Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

These are delicious muffins perfect for the summer! They are soft and light, with tangy rhubarb flavour and sweet strawberries throughout. They have a sweet sugar streusel sprinkled on top too.

The classic duo of strawberries and rhubarb strikes again! This time, in sweet muffins. These muffins bake up beautifully in the oven and are lovely to serve as a post-dinner dessert or breakfast treat.

The muffins have a simple 3 ingredient butter sugar streusel sprinkled on top before baking.

These muffins can be baked in regular sized tins (12 total), or jumbo (6 total).

For more muffin recipes, try Vegan Blueberry Muffins, Bakery Style Strawberry Muffins, and Lemon Raspberry Muffins.

Why this recipe works

Easy to make – These muffins come together in just a few simple steps.

Strawberry and rhubarb – An incredible combo of sweet and tangy!

Streusel - A delicious butter sugar streusel is sprinkled on top before baking.

Muffins – This is a thick muffin batter that holds the fruit in well and makes for soft and light muffins!

Ingredients Notes

Full recipe and ingredients are in the recipe card below. Feel free to scroll through this section to view certain key ingredients we’re using!

Buttermilk – Buttermilk is an important ingredient in these muffins. The acid in the buttermilk works with the leavening agents to give a fluffier crumb and more of a rise. To make buttermilk, stir 1 cup of milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. Allow to sit on your counter for at least 10 minutes before using.

Eggs – Remove two hours before baking.

Strawberries – Fresh strawberries are diced up.

Rhubarb – Chop into small pieces. I used a mix of green and red rhubarb. Either or works.

Oil – I used a flavourless oil. You can also use melted butter.

Vanilla pudding – This is used as a thickening and flavouring agent in the muffins. If you don’t have vanilla pudding powder, feel free to use cornstarch instead. 

White sugar – Make sure you’re using granulated sugar, and not powdered (or icing) sugar.

Step by step instructions

Here is how to make and bake these Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Muffins. You will need a 12 muffin tin, muffin liners, 3 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. 

Step 2 – Mix dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla pudding, and salt. Mix together and set aside.

Step 3 – Make streusel. In a medium-sized bowl, add cold butter, sugar, and flour. Mix until a crumb forms. This will be your streusel. Set aside.

Step 4 – Add wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add oil, eggs, vanilla, sugar, lemon zest, and buttermilk. Whisk until well combined.

Step 5 – Combine together. Add the dry into wet and using a spatula, gently fold JUST until a soft muffin batter forms.

Step 6 – Add rhubarb and strawberries. Gently toss the diced strawberries in 1-2 tsps of flour before adding them into the mixing bowl. This will help absorb any liquid they may have. Then add into the bowl and mix in a few times.

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. Sprinkle streusel on top.

Step 8 – Bake. Bake the muffins at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. The muffins are ready when they bounce back at touch or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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.
• Make sure to add some extra white sugar on top before baking! This will give you a delicious crisp sugary muffin top we all love.
• 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.
• Use fresh, not frozen. Make sure to use fresh strawberries!

FAQ

Do I have to add strawberries?

No! Feel free to leave them out or add another berry in like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.

Do I have to add streusel?

No!

What is rhubarb?

Rhubarb is a vegetable grown in early spring and all summer. It comes in red and green colours, and has a sour taste to it. Once it’s baked with sugar, it has a sweet and sour taste.

Why is my rhubarb green? 

There are a lot of different varieties of rhubarb. Some grow more red, and some grow more green! They are all very similar in flavour (sour/tangy) when consumed raw.

When is rhubarb season? 

Rhubarb season is typically late April through June. It is one of the first veggies to grow during the spring. When shopping for rhubarb at your local grocery store, look for crisp firm rhubarb that are blemish free.

What do I do with leftover streusel?

Streusel freezes really well! Place any extra streusel in a freezer safe ziplock bag and take it out whenever you need to use it for any future bakes. You don't need it to come back down to room temperature when using it again. Streusel stays good in the freezer for up to 5 months.

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