Whole Wheat Date Walnut Muffins
These Whole Wheat Date Walnut Muffins are easy to make, delicious, and healthy. They are a source of fiber and a great grab-and-go breakfast.
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 267kcal
Equipment
- Nut Chopper optional, but useful to get uniformly chopped nuts
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pitted dates coarsely chopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup walnut halves or pieces (see note)
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup buttermilk (see note)
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil (or other neutral-flavored cooking oil)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Add the chopped dates, 1 cup boiling water, and 1 teaspoon baking soda to a medium bowl and stir gently. Let sit until the dates are softened, about 15-30 minutes. Proceed with the recipe while you're waiting.
- Turn on the oven to 350°F and prepare a muffin pan by lining the cups with paper liners or greasing the cups generously with baking spray or cooking oil. Set the pan aside.
- Add the 1 cup walnut halves or pieces to a small skillet over medium heat. Toast the walnuts, shaking the pan occasionally until the walnuts are fragrant and beginning to brown. Cool the walnuts slightly until they are cool enough to handle. Using a nut chopper or large chef's knife, chop the walnuts. Set them aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt (also buttermilk powder, if that's what you're using). Set aside.
- Once the dates are softened, stir in the 2/3 cup buttermilk (or water if using powdered buttermilk), 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup canola oil, and 1 large egg. Fold the date mixture into the flour mixture until no dry bits remain. Gently fold in the chopped walnuts (optional - reserve about 1/4 of the walnuts to sprinkle on the tops of the muffins).
- Using a large spoon or scoop, fill the prepared muffin cups. The batter should be just enough to fill 12 medium-large muffin cups to almost full. Bake the muffins until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (it's ok if a couple of crumbs are clinging to the toothpick), about 25-30 minutes.
- Cool the muffins in the cups for about 5-10 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and cool completely at room temperature. Store any leftovers in a large freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Notes
Instead of walnuts, you could use pecans (follow the same instructions for toasting) instead. Or, in the case of a nut allergy, I would suggest using unsalted pumpkin seeds instead.
If you don't have any buttermilk, you can use plain yogurt, a mixture of plain Greek yogurt and milk (about half of each), 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice with milk up to 2/3 cup, or powdered buttermilk (use 2 Tablespoons and 2/3 cup water in this case). To make these muffins dairy-free, use your favorite dairy-free plain yogurt instead of buttermilk.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg
