These gluten free Rhubarb Streusel Muffins are a great first recipe for gluten free cooks. They should be soft and moist with a sweet crunch. If yours' aren't you need to learn more about all the gluten free flours and blends available.
Rhubarb recipes reminds me of spring. That's when rhubarb starts to poke out of the ground, most often around the snow. It's a miraculous sign of life that amazes gardeners year after year.
In my Canadian garden the ground is frozen well into April, my rhubarb slowly grows in May and thrives all summer. If I want to make rhubarb recipes in spring I get rhubarb from my freezer. It's already chopped and ready to use.
Where To Find Free Rhubarb
There's something Canadian about rhubarb. In the summer I pick a few stalks from my rhubarb patch here and there. I give some away and I chop some for the freezer. I never pick all of it because I love the crazy look of those gigantic rhubarb leaves all summer long, some leaves grow to be three feet across.
Those giant leaves remind me of us kids running around the yard wearing rhubarb leaves on our heads. Our neighbours dipped the long stalks in small dishes of white sugar and ate it like that. (I didn't.) My mom stewed rhubarb plus baked pies, crisps and cakes. Sometimes I wonder if anyone even likes rhubarb, it's just a weed growing in gardens and back alleys everywhere. But now that farm-to-table and grow-your-own are catching on it's food for the picking.
My go-to rhubarb recipes are these muffins, my Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp and Rhubarb Coffee Cake. I might try a new rhubarb recipe, sometimes something weird, but I definitely make these ones every spring and summer. My rhubarb patch is prolific so if you're ever in the neighbourhood just come by and ask for some. I'm happy to give it away.
Can I Freeze Rhubarb
Yes! Rhubarb can easily be frozen, just wash the stalks then chop it up. Freeze it in a bag or container in the amount you would use for a recipe. I prefer to freeze it in a single layer and portion it into containers after it's frozen.
To bake simply take the rhubarb out of the freezer when you start the recipe. Fold it into the batter frozen or partially thawed and it will cook to perfection.
What is a Streusel Topping
A streusel topping is that delicious, sweet crumble you see on coffee cake, muffins and pies. It's often made with wheat flour but it doesn’t need to be.
Brown sugar and cinnamon are key to a good streusel but you can experiment to see what you like best. My recipes also use oats, nuts, citrus zest or gluten free flour but when I find some in the freezer any of them can go on any recipe.
How To Make Moist Gluten Free Muffins
Like bananas, applesauce and pumpkin; rhubarb adds lots of moisture to baking. This is ideal for gluten free flours that don’t absorb moisture the way wheat flour does.
Kitchen Tip: Let the batter sit for 15 minutes if you find your muffins are gritty. There's more than one reason this might happen but often the gluten free flours haven't had enough time to absorb the liquid in the recipe.
Basic Baking Pans for Gluten Free Muffins
Many people struggle with baking. Every oven is different and even standard baking pans vary in size slightly. Then there is the oven temperature and many more factors that challenge us everyday home cooks.
Buying quality bakeware is a good place to start. Some of these pans will last for decades so slowly buy exactly the pans you want. Then it's up to you to make notes about how long a particular recipe takes to bake in your pan and your oven.
Here's a list of options, some I'd love to buy but there's absolutely nothing wrong with the metal pans I have.
- Regular size muffin pan in 6 or 12 cups, my choice for everyday snacks.
- Mini size muffin tin for small hands, small appetites and a cute look.
- Silicone muffin baking pan, 6 or 12. These were made for Brazilian Cheese Buns!
- A ceramic coated muffin tin.
- A 10-inch Bundt pan or these cute mini Bundt pans.
- Regular round silicone muffin liners or a set of different shaped muffin liners.
If you're lucky enough to grow rhubarb, or be given some, try these Rhubarb Streusel Muffins right away. In the comments below I'd love to hear your rhubarb story or how your muffins turned out.
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Rhubarb Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1⅓ cups EGFG gluten free flour blend* (175 g)
- 1 cup chopped rhubarb
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¼ teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup yogurt (or sour cream)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
STREUSEL TOPPING
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon EGFG gluten free flour blend* (9 g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
DRY INGREDIENTS
- In a large bowl combine flour, rhubarb, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and xanthan gum. Stir to combine.
WET INGREDIENTS
- In a 2-cup measuring cup combine yogurt, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Use a portion scoop to fill 12 paper-lined muffin tins.
STREUSEL TOPPING
- In a small bowl combine sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and butter. Stir with a fork until well combined. Top each muffin with a spoonful of streusel topping.
- Bake muffins in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until browned around the edges.
- Cool on baking rack for 2 minutes then remove muffins from pan and cool completely. Store in airtight container or freeze.
Notes
- Store extra streusel in the fridge or freezer.
- Streusel can be folded into the muffin batter instead of putting it on top of each muffin.
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