Healthy Orange Rhubarb Muffins with Buttermilk

Springtime is the best season because Rhubarb is fresh and in season. Rhubarb muffins are a great way to use up some extra rhubarb that you have lying around in your garden this time of year. – When life gives you rhubarb just make rhubarb muffins!

At my old house, there was a rhubarb bush in the garden. It grew, and grew, and grew, and produced so much rhubarb, I had it coming out of my ears. I honestly didn’t know what to do with it all and I’d be searching for so many rhubarb recipes online. I think the only rhubarb recipe I ever liked was having them in muffins and strawberry rhubarb crisp. I kind of miss that rhubarb plant since I’ve moved but I don’t miss all the rhubarb that I used to have.

Rhubarb is very tart and the only way to make it edible is by adding a lot of sugar to it in my opinion. I think I see rhubarb more in sweet dishes rather than savory.

Tips for Rhubarb Muffins

If you don’t have any buttermilk simply mix together 1 cup of milk (any kind) plus 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let that sit for a while. That mixture will become buttermilk.

Save some extra chopped rhubarb to put on top of the muffins. Place them on top of the batter before you bake them. These rhubarb muffins are 5 smart points each. If you desire to sub out the oil for unsweetened applesauce they are only 4 smart points.

If you don’t like your muffin batter very wet only use ½ cup milk.

Ingredients Needed

Brown Sugar – regular granulated sugar, I do not use sugar substitutes in any of my recipes but if you know the conversions feel free to do so
Buttermilk – Don’t have buttermilk? Make your own by combining regular milk with lemon juice and let it sit for a while.
Vegetable Oil– can swap out greek yogurt, sour cream, or applesauce
Eggs – large eggs at room temperature – using room temperature eggs will help mix stuff together better
Vanilla Extract – as Ina Garten always says use a good pure vanilla extract. No imitation vanilla please! Vanilla extract is made by combing vodka and fresh vanilla beans to a glass jar. This has to sit for a couple of days for the vodka to smart smelling like vanilla beans.
Orange Zest – use grater
All Purpose Flour – Most baking recipes will require some type of flour. In order to get the right amount level off the flour with a spoon.
Baking Soda and baking powder to help the muffins rise and spread out more
Chopped Rhubarb – 3 cups or however much you like! If you don’t have rhubarb you can find it now in the produce section of your grocery store! The one I usually shop at had them in bags.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make Healthy Orange Rhubarb Muffins

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper cups. If you have no muffin tin liners just grease it with cooking spray.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, beat the brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients until blended. Fold in the rhubarb and orange zest.

Wet Ingredients mixed with dry ingredients.

Step 4: Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling almost to the top.

Step 5: Cook muffins 20-25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5 smart points for 1 muffin

Variations to Try

Instead of 3 cups of chopped rhubarb use 1 ½ cups of chopped strawberry for Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Make a crumble streusel topping to add on the top of the muffins or sprinkle the top with sugar.

Replace half of the amount of rhubarb with some chopped Zucchini or apples

Want to try using different types of flours? Try wheat flour, oats, or even different types of flour such as coconut or almond flour for special diet needs.

3 Rhubarb muffins sitting on an white plate.

Recipe FAQs

What do I do with rhubarb?

You can cook it down in a saucepan with some sugar and turn it into freezer jam, rhubarb sauce, or make fruit leather with it.

What does rhubarb pair well with?

Rhubarb is a tart vegetable and usually many recipes online will add extra sugar to it or some strawberries for more sweetness.

Other Recipes To Try

Air Fryer Breakfast Pizza
Ree Drummond Cinnamon Rolls
Ina Garten Croque Monsieur
2 Ingredient Dough Cinnamon Rolls (WW)