Healthy Rhubarb Apple Muffins

These Healthy Rhubarb Apple Muffins are moist, fluffy, lightly sweetened and make a perfect healthy snack or breakfast. Naturally sweetened with applesauce and maple syrup, these muffins are full of whole grains, fiber and protein, with the sweet and tangy flavor of rhubarb.

Is there another more quintessential spring ingredient than rhubarb? When I was growing up in Alaska, I remember all of my friends parents had rhubarb growing in their gardens. As a child it is hard to like rhubarb unless it is wrapped up in a dessert like Old Fashioned Rhubarb Crumble or Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. On its own, rhubarb is very tart. But when combined with another fruit and a little sweetness, it has a fresh and juicy flavor that you can’t get anywhere else.

These Healthy Apple Rhubarb Muffins are based on my Healthy Apple Muffin recipe. The grated apple and applesauce lend their natural sweetness to the tart rhubarb. I used whole wheat pastry flour here, which has the same nutritional value as regular whole wheat flour but leads to a lighter, fluffier muffin. I also tossed the chopped rhubarb in some flour before mixing it with the batter to keep it all from sinking to the bottom of the muffin while cooking.

What are the ingredients for Healthy Apple Muffins?

• Chopped Rhubarb – Remove any of the dark green leaves as those are toxic. Chop into a small dice so that the rhubarb mixes well into the batter.
• Grated Apple – adds sweetness, moisture, and lots of apple flavor!
• Unsweetened Apple Sauce – adds more apple flavor, moisture and natural sweetness.
• Pure Maple Syrup – adds a touch of sweetness without using refined sugar.
• Butter – adds flavor and moisture. You can use vegan butter for dairy free
• Eggs – for moisture and binding
• Milk – you can use dairy milk or non dairy milk
• Apple Cider Vinegar – the secret ingredient! This is what makes them so tender and fluffy. It does NOT make them taste like vinegar at all.
• Pure Vanilla Extract – more flavor!
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour – using whole wheat pastry flour is what makes these super light and fluffy with the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour.
• Cinnamon – the subtle spice just makes these more delicious.
• Baking Soda – makes the muffins rise.
• Baking Powder – This is different than baking SODA and yes, you need both of them.
• Salt – don’t skip it! Without salt, these muffins will be bland.

Tips for making the best Rhubarb Apple Muffins

It’s important to mix the wet and dry ingredients in two different bowls. Mix them very well. After combining the wet ingredients with they dry ingredients, you want to just mix them until they come together. Do this by hand and don’t use a mixer. If you over mix the batter, the muffins will be tough.

Be sure to chop the rhubarb into pieces no larger than 1/2 inch. Before mixing the rhubarb into the muffin batter, toss it with 1 tablespoon of flour. This helps the rhubarb to stay evenly distributed throughout the muffin instead of sinking to the bottom.

Another trick I like to use for making muffins fluffy is using a little bit of vinegar. Why does vinegar make muffins fluffy? It increases the acidity of the batter and reacts with the baking soda to create a better rise. It is similar to using buttermilk or yogurt in a recipe, like in my blueberry buttermilk pancakes.

Helpful Equipment

Some of the items I use for this recipe (Affiliate links).

• Muffin Pan
• Box Grater
• Cooling Rack
• Batter Scoop

More healthy muffin recipes

• Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
• Pumpkin Banana Muffins
• Carrot Banana Muffins
• Zucchini Banana Muffins
• Chocolate Banana Muffins