Rhubarb plays an unassuming role in these easy vegan raspberry and rhubarb muffins, providing a subtle background flavour that brings out the flavour of raspberries.
It also, of course, adds extra nutritional value alongside the fantastically healthy raspberries. Despite the significant amount of fruit these muffins contain (or, fruit and veg, to give rhubarb its proper status) – which is between a third and half of the ingredients by weight – the texture is light and soft.
Demerara sugar gives the muffins crisper tops, and a bit of sparkle.
It’s important with this recipe to have the oven up to temperature and cases ready and waiting in the muffin tin. Once you have combined all the ingredients they should go fairly quickly from bowl to tin to oven.
It also helps, unless you’re substituting fresh for frozen raspberries, to take them from the freezer at the last minute so that they keep their shape and don’t bleed into the mixture too much.
Vegan Raspberry and Rhubarb Muffins…
Ingredients
- 200 ml rhubarb puree (see below)
- 85 ml light olive oil
- 170 ml soya or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g golden caster (or other) sugar
- 200 g white self-raising flour
- 100 g wholemeal plain flour
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 1/2 level tsp baking soda
- 250 g frozen raspberries
- demerara sugar, for sprinkling
Method
- Make the rhubarb puree a little in advance. Slice 200g of rhubarb into 1-2 cm pieces and place in a pan with 150ml water. Bring to the boil and cook until the rhubarb breaks down into soft strands. The consistency needed for this recipe is similar to apple puree. You can reduce the mixture by simmering on the stove if it’s too thin or add a spoonful of water while cooking if it’s too thick. Set aside to cool. (This quantity of rhubarb will make around 200ml of puree, but measure it just in case. It won’t matter if it’s slightly less.)
- Set the oven to 200°C/390°F.
- Line a 12-muffin tin with paper cases.
- Whisk the cider vinegar and vanilla into the milk.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and rhubarb puree, then whisk in the milk mixture.
- Add the sugar to the liquids and mix well.
- Mix the flours, baking powder and soda in a separate bowl before sifting into the liquid mixture. Fold until just combined.
- Fold in the frozen raspberries until well distributed. Don’t over mix.
- Using two dessert spoons, transfer the mixture to the muffin cases, filling around 3/4 full. You don’t need to even the bumpy tops unless they are extremely lopsided.
- Sprinkle each muffin with demerara sugar before transferring to the oven.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top.
- Allow to cool.
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