Rhubarb Breakfast Muffins with Sourdough Discard

This Rhubarb Breakfast Muffin with Sourdough Discard can be made with fresh or frozen rhubarb. It’s a moist and tender muffin with hints of cinnamon and a great way to use sourdough discard. The oatmeal streusel topping gives these sourdough muffins the perfect brown sugar crunch! 

My kids love all kinds of muffins, but this rhubarb muffin is a welcome change when rhubarb season rolls around. Pair some tart rhubarb with leftover sourdough starter and you’ve got a delicious sourdough muffin recipe that your family will love! 

Why I love Seasonal Baking with Rhubarb

Are you a seasonal baker? I think there is something so beautiful about cooking and baking as the seasons change. Rhubarb is one of the first plants I can pick in my garden come spring. I have 2 different varieties of rhubarb growing in my garden and both can be used to make any kind of rhubarb dessert.

One thing I recently found out is that rhubarb leaves are toxic to humans and animals. You never want to ingest the leaves but they can serve other purposes. You can place the leaves around the base of the plant to keep weeds at bay. Some place the leaves around brassica plants and tomato plants to keep certain bugs at bay. Just cut the leaves off and use the stalks to make some delicious rhubarb muffins, rhubarb pie, rhubarb crumble, and all the rhubarb recipes your whole family loves. 

Helpful tip: How to Freeze Rhubarb

Anybody who has some rhubarb plants knows how much they like overproducing. Once I’ve made all the seasonal goods that my family loves the most, I will pick a tub full of rhubarb and freeze it. It’s so easy! Wash the stalks, and cut them lengthwise into the size you prefer for muffins or pie. Then chop them up. Spread them on a baking sheet and into the freezer to freeze dry. Once frozen, I scrape them off the tray and vacuum seal them in 2-cup or 4-cup bags for future use. It’s a good way to have rhubarb for the winter months! 

Baking with Sourdough Discard

​I feed my sourdough starter in a no-fuss low-maintenance way. I wrote about How To Feed a Starter Before Baking and Maintaining a Sourdough Starter in my Easy Fresh Milled Wheat Bread Recipe with Sourdough. By using this easy method, I rarely have leftover sourdough discard. Whenever I do end up with sourdough starter discard, I store it in the fridge until I plan on using it. If it has been in the fridge too long and it is really sour and runny, I will either throw it out or add it to a very forgiving recipe that doesn’t require an active starter. When making sourdough discard muffins, you can use discard that’s been in the fridge for a week or two. But when making a recipe like Sourdough Flatbread, it’s best to use sourdough discard that has been fed in the last few days. You can also use an active sourdough starter for either recipe.

Ingredients you’ll need for Sourdough Discard Rhubarb Muffins

Brown sugar – use dark brown sugar if you have it

Oil – Avacado oil, coconut oil, even melted butter. Avoid vegetable oil. 

Egg 

Vanilla Extract

Cream – I used whipping cream, but half and half would work as well

Flour – All-purpose flour

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

Salt

Cinnamon

Sourdough Discard

How to make Rhubarb Muffins with Sourdough Discard

1. Slice your fresh rhubarb and chop it into bite-size pieces. (If you are using frozen rhubarb, don’t let them thaw before using. Toss the frozen rhubarb with 1/4 cup of flour before adding them to the mixture. This will help absorb moisture.)

2. In a medium or large bowl, mix together brown sugar and oil, then add 1 egg and vanilla. Beat with a whisk until smooth.

3. Add in whipping cream.

4. Add sourdough discard into wet ingredients and whisk until well combined.

5. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and mix gently until you can’t see any more flour. 

6. Fold in rhubarb.

7. Fill the muffin cups and let the muffin batter sit while you make the oatmeal streusel for the topping.

 

8. Oatmeal Streusal: Whisk together flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon. Add softened butter and use a fork to mix everything together. Top each muffin with 1 tbsp streusel. 

9. Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. 

​10. Optional Glaze. Take a small bowl and add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tbsp milk. You can add the glaze to the top of the muffin while still warm. 

Mix it up with different fruit!

Substitute blueberries for rhubarb to make delicious Sourdough Blueberry Muffins. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins. You can substitute 1 cup of rhubarb for 1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries to make this into a seasonal strawberry rhubarb muffin! 

Want more family-friendly Sourdough Recipes?

Try my Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread or Sourdough Flatbread with or without sourdough discard.

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