These rhubarb muffins have a gooey cheesecake filling, are topped with a sticky tangy rhubarb filling and a crisp buttery crumble. The combination of rhubarb, vanilla, and orange give these rhubarb muffins the best flavor ever! Plus, the fluffy muffin, gooey cream cheese, sticky rhubarb, and crisp crumble, make each muffin a textural experience. The muffins bake up large and tall, just like the ones at the bakery. You don't need an electric mixer for any of the components! Just a wire whisk. But between you and me, you could get away with a fork for whisking.
I've tested over 6 versions of rhubarb muffins and these are THE BEST rhubarb muffins out there.
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☕ Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Bakery style muffins: Large, fluffy, and packed full of fillings and flavor!
- Gooey cream cheese filling: The cream cheese filling only requires a few ingredients and a spoon to mix it together. It's the most perfect, gooey, cheesecake muffin filling.
- Sticky rhubarb topping: Rhubarb is cooked down with some orange juice, making sure each muffin is packed full of tart, mouthwatering rhubarb flavor.
- Crumble: An easy buttery crumble topping adds a delicious textural element to these rhubarb muffins!
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Rhubarb: Fresh or frozen rhubarb works great! I've used both options in this recipe and they both work great. Make my rhubarb custard trifle if you have an abundance of rhubarb.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Orange: I used the orange zest in the muffin batter and the orange juice in the rhubarb topping. Orange and rhubarb are one of my favorite flavor combinations, they pair together so well! I paired them together in my rhubarb cheesecake recipe as well.
Cream cheese: Full fat brick style cream cheese will work best, but low fat will also work. This isn't a cheesecake where you want the cream cheese to set. You want a gooey, cheesy center so low fat or spreadable cream cheese will work in a pinch.
Butter: Melted butter is added into the muffin batter and softened butter is used in the crumble. I used unsalted butter, but if you use salted butter, I'd recommend omitting the salt because the muffins may get too salty.
Oil: A touch of oil makes these muffins more tender, without taking away from the buttery flavor. You can use any neutral oil like light olive, grapeseed, or canola. For a more robust flavor, opt for an extra virgin olive oil to get a hint of grassiness.
Sour cream: I added a touch of sour cream into the cheesecake filling to make it softer and more gooey, and some goes into the muffin batter. You can substitute it with plain Greek yogurt if you prefer a lighter, tangier version.
👩🍳 How to make rhubarb muffins
Rhubarb orange muffin filling step by step
Step 1: Wash and grate the zest of the orange into a separate bowl. Juice the orange into a medium saucepan.
Step 2: Add the rhubarb and sugar into the medium saucepan with the orange juice. Heat on medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb softens and the sauce thickens.
Remove it from heat and let it cool while you make the muffin batter.
Rhubarb muffin batter step by step
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 385°F (195°C). In a large bowl, combine sugar and the grated orange zest. Mix and rub the mixture together with your fingertips until fragrant and orange in color.
Step 2: Add the eggs to the orange sugar and whisk together with a wire whisk until a little thick and frothy. This takes about one minute.
Step 3: Add the melted butter, oil, Greek yogurt, milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk well together.
Step 4: Sift flour and baking powder into the bowl. Stir together just until combined. Set the batter aside to rest in the fridge while you work on the cheesecake filling and crumble.
Muffin cream cheese filling and crumble step by step
Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream until creamy and combined. Transfer the cream cheese filling into a plastic food bag or a piping bag.
Step 2: Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until combined and crumbly.
Step 3: Add tulip or lotus parchment liners into a regular muffin tin. I recommend using every alternate hole so that the muffins have space to spread. Add ⅓ cup of muffin batter into each liner.
Step 4: Then, insert the piping bag with cheesecake filling halfway into the batter and squeeze out about two tablespoons. You'll see the muffin batter expand.
Step 5: Add a heaping tablespoon of rhubarb sauce and a generous sprinkle of the crumble.
Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven (385°F or 195°C) for 20-22 minutes. The muffins will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the side comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.
Don't insert the toothpick into the center because the cheesecake batter will always be wet and will coat the toothpick, making it appear under baked. The crumble should be lightly golden brown.
✔️ Expert muffin tips
- Use parchment bakery style muffin liners like lotus or tulip liners. They're most affordable when you buy them at the grocery store but you could also buy bakery style muffin liners online.
- Bake in alternative muffin holes: This gives the muffins plenty of space to rise and expand in the oven.
- Be generous with the crumble: Crumble tends to melt into the muffins so add a lot to get a good crunch.
- Full up the muffin liners: This will give you larger, bakery style, rhubarb muffins.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
You can make these rhubarb muffins ahead of time and store them in the fridge or freezer. They do need to be stored chilled because of the cream cheese filling.
Pop them into an airtight bag or container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to reheat them gently in the oven (or microwave) and enjoy them warm. This way the butter inside the batter softens and the cream cheese center becomes all gooey again.
🍳 Is it worth cooking rhubarb down for muffins?
I've tested many rhubarb muffins all through rhubarb season, and this one is THE BEST one. Rhubarb muffins where uncooked rhubarb is folded right into the batter just didn't taste very vibrant and bright. It ended up turning into a sour, soggy mess. By cooking the rhubarb into a sauce with sugar and orange juice, you get a sticky and tangy topping that's packed with rhubarb flavor. It gives these rhubarb muffins the BEST rhubarb flavor. Trust me! I've tested and tasted over 6 versions of rhubarb muffins and these take the cake. Or should I say, the cupcake.
📖 Recipe FAQs
These muffins are filled with cream cheese and since cream cheese doesn't rise as much as muffin batter, they do sink a bit in the center. The rhubarb sauce and the crumble help cover up the sunk in center so you don't really notice it!
Yes you can. Fresh or frozen rhubarb will both work great. I used frozen rhubarb.
Substitute the all purpose flour in this recipe with 1:1 gluten free flour.
Yes, you can add a tablespoon of jam onto each muffin instead of the rhubarb sauce. This is a great shortcut!
Yes you can, just remove the cheesecake mixture from the recipe.
🍊 More muffin and rhubarb recipes
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📖 Recipe
Rhubarb Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling and Crumble
Equipment
- wire whisk
Ingredients
Rhubarb Filling
- 1 orange zested and juiced (save the zest for the muffin batter)
- 2 cups rhubarb cut into pieces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Muffins
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup neutral oil or light olive oil
- ½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour 270g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Crumble
- 1 cup all purpose flour 120g
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Rhubarb Filling
- Wash and grate the zest of the orange into a separate bowl. Juice the orange into a medium saucepan.1 orange
- Add the rhubarb and sugar into the medium saucepan with the orange juice. Heat on medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb softens and the sauce thickens.2 cups rhubarb, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Remove it from heat and let it cool while you make the muffin batter.
Muffin Batter
- Preheat the oven to 385°F (195°C). In a large bowl, combine sugar and the grated orange zest. Mix and rub the mixture together with your fingertips until fragrant and orange in color.1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs to the orange sugar and whisk together with a wire whisk until frothy. This takes about one minute.2 large eggs
- Add the melted butter, oil, Greek yogurt, milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk well together.½ cup butter, ¼ cup neutral oil, ½ cup sour cream, ⅓ cup milk, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Sift flour and baking powder into the bowl. Stir together just until combined. Set the batter aside to rest in the fridge while you work on the cheesecake filling and crumble.2 ¼ cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream until creamy and combined.6 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Transfer the cream cheese filling into a plastic food bag or a piping bag.
Crumble
- Combine flour, sugar, butter, and salt in a bowl. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until combined and crumbly.1 cup all purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Assembly
- Add tulip or lotus parchment liners into a regular muffin tin. I recommend using every alternate hole so that the muffins have space to spread.
- Add ⅓ cup of muffin batter into each liner. Then, insert the piping bag with cheesecake filling halfway into the batter and squeeze out about two tablespoons. You'll see the muffin batter expand. Add a heaping tablespoon of rhubarb sauce and a generous sprinkle of the crumble.
- Bake in the preheated oven (385°F or 195°C) for 20-22 minutes. The muffins will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the side comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. Don't insert the toothpick into the center because the cheesecake batter will always be wet and will coat the toothpick, making it appear underbaked. The crumble should be lightly golden brown.
Notes
- Use parchment bakery style muffin liners like lotus or tulip liners.
- Bake in alternative muffin holes for the muffins to have enough space to expand and spread in the oven
- Be generous with the crumble on top
- Full up the muffin liners for larger, bakery style muffins
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