Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Muffins

I have been craving homemade muffins recently, so I thought I would make rhubarb muffins, and strawberries pair perfectly with rhubarb. I had also been craving cheesecake, so that's how the idea for these muffins came to be. If you still have rhubarb to use, make Air Fryer Rhubarb Crisp, Rhubarb Streusel Muffins, or Rhubarb Cookies next!

Jump to:

• What is rhubarb?
• Why we LOVE these strawberry and rhubarb cream cheese muffins
• Recipe Ingredients
• Ingredient Notes:
• How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
• Storage Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• More Delicious Recipes You'll Love
• If You Like This Recipe
• Printable Recipe
• Comments

What is rhubarb?

Rhubarb is a vegetable but was legally declared a fruit in New York in 1947. Like celery, it is sold at grocery stores or Farmers' Markets by the stalk. It is harvested between April and June.

The rhubarb stalks range from bright pink to light pink to pale green. The color is not an indicator of ripeness or sweetness like it is with other fruit. The stalks are the only edible part of the plant - the leaves are poisonous.

Why we LOVE these strawberry and rhubarb cream cheese muffins

These strawberry rhubarb muffins are one of my favorite muffins because:

• They are easy to make.
• They are a great way to use rhubarb.
• They are moist and full of flavor.
• The cream cheese filling is out of this world delicious!
• They are fancy enough to serve guests who come over for brunch or coffee or as a summer dessert.
• You can freeze them if you have any leftovers (which I doubt you will).

Recipe Ingredients

I have divided up the ingredients into muffin ingredients, cream cheese filling ingredients, and crumb topping ingredients.

Ingredient Notes:

• All-purpose flour. I wouldn't recommend whole wheat flour; it would make the muffin very dense and heavy.
• Baking powder, baking soda, and salt help the muffins rise and ensure all chemical reactions occur.
• Cane sugar. Granulated sugar or coconut sugar will also work.
• Yogurt. I used vanilla yogurt. Plain yogurt would also work. If you do not have yogurt, sour cream would also be a great substitution.
• Rhubarb, chopped into small pieces. I shredded mine in the food processor to get tiny little chunks; that way, the rhubarb is spread evenly throughout the muffin, and you won't get a large chunk of sour rhubarb.
• Strawberries, chopped into small pieces.
• Cream cheese. Take it out earlier to soften it at room temperature so it will become smooth with no lumps.
• Unsalted butter. I used cold butter for the streusel topping for a crumbly texture.
• Cinnamon. Do not leave this out; it adds an amazing flavor to the muffins.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities and a full list of ingredients.

How To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with liners or spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Cream butter, sugar, and oil in another bowl until smooth. Add the egg, yogurt, and vanilla extract and mix again. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Toss the chopped rhubarb and strawberries with flour, and add them to the muffin batter. Lightly mix the fruit in with a spoon. Do not overmix.

Step 4: Fill each muffin cup with batter about ⅔ full. Make the cream cheese filling by combining cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop one tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin.

Step 5: Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl, then mix in butter until crumbly. I usually use my hands to mix it. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of the strawberry muffins.

Step 6: Bake for about 15 minutes until the muffins start to turn a light golden color on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 7: Remove strawberry cheesecake muffins carefully from the muffin pan and place them on a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes. That's all there is to it. You can place chopped strawberries on top of the muffins to make the muffins look extra pretty. 😊

Storage Instructions

Once they are cool, you can place these muffins in an airtight container in the fridge. They will stay soft and delicious for about 3 or 4 days.

If you don't want to eat them all right away (as we did, we couldn't help ourselves; they were so good), you can wrap them individually in plastic wrap, once cooled, and place them in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer. Then, when you want one, pull it out of the freezer and defrost it anytime you want.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

That's all there is to it! We never get tired of these muffins; they are great for brunch, as a snack at 3 p.m., or as a dessert with supper. They go great with an Orange Julius, Delicious Iced Coffee, or Homemade Lemon Ginger Tea.

More Delicious Recipes You'll Love

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Printable Recipe