What should you know before making this muffin recipe? 

These quick-bread muffins use honey and sugar for sweetness, buttermilk and baking soda for rise, and fresh rhubarb for tart flavor.

• Bake at 325°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Mix the batter gently to keep the muffins tender.
• Use only the edible rhubarb stalks.
• Fold in the rhubarb and nuts near the end.

What should you expect from this recipe?

This recipe produces moist quick-bread muffins with tart rhubarb, sweet honey, chopped nuts and a sugar-butter topping.

These muffins use a traditional quick-bread method. The dry and wet ingredients are mixed separately before being combined, and the rhubarb and nuts are gently folded into the batter. Mixing only until combined helps produce a tender texture.

What ingredients do you need?

The batter uses oil, sugar, buttermilk, flour, rhubarb, nuts, honey, egg, vanilla, salt and baking soda.

For the muffins

• ⅔ cup cooking oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup sour milk or buttermilk
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups chopped fresh rhubarb
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• ½ cup honey
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the topping

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon butter

Keep the sugar for the batter separate from the sugar used for the topping.

What equipment should you prepare?

A muffin pan, two mixing bowls, measuring tools and a mixing spoon or spatula are the main items needed.

• Muffin pan
• Large and medium mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Whisk or fork
• Mixing spoon or spatula
• Knife and cutting board
• Toothpick for checking doneness
• Wire cooling rack, if available

Grease the muffin pan and preheat the oven before mixing the batter.

How do you make this muffin recipe?

Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, combine them gently, fold in the rhubarb and nuts, add the topping and bake.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease the cups of a muffin pan.

2. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl.

3. Mix the wet ingredients. Stir the cooking oil, honey, ½ cup sugar and egg together in a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Finish the batter. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the wet ingredients. Stir only until combined.

5. Add the rhubarb and nuts. Gently fold the chopped rhubarb and chopped nuts into the batter.

6. Fill the muffin pan. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

7. Add the topping. Top the batter with the mixture of ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon butter.

8. Bake the muffins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Begin checking the muffins near the lower end of the baking time.

9. Check for doneness. Insert a toothpick into a center muffin. It should come out without wet batter.

10. Cool the muffins. Cool them briefly in the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack.

What tips help muffins turn out well?

Careful measuring, gentle mixing, well-drained rhubarb and timely doneness checks help produce tender, evenly baked muffins.

• Measure the flour lightly instead of packing it into the measuring cup.
• Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Drain frozen rhubarb thoroughly before adding it to the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
• Begin checking the muffins for doneness at 35 minutes.
• Allow the muffins to cool before placing them in a covered container.

How should fresh rhubarb be prepared?

Use only the edible stalks, wash them well, remove the leaves and ends, and chop the stalks into small, even pieces.

• Discard all rhubarb leaves.
• Rinse the stalks under clean running water.
• Trim the ends and damaged areas.
• Chop the stalks into evenly sized pieces.

Rhubarb generally does not need to be peeled. Remove only unusually tough or stringy outer portions.

Red and green rhubarb stalks can both be used for baking. Color does not reliably indicate sweetness.

How do you keep the muffins tender?

Measure the flour carefully and stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Too much mixing can develop excess gluten and create tough or rubbery muffins. A few small lumps in the batter are acceptable.

Fold the rhubarb and nuts into the batter gently rather than beating or stirring them repeatedly.

How can you tell when the muffins are done?

The tops should look set, and a toothpick inserted into a center muffin should come out without wet batter.

The original recipe gives a baking time of 35 to 40 minutes at 325°F. Oven temperature, pan material and muffin size can affect the exact baking time.

A few moist crumbs on the toothpick are acceptable. Wet batter means the muffins need more time.

Which substitutions can be made?

Frozen rhubarb may replace fresh rhubarb when it is thawed and drained, but major ingredient changes require testing.

Can frozen rhubarb be used?

Yes. Thaw the rhubarb and drain away excess liquid before adding it to the batter.

Can regular milk replace buttermilk?

Regular milk does not provide the same acidity as buttermilk or sour milk. Because this recipe uses baking soda, changing the liquid may affect the rise and flavor.

Can honey replace all the sugar?

Not as a direct one-for-one substitution. Honey adds liquid and can change browning, sweetness and texture.

Can another flour be used?

Different flours absorb liquid and form structure differently. A complete flour replacement should be tested as a separate recipe variation.