Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Muffins (gluten-free & vegan)

Manjela HaverlandDessert, RecipesLeave a Comment

Hello everybody and welcome to my blog!

Today I am sharing my favourite rhubarb recipe. Rhubarb is a highly underestimated vegetable. Many people claim to not like rhubarb. My husband used to be one of them. These days he claims: "I don't like rhubarb unless my wife makes it". Oh how I love when he does that...

The thing with rhubarb is though, that it contains oxalic acid which draws calcium from our bodies. However when you buy it organic and only field grown during rhubarb season (from April to the end of June) the amount of oxalic acid is lower. After the 24th of June the amount rises and rhubarb season ends. Furthermore you're better of pealing rhubarb as most of the oxalic acid is in its peal and in vegan baking, you should make sure to use a plant milk that contains calcium.

Rhubarb is a great example of why I think is important to buy your vegetables and fruits seasonal. First of all they taste so much better. Like SO MUCH! If anyone ever tasted strawberries out of season they know what I'm talking about...

Strawberry rhubarb crumble muffins

Buying fruits and vegetables out of season doesn't only come with a deduction in taste and vitamins it also puts a huge strain on agriculture. Strawberries for example are pretty much available year round by now. But if they are out of season they are usually grown in southern Europe, grown in greenhouses or under plastic foil. This form of agriculture produces a lot more emissions than regional and seasonal agriculture. Greenhouses are often in dry countries. Fruits like strawberries need a lot of water, so they have to be watered, which wastes a lot of water in already dry countries. Furthermore greenhouses often have to be heated in order to be warm enough to produce fruits out of season, which also causes emissions. While fruits and vegetables in season just require sunlight. And lastly they have to be transported hundreds and hundreds of kilometers which makes the amount of emissions ridiculously high. Buying fruits out of season means using your money to support this from of agriculture... All of this makes one big reason why I rather buy my fruits in vegetables in season, preferably from a local farmer.

strawberry rhubarb crumble muffins

The other reason is that I feel it is a much more holistic approach to food. We are all part of a natural cycle. Seasons come and go as much as our seasons in live come and go. And for all my female readers out there being part of a cycle is a little more obvious anyway. Well I guess for some this is more unconscious for others more conscious. Either way we are part of it. And as much as everything else fruits and vegetables come in seasons and in order to keep connected with the cycles of life and nature I buy my fruits and vegetables seasonal.

So yes I love strawberries. Very much to be honest. But does this mean I have to have them year round? No for me it doesn't. Strawberries grow in spring and summer. This is when they are deep red,full of sweet juice and sunshine, sometimes so ripe that their sweet scent fills the air and lingers on your skin after harvesting them. When I eat strawberries I want that, all of that. And I simply can't get this from a bunch of strawberries that have been grown in a green house without any sunlight and have then been to hell and back until they finally find their way into an aisle in a store. Life happens in the here and now and strawberries happen in strawberry season!

strawberry rhubarb crumble muffins

Now let's share these muffins. As I mentioned I love rhubarb, but I love rhubarb with strawberries even more. It's such a flavorful combo. This year I am also loving almonds. So these muffins are just the perfect tripple. I usually try to cut down on sugar wherever I can. But ass rhubarb is quite sour, I find it hard to completely omit it.... These are not super sweet anyway. So if you like your baked goods very sweet consider a little extra sugar or top them of with a simple sugar glaze. And if you really really don't like rhubarb just use the double amount of strawberries and you'll have strawberry crumble muffins... Enjoy!

Makes: 12 Prep     Time: 20 min       Baking Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

For the Muffins:

1 cups thinly sliced strawberries

1 cup thinly sliced rhubarb

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegan butter

2 flex eggs

2 1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

For the Topping:

3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

  1.  Prepare your flex eggs and set a side. Prepare rhubarb and strawberries and set them aside. Add one tablespoon of sugar to the rhubarb, mix and set aside.

  2. In a medium size bowl  mix  all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients together.

  3. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in strawberries and rhubarb.

  4. Divide batter evenly in your muffin pan and set aside.

  5.  Now prepare the crumbs: in a small ingredients combine all ingredients apart from the almonds. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the batter and press them slightly into the batter.

  6.  Sprinkle almonds over your muffins and press them slightly into the batter as well.

  7.  Bake for about 20 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely on a wire rack. They will be very soft until they are cooled. That's normal, but I do recommend to let them cool. 

strawberry rhubarb crumble muffins

If you tried this, please let me now how you liked it in the comment section down below and if you want to get notified about more recipes like this, a subscription is just three clicks away.

And if you wanna know more about why I buy my food seasonal check out my "why I buy my food seasonal " post or head over to the "FAQ".

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