Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Celebrate spring with Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins. Crowned with a crumbly brown sugar-cinnamon streusel, this bakery-style muffin recipe might just make you fall in love with mornings again.

Course Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings muffins

Calories 273kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Equipment

Muffin pan (see note 1)

Ingredients

For the muffins:

1 cup rhubarb cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2-3 stalks, see note 2)
1 cup fresh strawberries washed, drained, hulled, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (see note 3)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the streusel topping:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter cold, cut into pieces

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a muffin pan with cupcake liners (if it's a high-quality non-stick pan, you might not need them). In a small bowl, toss together strawberries, rhubarb, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Add the 1/2 cup melted butter, milk, and vanilla, and whisk until combined. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. (Dough will be lumpy.)
Drain strawberry-rhubarb mixture using a fine mesh strainer. Gently fold strawberries and rhubarb into the batter.
To prepare the streusel topping, in a medium bowl combine 1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until topping is crumbly and coarse.
Fill prepared muffin cups with batter. Top each muffin with streusel topping, about 1 tablespoon each.
Bake until muffin centers bounce back when lightly pressed, about 18 to 22 minutes. Cool muffins on a rack for several minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely and store in an airtight container, up to 4 days.

Notes

Muffin pan: I personally tested 8 different muffin pans in my home kitchen to figure out which one worked the best. My favorite was the USA Pan 12-Cup Nonstick Muffin pan. It effortlessly released muffins and cupcakes without paper muffin liners, even when they were still warm, and the coating is made from non-toxic silicone. Learn more in my post about The Best Muffin Pans.
Rhubarb: Technically a vegetable, although often used in sweet formats more common for fruits, fresh rhubarb is in season and at its best in April, May, and June in most parts of America. If you can’t find it near you during those months, consider ordering it online from a retailer like Melissa’s Produce. See “Recipe FAQs” for details about swapping in frozen produce.
Strawberries: Conveniently, the seasons for these two garden goodies overlap. Fresh strawberries are in season and hit their peak in May, June, and July. Remove the stem and the hull before proceeding.
Yield: My Strawberry Rhubarb Muffin recipe creates 12 regular-sized muffins.
Storage: Store cooled leftover muffins in an airtight container or zip-top bag lined with a paper towel at room temperature for up to 4 days. The paper towel helps absorb excess moisture to maintain a crumbly streusel.

Nutrition