Rhubarb Cranberry Streusel Muffins

The tart flavour of rhubarb and cranberries with fresh lemon are a perfect match for the sweet crumbly streusel topping on these muffins. They’re not too sweet and even include a few healthier ingredient options. You can make Rhubarb Cranberry Streusel Muffins when rhubarb is in season or any time from frozen rhubarb.

Most of us know someone nearby with rhubarb in their garden. And lots of people don’t use their rhubarb. I’m lucky to have a few friends in that category. I steal their rhubarb, then drop off a few samples of my baking. It’s a win win!

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I love the combination of rhubarb and cranberries. But since they both get quite soft when cooked, dried cranberries are a better option and add a complimentary texture to the muffins. So they’re not mushy. They’re sold in resealable packaging and are called “Craisins.” You know, it’s a Portmanteau of cranberry and raisin. You’re welcome for the English lesson. Adding them to the rhubarb mixture along with some sugar, lemon juice and zest gives the craisins a chance to absorb some of the liquid and plump up a bit.

Sometimes rhubarb stalks get really thick which is ok for Rhubarb Custard Pie or Rhubarb Loaf but you want smaller pieces for muffins. Cut any thick ones lengthwise in half then chop them into pieces. The difference in colour from green to red doesn’t have anything to do with flavour or sweetness, it’s all the same. But for presentation, it’s nice to include at least some of the red or pink parts.

To get the most juice from a lemon make sure it’s room temperature and roll it around on the counter with some pressure before juicing. Before slicing it in half, zest the skin all over, just the yellow outer skin. If you get into the white part it’s too sour. Then squeeze as much juice out as you can. Mosts lemons will give you about 1/4 cup of juice. If you’re a bit short you can always top up with some orange juice.

So what gives these Rhubarb Cranberry Streusel Muffins a healthy edge?

Substituting whole wheat flour

Whole wheat flour increases the fibre. But don’t try to sub all whole wheat for all purpose because you’ll have a dry brick instead of a moist muffin. Even half and half is too much. According to Food Network Canada, a ratio of 2/3 regular flour to 1/3 whole wheat flour is the max. And, with whole wheat flour you need more liquid in a recipe because it’s like a sponge. That’s why there’s juice from a whole lemon mixed with the fruit for these muffins. Of course you can make the muffins without any whole wheat flour if you like. Just make sure to use the amount of all purpose flour indicated in the recipe.

Reducing fat in baking

There are a few ingredients that are decent substitutes for butter in baking. In Rhubarb Cranberry Streusel Muffins, yogurt is used to replace some of the butter which works great with whole wheat flour because yogurt has more moisture than butter. It also works with the baking soda because it has the right acidity level. But butter is important for flavour and moisture so it’s best to still have some in recipes. You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt. I don’t recommend baking with reduced fat dairy products. Using regular full fat yogurt or sour cream is best. Kind of negates the healthier muffin idea, doesn’t it? Oh well.

Reducing sugar in baking

You would think that reducing sugar would be a no brainer, just use less right? Wrong. Baking is chemistry and sugar affects not just the sweetness but also the texture, the flavour and even the browning. So, this recipe has a little less sugar than some muffins without sacrificing the quality and flavour.

When making any muffins, it’s important to have all your ingredients ready to go and the oven preheated. Batter doesn’t like to sit around waiting to be baked and it also doesn’t like to be over mixed so don’t over do it. Make sure the fruit mixture has had about 30 minutes to incorporate the sugar and liquid. And sift your dry ingredients together so they’re ready to go.

Your butter needs to be at room temperature to cream with the sugar. In most cases I like to use a stand mixer but for Rhubarb Cranberry Streusel Muffins, use a hand mixer. There isn’t enough butter for the stand mixer to reach it in the bottom of the bowl. Once the yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla are added, put the mixer away and add the dry ingredients and fruit mixture half and half, stirring between, just until everything is incorporated.

If you’re missing that extra sweet kick, the streusel topping will make up for it. Streusel is basically a mixture of flour, butter and sugar. Some streusel mixtures contain oatmeal but I prefer not to use it. I’ve added a hint of cinnamon which goes nicely with the fruit mixture. You can leave the topping out all together if you want, especially if you’re watching your sugar intake but there really isn’t a lot added to each muffin and it not only adds a sweet component but also a crumbly texture.

The batter is really stiff so an ice cream scoop works well to fill the muffin cups. I’m sorry that this recipes makes about 16 muffins which means you need 2 muffin tins. But if you try to make 12, the cups are too full and you don’t have enough room left for the streusel topping. Use your hands and gently press it in if it’s rolling down the sides. But don’t press down the muffin batter. You might have a little more topping than you need.

As tempting as it is to eat Rhubarb Cranberry Streusel Muffins as soon as they come out of the oven, it’s best to let them cool at least half an hour, otherwise they’ll fall apart. Leaving them on a ledge outdoors will help but you risk a neighbour sneaking over and taking some.

Here’s the recipe:

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more stuff to make with rhubarb

Rhubarb Loaf

Rhubarb Crumble Cake

Rhubarb Custard Pie

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