A springtime muffin with pistachio and rhubarb
A springtime muffin with pistachio and rhubarb
Along with oat fiber, a wonder ingredient for low-carb baking
I have a muffin recipe for you this week and it’s sweet and light with springtime flavors of fresh rhubarb and pistachio. It checks all the boxes (low carb, gluten free, grain free) and the muffin batter comes together in a blender or food processor. It really couldn’t be easier!
Before I get to it I wanted to quickly say thank you so much for weighing in on my last newsletter! I enjoyed seeing the poll results— thank you for taking a few minutes to answer those questions. Your feedback is always appreciated and incredibly helpful as I plan out the types of recipes that would be the most valuable to you.
Earlier this week, I saw fresh rhubarb at the grocery store for the first time this year and picked some up (with zero plans for what I wanted to do with it). The next day, Posey and I decided to do some late-night baking and I realized I was completely out of almond flour. I remembered a Pinch of Yum pistachio loaf recipe that I had made a mental note to revisit one day and I was inspired to make something similar.
The base is a homemade pistachio “flour,” i.e. roasted/salted pistachios that are processed in a blender or food processor. It’s a nice changeup from almond flour and adds a light pistachio flavor to the muffins. I tossed in some fresh rhubarb for a little bit of tanginess to offset — hopefully not overpower— the sweet pistachio. To test this, I made a half batch with rhubarb and a half batch plain and my family liked the muffins with rhubarb more (but feel free to omit the rhubarb if you’re just not a fan). I should also note that they are kid-approved, taste-tested by my own kids along with my friend’s four-year-old daughter. 😉
This recipe is easy to make, easy to adapt with your own favorite mix-ins (raspberries, chocolate chips, etc.), and I believe has the potential to even work as a sweet bread, baked in a loaf pan.
Pistachio rhubarb muffin recipe
A quite note before I get to the recipe…
I have been baking more with oat fiber and it’s one of the ingredients in these muffins. Are you familiar with it?
Oat fiber is the outer husk of oats, ground down to a fine powder. It’s an insoluble fiber that gives low-carb baked goods a better crumb and an oat-y flavor. Since it’s pure fiber added, it helps reduce the total net carbs, too.
Here’s something similar to what I have, which you can purchase on Amazon. It’s extra absorbent and a little bit goes a long way! If you’re not used to baking with oat flour, I recommend giving it a try. It can help you achieve a tighter, more bread-like crumb for low-carb baked goods.
Ingredients:
1 cup roasted and salted shelled pistachios
1/2 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup oat fiber
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
a heaping 1/2 cup of small-chopped rhubarb (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a standard-sized muffin tin with parchment paper cups.
Add the pistachios and monkfruit sweetener to a high-powered blender or food processor. Pulse several times to break down the nuts into a fine meal.
Add the chunks of cold butter to the pistachio/sweetener mix. Pulse several times to combine.
Add the eggs, almond milk and vanilla extract. Pulse/blend on low speed to mix the ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula, then pulse a few more times.
Next, add the coconut flour, oat fiber and baking powder. Pulse again (or blend on low speed) until the batter is well mixed.
Stir in the chopped rhubarb (you can either do this directly in the blender or transfer the batter to a large bowl if that’s easier).
Scoop large spoonfuls of batter into the muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 of the way full. Tip: a large ice cream scoop makes this very easy.
Transfer to the oven and bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes in the muffin tin, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
This recipe makes 12, standard-sized muffins.
I used a granulated monk fruit sweetener blend with allulose (and not erythritol). You can swap in your own favorite low-carb sweetener as long as it’s a 1:1 sugar substitute.
If you decide to swap out the rhubarb with a sweeter add-in like fresh raspberries or dark chocolate, I recommend using 3/4 cup of the sweetener instead of a full cup.
I prefer these stored in the fridge after the first day, especially since the rhubarb adds extra moisture to the muffins.
Salted butter is my favorite type of butter to bake with. If you have unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the batter in Step 5 above.
If you’re baking these in a silicone muffin pan, they may bake quicker. Check them after about 15 minutes.
More recipe inspiration
I just updated my keto Italian meatballs recipe with new pictures and lots of extra tips including ingredient substitutions and different cooking methods. It’s great with a classic tomato sauce and a fun one for “finger food night” (a favorite dinner theme in our house).
Here are a few other recipes that are getting lots of love over on Stem and Spoon lately!
Savory Cottage Cheese Bowls (with smoked salmon, fresh veggies and dill)
Gluten-free and Low-carb Banana Muffins (for that one lonely, overly-ripe banana you don’t want to toss)
Paprika Chicken Thighs (see comment below!)
This recipe will definitely go into our rotation. It's quick and easy to prepare and is absolutely delicious. The gravy makes me want to lick my plate clean! Make sure you use a meat thermometer; a couple of the thighs took a bit longer to cook than the stated time. I don't see how anyone could not like this dish!
-Janice (for Creamy Paprika Chicken Thighs)
By the way, I’m currently trying to troubleshoot why new comments aren’t being shown on the website under the recipe cards, but I am seeing them on the backend. I hope to get that resolved this week!
If you have any questions about the muffins, let me know! I hope you enjoy them and have a great rest of your week!
Abby