try using Greek yogurt or crème fraiche.
- Use almond extract in place of the vanilla for a sweet twist.
- Trade in your regular muffin pan and bake mini versions using a mini muffin pan.
Storage
These sour cream rhubarb muffins can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To avoid soggy muffins, try lining your container with a paper towel as well as putting a paper towel over the muffins. This will help absorb any moisture.
To Freeze: Allow the muffins to cool completely. Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap. Then, place the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe plastic bag. They can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.
FAQ
It looks like pink celery but has a very tart flavor. Rhubarb is not something you would eat raw, rather is it used in both savory and sweet dishes. When sugar is added, and the rhubarb is cooked, the flavor mellows out, and it complements many other flavors, most notably strawberries.
More fruity recipes
Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear about it! Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating with a comment right below the recipe card. If you snap a photo of your creation, don't forget to tag me on Instagram @brunchandbatter.
📖Recipe
Sour Cream Rhubarb Muffins
Equipment
- 2 medium bowls
- 1 standard (12 cup) muffin pan
- whisk, spatula, muffin liners
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher or fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoon milk
- ½ cup (4 oz. or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted then cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 medium orange)
- 1 cup diced fresh rhubarb (¼" dice)
- 2 tablespoon coarse sugar for sprinkling Turbinado (Sugar in the Raw)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°℉. Line a 12-cup standard muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with baking spray.
- Wash the rhubarb and trim the ends. Cut the rhubarb into ¼ inch dice. Set aside.1 cup diced fresh rhubarb (¼" dice)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher or fine sea salt, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- In another bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until well blended. Add the sour cream, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and orange zest and stir until combined. Then add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Fold in the rhubarb. Do not over-mix. The batter will be somewhat thick.½ cup white granulated sugar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream, room temperature, ½ cup (4 oz. or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted then cooled slightly, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 medium orange), 2 tablespoon milk
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, evenly distributing the batter. Top with turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar.2 tablespoon coarse sugar for sprinkling
- Bake at 425°℉ for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, decrease the oven temperature to 350°℉ and bake for another 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. After 10 minutes, remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition*
*Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary depending on many factors, such as products used, measurements and substitutions, therefore it is recommended that you obtain nutritional calculations based on your own finished recipe.
Kate says
My grocery store had rhubarb the other day so I made these. I ran out of sour cream, so i used half sour cream and half plain greek yogurt and it was perfect!
Darlene Sandstroml says
Can you use frozen rhubarb?
Jennifer says
I haven't tried these with frozen rhubarb, but I have made other muffins with frozen fruit, and they have turned out fine. In the past, I didn't thaw the fruit before baking. Keep an eye on your baking time, it may need a little extra time. Let me know if you try it!
Linda says
This is a great recipe! We grow our own rhubarb. We also grow raspberries, so I used half rhubarb and half berries. The coarse sugar on the top is nice. The timing is right on. I might use a little more cinnamon next time, and there will be a next time!
Jennifer says
I would love to grow rhubarb! So glad you loved the recipe, and what a great idea incorporating the berries!
BA Arsenault says
Hands down the best Rhubarb Muffin recipe! So many compliments - and people are asking me for the recipe. I did make a couple of adjustments ... 2+ cups of rhubarb, and didn't have an orange so used lime zest - I suppose any citrus zest would be fine. Also, it could be my oven or the additional rhubarb but I always need to cook them for 20 minutes after turning the temperature down to 350.
Jennifer says
Wow, thank-you- this really made my day! Yes any citrus would work, love the lime substitute. I've also used lemon many times and it's wonderful. Thanks for giving it a try☺
Tamara C says
Great breakfast muffin! I used up some stewed rhubarb already in the fridge, and I substituted the sour cream for 0% plain yogurt. The orange zest is a great addition too. They came out fluffy and moist. Thank you for a great recipe 🙂
Jennifer says
So happy you enjoyed them Tamara. Thanks for giving them a try!
Shonagh says
love these, i altered the recipe based on what i had in the kitchen; they’re fluffy and delicious!
I added 1.5x the rhubarb as i had less of the orange zest than required. I also added 1/2 cup diced dates and took out about 1/4 the sugars.. I don’t feel as guilty eating 3 or 4 when they’re done! 🤣
Thank you for sharing this, i’ll definitely make these again.
Jennifer says
You can't go wrong with more rhubarb! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Katie says
I’m making these for a bridal shower. Any hints on baking time for mini muffins?
Jennifer says
Hi Katie. Mini muffins will take around 10-15 minutes depending on your oven. Let me know if you gave them a try!
Carrie says
Just made these, and they are wonderful! Orange zest adds so much to the muffins. Perfect balance of all flavors. The recipe is a keeper.
Jennifer says
Thanks Carrie for giving them a try! So glad they turned out wonderful.
Linda Grace Byers says
This recipe is AMAZING! Thank-You for including the ingredients when instructing what to premix before added everything together. That was super thoughtful and helpful of you, I will come back again for more recipes 💖
Jennifer says
Thanks Linda. We do get great feedback from that feature! I'm so happy these turned out great.