Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

I loved baking these simple strawberry rhubarb muffins with my daughter when she was younger, and they’ve remained one of our go-to sweet treats ever since! My fruit muffin batter yields moist, light muffins, packed with plenty of fresh fruit, plain yogurt, and just a hint of almond extract. Strawberries and rhubarb are such a classic combo; I always bake these muffins in the springtime when they’re both in season and at their best!

This is an oldie, but a goodie, I’ve been making for years. My straw-barb muffin recipe creates wonderfully light and tender yogurt muffins that come out of the oven with perfect domes (and with crunchy brown sugar tops!) The strawberries are there for sweetness, and the rhubarb adds a tangy flavor that I think balances them perfectly, stopping the muffins from being slightly too sweet. Serve them for breakfast (doubling up on the strawberry goodness by pairing them with my easy strawberry smoothie!) or as a snack. I often bake a big batch of them to serve everyone through the week, or freeze some for whenever the muffin cravings strike!

Rowena – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I just finished baking a batch and they turned out perfectly!! Great recipe!!❤️

Key Ingredients and Tips

• All-Purpose Flour – You’ll need a little more flour than the 2 cups in the muffin batter, as I’ve found that tossing the fruit in flour stops the muffins from becoming damp, and keeps the fruit evenly distributed in each muffin.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Testing these muffins, I found that using both types of raising agent made the lightest muffins, without that weird metallic taste you get when you’ve used too much of one or the other.
• Unsalted Butter – I always make sure to start with softened butter so that it mixes in properly with the other ingredients. Using unsalted butter also means I can control the amount of salt that goes into the muffins.
• Vegetable Oil – I have honestly not found that it matters which light flavorless oil you use making muffins, as long as it is liquid at room temperature. Light olive oil is not quite flavorless but can also be used, I think it adds a lovely richness to baked goods, but full-on extra virgin would be too dominant in these muffins, so I’d steer clear of that.
• Plain Yogurt – Some yogurts are thicker than others, making the batter dry. The batter should be thick, but if it’s too thick (like dough instead of a batter), mix in another 1/4 – 1/2 cup yogurt. I know some A Spicy Perspective readers have also used leftover vanilla yogurt in these and had good results – I love this idea!!
• Almond Extract – I think the flavor of almond works so well with strawberry and rhubarb, but you can also use vanilla extract… which also is fabulous with strawberries and rhubarb!
• Chopped Fresh Strawberries – I’ve had good results using frozen strawberries in this recipe out of season but, they must be pre-chopped and do not thaw them first!
• Chopped Rhubarb – You’ll need about one large stick of rhubarb for these muffins. As above, I’ve also had success using frozen rhubarb, but only pre-chopped and without thawing it first – that would result in soggy muffins!
• Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar – Granulated sugar makes the best fluffy muffins, but it is brown sugar that will give your muffins those lovely caramelized, crunchy tops!

How To Make

Find the full recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!

Get prepared – First, I preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cream the butter and sugar – Then, in the bowl of an electric mixer (or if it is in the dishwasher, I use my electric hand whisk in and a large mixing bowl), I cream together the butter, sugar, and oil until smooth.

Make the batter – In a separate mixing bowl, I then combine the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I then add the egg, yogurt, and almond extract to the sugar mixture and mix well. Then I slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined – being careful not to over-mix the batter.

Flour the fruit – I toss the chopped rhubarb and strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, before gently folding them into the batter.

Fill liners – I place paper liners in my muffin tins (folded squares of baking parchment work if you don’t have any) and fill each liner. I use a ¼-cup scoop for perfectly even muffins!

Brown sugar – Finally, I sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top of each muffin to give them nice, sweet, crunchy bakery-style tops when they come out of the oven!

Bake – I then bake them for 12–14 minutes, until the tops are golden and they’re springy to the touch.

Recipe Variations

• Sometimes I change the fruit in these muffins depending on what is available. Strawberry and rhubarb go super well together, but you can substitute with raspberries or chopped apple if you prefer!
• When I’m sprinkling the brown sugar on top of the muffins, I sometimes also add some chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds.

Serving Suggestions

For every day, I like to serve these muffins paired with a simple breakfast drink like my Mango Smoothie with Green Tea or my wonderfully creamy Banana Smoothie recipe.

Or, they make a great sweet item to go with something a bit more hearty and savory, as part of a weekend brunch, like my Croissant Breakfast Casserole or a big Steak and Eggs Breakfast.

Storage Notes

I’ve found that these muffins can last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days, but they can also stay out on the counter in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 2 to 3 days.

You can freeze them (again, I find that a ziplock bag is best for this!) for up to 4 to 5 months. When you are ready for them, allow them to thaw at room temperature. 

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