You are going to love this recipe for rhubarb banana muffins because they are moist and delicious! In my personal opinion, the key is to make these with sweet, overripe bananas.
These muffins are sweetened with honey (and banana) and the base is whole wheat flour, making the ultimate healthy rhubarb muffins that taste incredible! This recipe can be made into muffins or banana rhubarb bread.
I make muffins almost weekly for the whole family and some for the freezer, they are easy to batch prep and pull out as a healthy snack. This is a spring or summer favorite when our rhubarb is ripe. When I have leftover rhubarb, I will also make these pretty pink rhubarb oat bars!
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Reasons you'll love these muffins:
- These rhubarb muffins are healthy! They are made with honey instead of sugar, and the base is whole wheat flour.
- These healthy muffins are toddler-friendly, just like my recipe for oat flour blackberry muffins! Meaning, less sugar, and I've tested these muffins for snack time with toddlers and they are a hit.
- This is another awesome idea to use brown bananas!
Ingredients for healthy rhubarb muffins
- Melted coconut oil: I use melted coconut oil for these banana rhubarb muffins. Other oils or melted butter could be used in replacement.
- Honey: To sweeten the loaf without sugar, I use honey (and banana), and it complements the rhubarb so well. If you have thick or hard honey, I recommend warming it up and melting it before using it in this recipe.
- Bananas: Use bananas with brown spots as they are sweeter! I have tested this recipe with frozen bananas, and it worked great! Just thaw two frozen bananas, mash them, and use them and any liquid from them.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon is important in this recipe, it brings it all together - the rhubarb and banana into a burst of flavour.
- Whole Wheat Flour or white flour: I have tested this recipe using just whole wheat and just white flour; either works. Alternatively, you can make these muffins with a mix of both flours. I like to use whole wheat because it is much more nutrient-dense, but if you want them to be lighter, I recommend doing half white and half whole wheat.
- Rhubarb: Fresh rhubarb is the key feature of these banana muffins, making a lovely tangy taste and a beautiful color. After testing, chopping rhubarb into smaller ½ inch sized pieces, I found that it works the best for flavour and moisture. (Have lots of rhubarb? Try my kids' favourite fruit leather recipe!)
- Coconut sugar or brown sugar: On top, I like to sprinkle a few tablespoons of coconut sugar or brown sugar. If you want fewer sweeteners, you can omit the sugar!
Optional add-ins
Give your rhubarb banana muffins a twist by adding these ingredients!
- Chocolate Chips: Add ½ cup of chocolate chips when you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Walnuts: Add ½ cup walnuts when you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Cardamom: Add 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients for an awesome rhubarb cardamom flavour!!
- Strawberries instead of rhubarb: Like this recipe, but we are out of rhubarb season? Use chopped destemmed strawberries instead of chopped rhubarb to make banana strawberry muffins.
How to make banana rhubarb muffins
Follow the step-by-step photos from my kitchen to make these muffins in your kitchen! For specific ingredient quantities, look in the recipe card below.
Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (215 C). In a mixing bowl, mix together the melted honey, melted coconut oil, eggs and mashed banana.
In another bowl, put the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the chopped rhubarb to the flour mix (adding in the rhubarb now prevents it from sinking in the muffins).
Gently fold the dry mix into the wet ingredients just until mixed. This is the key to getting muffins or quick bread to rise well.
Grease a muffin tray. Add just less than ⅓ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 7 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (215 C), then turn the oven down to 350 Fahrenheit (175 C) for 24-26 more minutes until fully baked in the centre.
Danika's tips for the best healthy rhubarb muffins
- Use ripe bananas with brown spots because this increases the flavor and sweetness of the muffins! If your bananas are still just yellow, here's my method to quickly ripen bananas in 15 minutes and use them for baking!
- Place the rhubarb in the flour to prevent sinking. Before adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, add the chopped rhubarb to the flour mixture. Coating the rhubarb with flour will make sure it is evenly distributed through the muffins and not all at the bottom!
- Don't overmix the batter. When making muffins or a quick sweet loaf, it is important to only mix the wet with the dry just until incorporated. This helps everything rise well and not become dense!
- Wait 5-10 minutes before removing muffins from the pan. If they are removed too soon, they can fall apart.
Make these muffins into banana rhubarb bread
Using the same batter, bake it in a greased loaf pan. You will need to bake this banana rhubarb bread at 350 Fahrenheit (176 C) for 60-65 minutes until the center is fully cooked. Let it cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan. Keep it in an airtight container or wrap it in tin foil once it is cool. It freezes well.
I have tested this recipe as a loaf. I think the muffins are best the first day or for the freezer; however, the banana rhubarb bread tastes great if you enjoy it over 3-4 days.
FAQ
I did some research and discovered rhubarb is ripe when it is 7-15 inches long, between late April and July. The color red, pink, or green does not relate to when rhubarb is ready, as it differs depending on the variety, but rhubarb is ripe from spring through early summer.
The best way to store muffins is in a sealed bag or an airtight container. They will be good for about 4 days if kept cool and out of direct sunlight. If they are fruit muffins, keep a paper towel in the bag or container to soak up any moisture. If you want to keep muffins fresh longer, freeze the muffins for up to six months in an airtight bag or container.
Yes, this recipe is considered healthy rhubarb banana muffins. This is because we are using honey and bananas to sweeten the bread. Eggs and coconut oil are a healthy source of fat. Whole wheat flour and rhubarb are good sources of fibre. This is a great healthy snack for the week or to feed toddlers!
I created an eCookbook for prepping snacks! This was designed to set aside a block of time weekly or monthly to batch prep wholesome snacks.
It's all freezer-friendly recipes, with a clear plan (grocery list too!) to make the most of a two-hour time block in the kitchen!
Delicious healthy rhubarb recipes
My blog is dedicated to the healthy snacks I make for my family. The ones that turn out and everyone likes I share on my blog. Here's our best rhubarb recipes.
🍌 Like this rhubarb banana muffin recipe? Let me know below the recipe! And give this recipe a star rating. I love hearing from you, and it helps others find and make this recipe!
Rhubarb Banana Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour white flour, or a mix of both
- 2 cup rhubarb chopped into ½ inch pieces (½ cup of it for topping)
Optional topping
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees farhrenhiet (215 C).
- Mix together the melted honey, oil, eggs and mashed banana.
- In another bowl put the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour and mix well. Chop the rhubarb to ½ inch pieces and add 1 ½ cups of rhubarb to the flour mix (leaving ½ cup for later).
- Dump the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and gently fold just until mixed. Grease or line a muffin tray with liners. Add ⅓ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Distribute the sugar and ½ cup remaining rhubarb on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 8 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (215 C), then turn the oven down to 350 Fahrenheit (175 C) for 10-15 more minutes until fully baked in the centre. After removing the muffins from the oven let them cool in the muffin pan for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the pan, then transfer the rhubarb banana muffins to a cooling rack to fully cool.
- Store in an airtight bag or container. Placing them on a paper towel in the bag or container will help absorb any extra moisture. They will stay good at room temperature for 2-3 days, then transfer to the fridge for 2-3 more days. Or freeze for up to six months.
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
John says
during rhubarb season I look for any and everything to mix with it. this recipe, was a big hit with my wife's work. the banana and liquid honey gave enough sweetness to tone down but not eliminate the sourness of the rhubarb...excellent easy to follow recipe with amazing results.
Thank You!
Danika Vanderpyl says
So glad to hear it was a big hit John. I appreciate you sharing your feedback.
Holly says
Could you replace the honey with more banana? I'd love to make it for my bebe but the honey is a no-go for us
Danika Vanderpyl says
Hi Holly, yep I think more banana or maple syrup would work just great!
Aileen says
I was looking for a recipe to use some rhubarb, and last summer I was all about your rhubarb oat bars, but these popped up in my email, so I decided to go for it! I was out of whole wheat flour, and I know I could have just used AP flour (as you noted in the recipe), but I decided this was the perfect time to bust out my flour mill! First time using it, and it worked great, and the muffins were delicious! Definitely toddler approved. I added some sliced almonds and really liked that texture in there as well.
Danika Vanderpyl says
Hehe and then my kids came over and ate them all?!....Glad you broke out the mill for this Aileen!