A recipe for orange rhubarb muffins with a crumb topping and orange-infused glaze that pretty much puts it over the top, muffin-wise, yet are made with whole grains to keep it healthy.
You can head over to the Best Bread Recipes page for more great breads!
Every afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 I start craving a cup of tea. Strong Irish breakfast tea from Trader Joes (awesome, trust me) with a bit of milk and honey - not too sweet, just right. Mmmm, it's so comforting that I usually have it all year round - much to my daughter's dismay. She cannot believe that I would drink something hot when it's hot outside (though when it gets really hot, like 95 degrees, I do switch to iced tea - I'm not completely wacko).
And when I have that cup of tea, my new favorite accompaniment is one of these lightly glazed orange rhubarb muffins (well, half a muffin along with a few nuts for protein, just like I wrote here about weight loss and maintenance). They are so moist, with a crumbly top and orange-infused glaze, which makes them perfect with my cup of tea.
Of course, I have to admit that they are perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning, too. In this case it's okay to be wishy-washy, I think.
I've actually been making these muffins for years, every time our rhubarb is ready for harvesting. I'm not sure why I haven't put them up on the blog before now and it's one of the reasons I had to declare a 'rhubarb week' around here so that I could make up for lost time.
Rhubarb week includes: this recipe, the amazing Honey Lemon Rhubarb Butter, a fantastic Rhubarb Honey Crumb bar recipe, and an Ultimate Rhubarb Guide where you'll be able to find growing info about rhubarb, preserving ideas, and a whole list of recipes. I'm definitely making up for lost time, aren't I?
Orange Rhubarb Muffins
But right now, I want you to make a batch of these tender rhubarb muffins, brew a cup of tea and see what I mean. You may just have a new favorite, too, at least during rhubarb season! Oh, they do freeze wonderfully, so you could stretch that season a bit longer.
And if you want a double-rhubarb treat, add some of the honey lemon rhubarb butter to the muffin like I pictured here - whoa, shockingly good.
Glazed Orange Rhubarb Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 cup whole rolled oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice plus more for glaze
- zest of 1 orange divided
- 3/4 cup diced rhubarb
Topping:
- 1/4 cup whole rolled oats
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- remaining orange zest
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 12 muffin cups by greasing or adding cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the first six ingredients well.
- In a 4-cup glass measure combine egg, oil, juice and zest; stir into the dry ingredients, making sure that all is moist but not over mixing. Fold in rhubarb.
- Fill prepared muffin cups about 3/4 full (a spring-loaded large cookie or ice cream scoops works great for this).
- Combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl and divide it evenly over the tops of the filled muffin cups.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean.
- Cool for a few minutes and then remove to a wire rack - carefully, these are delicate muffins.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking the juice and powdered sugar together until it's a pouring consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the tops of the cooling muffins.
- Serve slightly warm or let cool completely before storing at room temperature for a day or two. These muffins freeze beautifully for a couple months, as well.
Nutrition
Other quick breads you may like:
Gluten-Free Lemon-Flaxseed Muffins Sweetened with Honey
10 Grain Berry-Nut Muffins with Streusel
