Matcha Rhubarb Muffins

Rhubarb = spring as far as I’m concerned. And what is more springy than rhubarb paired with a green muffin? Green foods outside of vegetables like spinach or kale may seem unappealing to some, I get it. I also get that some people don’t like to eat anything green, and hey, absolutely no judgment from me. The only green thing I ate for the first many years of my life was peas. Anyway, the bright green color comes from matcha, a finely ground green tea. And that is the excuse I give Paxton as to why he can’t eat these muffins.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve found plenty of rhubarb at our local grocery store. I’ve made plenty of muffins and a couple of crumbles during that time. Yesterday, however, all I could get my hands on was two smallish stalks. I’ll figure out something to do with those. Maybe a half batch of these beautiful green muffins?

Matcha is one of those ingredients where a little can go a long way. The first time I made these muffins, I added way too much matcha for my tastes. I prefer the matcha when it is a little more subtle – enough for you to taste and identify as matcha, but not enough for the flavor to take over. If you enjoy the bitter earthiness of matcha, please do add a little extra (I give a range in the ingredients below). If you want a little more subtle flavor, add a little less.

If you have a stand mixer, this batter comes together in just a few minutes. Feel free to also use a hand mixer or to use a big spoon to mix by hand.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and matcha together in a bowl to remove any lumps.

Beat melted (and cooled) butter with brown sugar until creamy, then add the eggs and beat again. Mix in milk and vanilla.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Then, mix in the rhubarb.

Equally divide the batter between 12 lined or greased muffin cups. I prefer using a large cookie scoop so that there is the same amount of batter in each cup.

Side note: I didn’t feel like making a streusel topping with these so I could show off the beautiful color, but the extra crunch that the topping gives makes these even better. I suggest adding the streusel topping from the apple spice muffins, pumpkin muffins, fruit crumble, or even this pistachio topping from the strawberry rhubarb crumble to match the green. If you do add the streusel topping, add it now, pressing it down slightly to stick to the muffins.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 22 – 25 minutes. The edges will start to turn a light golden brown (with the slightest delicious crunch as they cool). You can test the inside doneness of the muffin with a toothpick or skewer (it should come out clean).

Cool on a wire rack for as long as you can. I know it can be difficult to wait, but we really don’t want any burned mouths around here. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Matcha Rhubarb Muffins

The earthiness of matcha is paired with the tartness of the rhubarb with a little extra sweetness in the muffin to round it out.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Servings: 12 muffins

Author: Rachel at Fridge Two Table

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour (whole wheat pastry flour or half whole wheat flour half all-purpose flour also work well)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 – 3 tsp matcha (I prefer about 1 ¾ tsp of matcha, use more or less per your taste)
• ½ cup butter, melted and cooled (1 stick)
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk (or buttermilk for that little extra tang)
• 2 cups small diced rhubarb

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin by greasing the cups or by using paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and matcha in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat the eggs and sugar together until creamy. Then add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the milk and vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Gently stir in the rhubarb.
• Equally divide the batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 22 – 25 minutes or until the edges start turning a light golden brown and the centers are baked through.
• Cool on a wire rack for as long as you can to prevent burning your toungu. Enjoy!

Notes

I didn’t feel like making a streusel topping with these so I could show off the beautiful color, but the extra crunch that the topping gives makes these even better. I suggest adding the streusel topping from the apple spice muffins, pumpkin muffins, fruit crumble, or even this pistachio topping from the strawberry rhubarb crumble to match the green. If you do add the streusel topping, add it in step 5, pressing it down slightly to stick to the muffins, before putting the muffins into the oven.