These vegan rhubarb muffins are an adaptation of my blueberry almond muffins, one of my very favourite recipes, with finely chopped rhubarb mixed in instead of berries. Top the muffins with a little more of the most vibrantly pink rhubarb you can get your hands on for that springtime look.
Half whole spelt flour, half almond flour – this makes for a nutty, buttery treat without much added oil. The end result of this recipe is a softer, slightly delicate muffin. They are vegan, after all, with no additional binding agents used.
One of my favourite things about rhubarb has to be how long it lasts, both in the refrigerator after being cut and in the garden. We treat it like it’s gone in the blink of an eye, a bit like asparagus, but the reality is that if you have a rhubarb plant in your garden, it produces for months.
If you like rhubarb you’ll like these. And if not, well, you should probably learn to like rhubarb because it’s great. (If you really like rhubarb, take a peek at this collection of my healthy rhubarb recipes!)
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spelt flour: all-purpose white flour, whole wheat, or another ancient grain (khorasan, einkorn, etc.) can all be used in place of spelt here no problem.
- Almond flour: hazelnut flour/meal can be used in place of almond flour. You could try finely ground sunflower seeds as a nut-free replacement, but the muffins will be less sweet.
- Maple syrup: I often use honey instead of maple syrup for this recipe, as with all of my recipes, so feel free to switch that out. If your honey is very creamed – that is, thick – then melt it alongside the coconut oil.
- Oil: coconut oil is needed for this recipe, or another fat that’s solid at room temperature, to help keep the muffins together when they cool, and a liquid oil won’t work.
- Rhubarb: this very pink rhubarb is forced, and rhubarb grown outside under the sun is never going to be quite as pink. It tastes just as good though.
Recipe Notes
I haven’t tried making these gluten free and don’t recommend it for this recipe, because they’re on the delicate side as is. If you really want to try, use a trustworthy 1:1 GF flour blend.
If you don’t like ginger, try using another spice or add-in to replace it. Orange or lemon zest, cardamom, and vanilla are all excellent here.
How to Store
Storage: these can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for a couple of days, but if your home is warm, I recommend storing in the refrigerator. The rhubarb topping will soften the muffins over time.
Freezing: the muffins can be frozen, but note that the rhubarb will be softer and will soften the surrounding areas as they thaw. Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Don’t over-mix: spelt flour is a bit delicate, and if mixed too much, the resulting muffins will be tough.
- Cool fully: these are slightly delicate, even when cool, but will fall apart if served warm. Make sure they’re fully cooled before serving, and this will also help to prevent sticking to the muffin cups if you’ve used them.
- Don’t make unlisted subs: I don’t recommend messing around with the flour too much (don’t use coconut in place of almond) or trying to make these oil free. It is key that the fat used is solid at room temperature to keep the muffins from falling apart.
More Rhubarb Recipes
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Honey Rhubarb Lemonade
German Rhubarb Cake
Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Almond Cake
If you make these Vegan Rhubarb Muffins or any other vegetarian snack recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Rhubarb Ginger Muffins
Ingredients
- 150 grams whole grain spelt flour
- 100 grams almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 250 ml nondairy milk
- 60 ml maple syrup*
- 60 ml coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
- 2 stalks rhubarb divided (see instructions)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease or line a standard muffin tin. Chop one stalk of rhubarb finely, and slice the other on a diagonal for topping the muffins.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk the milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, and ginger until combined. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold the finely chopped stalk of rhubarb into the muffin mixture.
- Fill the muffin tins evenly with the batter, then top with a couple pieces each of the sliced rhubarb. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden.
- Cool for ten minutes in the tin before removing and cooling fully on a rack. Best stored in the refrigerator if your house is warm, or in a sealed container on the counter for up to three days.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
This post was originally published in April 2019. It has been updated with improvements to the text and recipe as of April 2020.
Mollie says
Great recipe. The orange zests sounds like a good addition as well, will have to try that. I added 3 tsp of flax meal to mine. I really like that they aren’t so sweet you get the true rhubarb flavor that way!!!thanks for a great recipe!
JT says
We just got our first CSA share of the season and it included rhubarb. I was out of strawberries, so many of the recipes I found were a no go. I liked the ingredient list for these – all roughly things I already have and use regularly, and the fact that it’s vegan made it easy to cut in half. (With only two people in our house we don’t need baked goods by the dozen.) The batter came out like I would expect for muffin batter, and the muffins themselves came out really well – fluffy, not dry, and just sweet enough to be yummy! My husband was super happy with them and it got the giant stalks of rhubarb in my fridge under control with no trip to the grocery store, so it was an all-around win!
For reference, I used sprouted whole wheat flour, half maple syrup and half (home-made) ginger syrup just because I already had some in my fridge. I live in Denver, so relatively high-altitude, but that wasn’t a problem in this case.
I am definitely keeping this recipe and passing it along to the rest of the CSA!
Bettie says
Used Namaste gluten free flour and almond flour. Turned out great!
Karen says
hmmmm not sure this has worked for me. What type of texture should your end batter be? mine is like a wet dough rather than a typical ‘batter’ consistency??
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
How’d they turn out for you, Karen? Muffins like this tend to have a bit of a thicker batter rather than the pourable one you might see with cake batter or traditional eggs and butter cupcakes/muffins, but they bake up well.
Jo Scard says
Hi, would buckwheat or oat flour work here to make these gluten-free?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
I would be hesitant to make these particular muffins gluten free as they are quite delicate, but if I were to recommend one, I’d choose buckwheat flour. If you do that, I’d suggest adding in a couple teaspoons of arrowroot flour to help bind them.
Michal says
I did, I subbed apple sauce for the coconut oil (same amount). That could have been it I guess? 🙂
Dana Leigh Lyons says
Love your insights about rhubarb season – thank you! At my last place, it grew like crazy in my backyard…which I took for granted. Sigh. Nowadays, I can barely stand to buy it in the store. It’s so plentiful, generous and long-lived in the “wild”!