Rhubarb Pecan Streusel Muffins
I was always amazed by how expensive rhubarb is at the grocery store. It felt like a robbery to pay a premium for a plant that technically grows like an aggressive weed. Because of that stubborn principle, I refused to buy it for years, despite completely adoring the sharp, tangy flavor of traditional rhubarb pies and crumbles. I simply accepted that it was a treat I would only enjoy when dining out.
That all changed a few years ago during a casual family visit. My husband noticed a massive, sprawling rhubarb patch taking over our relative’s garden. Recognizing my secret craving, he sliced off a single root cutting, wrapped it in a damp paper towel, and brought it home. He dug a small hole in our backyard, tucked the stem into the dirt, and told me to cross my fingers.
To my shock, that little cutting exploded. It took off with fierce independence, requiring absolutely no green thumb or special care on our part. Now, our backyard patch thrives effortlessly, returning bigger and stronger every spring. We get to harvest fresh, crisp stalks all through the summer months. These muffins have become our favorite weekend ritual to celebrate a harvest that didn’t cost us a single penny.
The Step by Step Cooking Guide
Start by preparing your star ingredient. Peel the tough outer skin off your fresh rhubarb stalks, then chop them into small bite-sized chunks.
Next, soften your vegan butter. You can leave it out on the counter ahead of time, or speed up the process by microwaving it at 50% power in 15-second intervals until it is soft but not melted.
Grab a large mixing bowl and the electric mixer. Combine the softened vegan butter, maple syrup, monk fruit extract. Beat the mixture on medium high speed until it becomes light and fluffy. This step incorporates air into the butter, which keeps the muffins light.
Crack 1 egg into the creamed butter mixture and add light sour cream. Beat for another minute until everything is completely smooth.
Next, pour in your dry ingredients all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and pink salt. Turn your mixer to low and beat just until the dry flour disappears.
Dump chopped rhubarb into the bowl. Gently fold the pieces into the thick batter using a spatula until they are evenly distributed.
Preheat your oven and line your muffin pan with 18 paper liners.
Spoon the muffin batter evenly across your 18 lined muffin cups.
Grab a sandwich-sized plastic bag, drop pecans inside, seal it, and pound them into small pieces.
Open the bag and add golden monk fruit sweetener, ground cinnamon and cold vegan butter. Seal the bag again and massage it with your hands until the pecans are evenly coated in a buttery, cinnamon crumb.
Generously sprinkle your pecan streusel mixture over the top of each muffin.
Pop the pans into the oven and bake. You will know they are done when the pecan tops look golden brown and a toothpick inserted right into the center comes out clean.
Resist the temptation to eat them immediately! Let the muffins cool completely inside the pans. This allows the sour cream batter to set properly so they stay perfectly moist when you peel off the wrapper.
Rhubarb Pecan Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Peel the rhubarb skin and cut the stalks into small chunks to yield about 3 cups.4 large rhubarb stalks (See notes 1)
- Bring the 1 stick vegan butter to room temperature, or microwave it at 50% power in 15-second intervals until softened.1 stick vegan butter
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, ⅓ cup maple syrup, and ¼ teaspoon monk fruit extract with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 tsp monk fruit extract (or 1/2 cup sugar)
- Add an egg and 1 cup of sour cream to the mixture, then beat for another minute.1 large egg, 1 cup light sour cream
- Pour in 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and ⅛ teaspoon of pink salt, beating just until well combined.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/8 tsp pink salt
- Stir in 3 cups chunked rhubarb.
- Preheat your oven to 350℉
- Place 18 muffin liners into the muffin pans
- Divide the muffin batter evenly among the lined muffin cups.
- Dice 1 tablespoon of cold vegan butter.1 tbsp cold vegan butter
- Place ½ cup of pecans into a sandwich-sized plastic bag and pound them into small pieces1/2 cup pecans
- Add ¼ cup of golden monk fruit sweetener, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and the diced cold butter to the bag. Massage the mixture until the pecans are evenly coated in butter1/4 cup Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (or 1/4 cup brown sugar), 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the batter in each muffin cup.
- Place the muffin pans in the oven and bake for 29 minutes until golden.
- Let the muffins cool completely in the pans before removing them. (see notes 2)
Notes
- If fresh rhubarb is unavailable, frozen rhubarb makes an excellent substitute. However, frozen pieces thaw quickly at room temperature and can become soggy. To maintain the perfect muffin texture, be sure to drain any excess juice from the thawed rhubarb before adding it to your batter.
- To keep your muffins fresh, store them in an airtight container. They will taste delicious at room temperature for up to two days, but you can refrigerate them to extend their shelf life. When you are ready to enjoy one, simply microwave it for 10 seconds to bring back that warm, soft texture.Â
