What a treat these Rhubarb Sour Cream Muffins are! They have a delicious vanilla muffin base and bright pink rhubarb throughout. They're sprinkled with a bit of white sugar on top before baking which creates the perfect muffin top. You will love them!
The texture of these muffins from the sour cream are perfect. I can't get over it!
They are soft and fluffy with the perfect muffin top. The flavours of vanilla and rhubarb are bursting in every bite!
If you love rhubarb, you will love these muffins.
For more rhubarb recipes, try Rhubarb Cake, Strawberry Rhubarb Tart, and Rhubarb Streusel Muffins.
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Why this recipe is so good
- Easy to make - No electric mixer required.
- Tasty - Delicious rhubarb flavor!
- Perfect for spring - I love baking with rhubarb this time of the year!
Ingredients Notes
Here's a list of the ingredients we'll be using for these Rhubarb Sour Cream Muffins. The recipe card with exact measurements can be found below.
- Brown sugar - I used light brown sugar, but you can use dark brown too.
- Butter – Unsalted butter works best for baking. This is going to be melted.
- Cornstarch – Helps to create that tender crumb.
- Eggs - Make sure they're at room temperature before beginning.
- Cinnamon - An important and main ingredient in this recipe!
- Rhubarb - I used red rhubarb for that pop of colour in these muffins. Regardless of the colour, it will still be tangy. Slice them into pieces (see photos below for reference). Rhubarb that is older in the season will be tougher and more stringy, so you may peel it if you want.
- Sour Cream - A main ingredient in this recipe. Make sure to use full-fat sour cream.
- White sugar - Also known as granulated sugar.
- Oil - A flavourless oil works great for this recipe. I find using both butter and oil adds a better texture to the muffin.
- Leavening agents - Both baking soda and powder are used. Make sure they're not expired.
- Vanilla - Make sure to use a high-quality vanilla. This makes all the difference when baking.
Step by step instructions
Here is how to make and bake these Rhubarb Sour Cream Muffins. You will need a 12 muffin tin, muffin liners, 3 large mixing bowls, a spatula, and a whisk.
Step 1 – Prep. Line the muffin liners with 12 liners and set aside. If you need a recommendation, this is my favourite tin. Melt the butter and allow it to cool as you prep the rest of your ingredients.
Step 2 - Mix dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add in flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
Step 3 - Slice the rhubarb. Wash and dry the rhubarb (not completely so it's still a bit wet). Then slice the rhubarb into thin pieces and set aside. See photo in step 6 for reference.
Step 4 - Whisk together wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add in eggs, white sugar, sour cream, butter, oil, vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
Step 5 – Add in dry ingredients. Toss in the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, mix until just completely combined. Do not over-mix!
Step 6 - Add in rhubarb. Add 2 tbsp of flour into the rhubarb and toss it around, evenly coating the rhubarb pieces in flour. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Then mix the rhubarb in a few times. Don't over-mix!
Step 7 – Scoop. Evenly divide the batter between 12 liners, they should be almost or all the way full. Using a cookie scooper helps big time to minimize the mess. Add extra rhubarb and sprinkle some white sugar on top (optional but recommended for aesthetics).
Step 11 – Bake. Place the muffins into the oven 425°F, then immediately turn down to 375°F and bake for 25-30 minutes. The muffins are ready a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Mine took 27 minutes exactly.
These muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week!
Expert Baking Tips
Here are a few expert baking tips from my kitchen to yours
- Use a gram scale. I cannot emphasize this enough! It is the most accurate way of measuring your ingredients in the kitchen. This is one of my favourites.
- Mixing the dry ingredients in a separate bowl is very important. This way you evenly distribute the levening agents before adding it into the wet ingredients, so all muffins rise evenly.
- Do not over-mix! A big reason muffins don’t rise or turn out tough is because the batter is over-mixed. Once you see no flour streaks, stop mixing.
FAQ
How do I cut rhubarb?
For fresh rhubarb, trim the bottoms and get rid of the leaves. Then cut the stalks into thin pieces. I like thinner pieces in rhubarb muffins for 2 reasons. First, rhubarb is quite tart so thinner pieces are better. Secondly, thinner pieces means they won't be as heavy, so the muffins will rise better. 🙂
Why do you do 2 temperatures?
The first temperature is a short-term high temperature. The goal here is that the heat is so hot when you first put the muffins into the oven it activates the leavening agents, so the muffins grow tall quickly before the temperature falls down to 375F. Then once it reduces by itself to 375F, it continues to bake inside.
Do I have to add sour cream?
Yes, it is a main ingredient in this recipe. If you don't have sour cream and still want to make rhubarb muffins, check out Rhubarb Muffins.
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Rhubarb Sour Cream Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/4 cup butter melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cups white sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tbsp for dusting
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 3/4 cups rhubarb thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉/218℃. Line the muffin liners with 12 liners and set aside. Melt the butter and allow it to cool as you prep the rest of your ingredients.1/4 cup butter
- In a medium-sized bowl, add in flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together and set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Wash and dry the rhubarb (not completely so it's still a bit wet). Then slice the rhubarb into thin pieces and set aside.1 3/4 cups rhubarb
- In a large bowl, add in white sugar, eggs, sour cream, butter, oil, vanilla. Whisk until well combined.1/3 cup oil, 1/4 cup butter, 3/4 cups white sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp vanilla, 1 cup sour cream
- Toss in the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, mix until just completely combined. Do not over-mix!
- Add 2 tbsp of flour into the rhubarb and toss it around, evenly coating the rhubarb pieces in flour. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Then mix the rhubarb in a few times. Don't over-mix!
- Evenly divide the batter between 12 liners, they should be almost or all the way full. Using a cookie scooper helps big time to minimize the mess. Add extra rhubarb and sprinkle some white sugar on top (optional but recommended for aesthetics).
- Place the muffins into the oven 425°F, then immediately turn down to 375°F and bake for 25-30 minutes. The muffins are ready a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Mine took 27 minutes exactly.
- These muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week!
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