These tender keto rhubarb muffins are a wonderful breakfast treat. Simple to make and studded with fresh rhubarb, they are also completely nut-free and have less than 3g net carbs per serving.
I look forward to rhubarb season every year with great anticipation. It’s is one of my favorite flavors in the whole world, and I particularly love baking with it. And I know there is a large cult of us rhubarb-lovers out there.
When people ask me what it tastes like, all I can say is that it tastes like rhubarb. It’s utterly unique and can’t quite be described. You simply have to try it for yourself.
Lucky for me, rhubarb contains very few carbohydrates, making it ideal for recipes like keto rhubarb crisp. And my keto dump cake with strawberries and rhubarb is delectable.
Now I’ve baked it into some delicious muffins for an easy keto breakfast recipe!
Is rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable?
In terms of botanical classification, rhubarb is definitely a vegetable. It’s a stalky red plant with large green leaves, and the stalks are the edible portion.
But in cooking, we most often treat rhubarb as a fruit, using it primarily in desserts and baked goods. Even in savory recipes, it’s usually cooked with sugar, honey, or other sweeteners to offset the natural tartness.
And that’s where rhubarb shines. Just a little sweetener brings out that incredibly unique, indescribable flavor.
Ingredients
This is a coconut flour recipe, so it’s completely nut-free. I also made it dairy-free, but gave you the option to use dairy in the recipe itself. You will need:
- Coconut flour
- Keto sweetener – I used Swerve Brown
- Protein powder – Egg white or whey protein
- Baking powder
- Cardamom and/or cinnamon
- Salt
- Eggs
- Avocado oil – You can use butter if you prefer
- Coconut cream – Heavy cream is a good alternative
- Vanilla extract
- Rhubarb
How to make keto rhubarb muffins
- Line the muffin pan: I always recommend silicone or parchment liners for keto muffin recipes, as they have a tendency to stick to paper liners.
- Slice the rhubarb: I recommend thin slices, no more than 1/2 inch thick, for better distribution.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Make sure to break up any clumps in the coconut flour and the sweetener.
- Add the wet ingredients: Stir until the mixture is nice and smooth.
- Fold in the rhubarb until well distributed.
- Divide between the prepared muffin cups: They should be about 3/4 full.
- Top each with another slice of rhubarb: This is just a little garnish for visual appeal.
- Bake until golden: Remember to let them cool completely in the pan.
- Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you would prefer an almond flour muffin, try using my Bakery Style Keto Muffins as the base. Leave out the chocolate chips and stir in the rhubarb in its place.
No, you don’t have to do anything. But if you want truly light, fluffy muffins that rival their non-keto counterparts, protein powder is a must. Please watch my YouTube video to see just how much of a difference it makes.
Absolutely. Simply thaw the rhurbarb and drain it. You might also consider tossing it with another tablespoon of coconut flour to soak up some of the excess moisture before adding to the muffin batter.
If you don’t like or have any cardamom, just use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. But I have to say, cardamom and rhubarb are delicious together!
Store the muffins in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze really nicely and will last in a ziploc bag for up to two months. Remove as much air from the bag as possible before freezing.
More keto coconut flour recipes
- Easy Coconut Flour Pancakes
- The Best Keto Chocolate Cupcakes
- Keto Coconut Cake
- Sweet Keto Blueberry Bread
- Keto Zucchini Muffins
- Coconut Flour Sandwich Bread
- Coconut Flour Strawberry Muffins
And make sure to read my tutorial on Baking with Coconut Flour!
Keto Rhubarb Muffin Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (67 g) plus 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) Swerve Brown, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup (27 g) egg white protein powder, (or whey protein powder)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (72.67 g) avocado oil, or melted butter
- 1/3 cup (80 g) coconut cream, or heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (244 g) thinly sliced rhubarb
- 12 slices rhubarb for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with 12 silicone or parchment paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure to break up any clumps before adding the wet ingredients.
- Stir in the eggs, oil, coconut cream, and vanilla extract, then fold in the chopped rhubarb.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups and top with a slice of rhubarb.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and the tops are set to the touch. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
Nutrition
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This recipe is incredible! The cardamom is brilliant… reminds me of my late Mum’s Christmas cardamom cookies. I think I shed a nostalgic tear or two. Then I packed them up and took them to share with my friends, so now it’s a fan club, a movement, a spiced breath following! Hehehe
I didn’t have or want the spices so I did without them and did the heavy cream instead of coconut cream. I love these, so moist and fluffy and delicious.
Meh. Edible but kinda too moist & eggy, so not making again. But after 7 years on keto, I’ve only found one good muffin recipe, so understandable.
Being on keto and seeing the fresh rhubarb grow in the garden dreaming of strawberry rhubarb pie and missing the sweet flavours….and then coming across this recipe for muffins (without strawberry of course)….made them yesterday and yuuuuuuuumy!!! Was so good the cardamom (which I used for the first time) and rhubarb like stated in the recipe are amazing together…it’s like a nice warmth/spice that brings out the sweetness of the rhubard without the added carbs….mmmm
Ps I’m making another batch…or maybe two hehe
Thank you for the recipe!
Great to hear!
Tastes amazing! Thank you for the tips on using frozen rhubarb, I also mixed in the 1TBS of coconut flour and it was not soggy! I skipped the muffin tin and used 9×13 pan, and just adjusted the baking time. Will be making again 😁
Loved these! Subbed coconut oil, Lakanto golden monkfruit and blueberries. I knew the berries would add moisture, so I reduced the liquid
Just perfect!
I have a problem with protein powder, do you have a suggestion for a substitute?
You can skip it but they won’t rise as nicely.
I just made these and they turned out perfect! I have to say that I was a little doubtful because of how little flour and how watery the batter was but I trust your immense skill! They have a lovely texture and so satisfying! I only had 6 silicone cup liners so for the other six I greased with coconut oil. I have to say that the ones without the liners were better because they browned more, I would ad the caveat that I have an expensive muffin pan, and nothing has ever stuck in it, it’s very worth the investment.
Thanks for all you hard work, I love your recipies!!
So I love these muffins, but they always come out overly moist for me. I take them out of the oven at about 22 minutes, when I can touch them without leaving a dent. What am I doing wrong?
Is it the rhubarb, perhaps? Are you using frozen?
Absolutely amazing! Rhubarb grows in our yard but I’ve never done anything with it. I picked some in the beginning of the season but life got in the way and it went to waste. The other day I picked a second round snd made these. The hubby and I LOVED them! Thank you for all you do to keep us happy with our special diet!
Wonderful muffin recipe. I was worried I’d taste the coconut flour, but didn’t at all. These muffins are light and fluffy. A perfect recipe.
Great to hear!
These sound delish! I had no idea rhubarb is technically a vegetable. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Really loved this! Thank you so much for sharing this very flavorful recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious!
These muffins are totally irresistible! Everyone at my house enjoyed it!
Could I substitute almond flour for the coconut flour?
Please use one of my almond flour based muffin recipes to do so… it’s not simply a matter of switching the flours, the whole recipe has to be restructured.
So if I don’t have cardamom would I use 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon?
Is the egg white protein powder just to increase the protein content, or does it contribute to the consistency? Having a hard time tracking it down. Could collagen powder work in its place? Love your recipes!!
You must be new to my recipes! 🙂 the protein powder helps baked goods rise and hold their shape (gluten is a protein, that’s part of what it does). Collagen typically doesn’t work as it can make them gummy. But you can use whey protein.
I will have to try these when I find rhubarb. I grew up on straight rhubarb pies, with a lattice crust, the only thing besides biscuits that I remember my mother baking. Rhubarb is my second-favorite tart pie filling – gooseberries are the first. But I’m sure that rhubarb will be my favorite choice for a muffin with tartness. I’ve never had rhubarb paired with cardamom before, so it will be interesting to try it.