Vegan Rhubarb Muffins
This recipe for vegan rhubarb muffins makes such good muffins with star of spring - rhubarb! These muffins are easy to make, you only need few ingredients and you don’t need any fancy equipment. Let’s make the best muffins!
I remember times when we had so much rhubarb at home that we didn’t know what to do with it. I wish it was like this now! You see, my grandparents used to have a big garden and there was rhubarb as well. They no longer have it and I live in a different country so.. But I still love the taste of rhubarb. It’s a bit tart and that’s what I love. That tartness goes so good in baked sweets! Anyway, enough of chatting, let’s bake these delicious vegan muffins. There are some tips and tricks below together with step by step instruction so be sure to read those.
What kind of ingredients do you need?
Whole wheat flour - I decided to use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose but if you don’t have whole wheat, you can swap it for all purpose. I wouldn’t though - I really like the taste that comes from whole wheat flour in these muffins. They won’t rise as much as they would with whole wheat flour but it doesn’t matter, does it?
Rhubarb - I know that you probably want to find pink rhubarb but honestly, it doesn’t matter - they taste equally delicious. Also - if you found this recipe not during rhubarb season, just swap it for blueberries/raspberries/cherries/…
Oil - I’d say that rapeseed oil is the best but you can use just vegetable oil. I wouldn’t use olive oil, unless it is really mild one but even then probably not - the flavour would be too much.
Apple cider vinegar - when you mix vinegar with non dairy milk it curdles and creates something similar to buttermilk - which is what we want for these rhubarb muffins. You can easily replace it with white wine vinegar.
Non-dairy milk - I used oat milk, but you can used any other kind. However store bought non-dairy milks work better for that curdling effect that we want to make buttermilk.
Vanilla extract - honestly I would recommend using vanilla whenever you bake - you don’t necessarily taste it but it does make difference.
Salt - do you know Samin Nosrat? She wrote book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat where she says that whenever you cook, you need to add something salty, some fat, some acid and heat. Well and I say that whenever you bake, add some salt - it enhances the flavour of sweet baked goods.
Step by step instructions for this delicious vegan rhubarb muffins:
Mix non-dairy milk with vinegar and let it curdle (it only takes few minutes).
Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl, add salt and mix well.
In another bowl mix non-dairy milk with vinegar, oil, sugar and vanilla extract and combine well.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
Add rhubarb.
Gently fold in.
Spoon evenly into paper muffin cases (or just tray) - fill it only up to 3/4 of the cases. And bake for 20-25 mins in preheated oven to 200C/180C fan.
My top tips on how to make The Best vegan muffins
Sift all the dry ingredients.
Okay, maybe except for salt but the rest for sure - even baking powder and baking soda. They sometimes get clumpy and then they won’t spread evenly in the batter. And then whisk them really, really well.
Don’t overmix your batter.
If you do, gluten will develop too much which will …. in dense and chewy muffins. Mix just about when there are no lumps of flour and then gently fold in rhubarb.
Don’t overfill paper muffin cases.
(or just muffin tray if that’s what you are using) - fill them just about up to 3/4 because your muffins will rise and we don’t want them to run away from the cases, right? :))
How to know that muffins are ready to be taken out of the oven?
Nobody is born a baker, trust me, I definitely wasn't, so of course it can be difficult to know exactly when is the right time. Our ovens don’t make it easier either, because every oven is a bit different when it comes to temperatures but there is one good trick - when you think the muffins might be ready, insert a wooden skewer (or a toothpick or a chopstick, haha or a tiny knife) and if it comes out clean, your muffins are ready!
For more vegan muffins be sure to check out:
Vegan Cupcakes with Matcha Frosting
If you make these rhubarb muffins, and take photos of them, be sure to tag me on instagram - @bigbakesmanifesto and use hashtag #bigbakesmanifesto too. I’d love to see you making my recipe!
Makes 9 muffins
Ingredients
200 ml non dairy milk - room temperature
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
200 g whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
150 g light brown caster sugar
75 ml vegetable oil (rapeseed is the best)
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 g rhubarb - halved lengthways and diced
Method
Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan. Line a muffin tray with muffin paper cases (if you are using them).
In a small bowl mix non-dairy milk with vinegar and let it sit (it will curdle a bit)
Meanwhile sift all the dry ingredient (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) into a medium bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together non-dairy milk mixed with vinegar, caster sugar, oil and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix just combined. Now add rhubarb and carefully fold it in.
Spoon evenly into muffin cases - only up to 3/4 of the cases, don’t fill them up completely.
Bake for 20-25 minutes - until golden brown and until inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool down completely.