Healthy Apple, Date and Walnut Muffins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These fiber-rich whole wheat muffins, made with apples, dates, chickpeas and walnuts are a delicious and healthy way to start the day.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) chopped apples
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk or nonfat milk
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable or light olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) finely chopped pitted dates, divided
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with vegetable cooking spray or line with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, mix together both the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
- Place the chopped apples, chickpeas, applesauce, milk, oil, ginger, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the dates in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Add this puree to dry ingredients and mix gently until all the flour has been incorporated. If the mixture is too dry, add a small amount of additional milk. Batter should be thick but wet. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup dates and chopped walnuts.
- Divide mixture among prepared muffin cups. Top each with a walnut half if you like.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean,about 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 200
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this muffin recipe include canned chickpeas?
The 1 cup of rinsed chickpeas is blended with the apples, applesauce, milk, oil, ginger, and half the dates into a smooth puree that replaces eggs and extra fat. This is what makes the muffins high in fiber and protein while keeping them moist — the chickpeas are invisible in the finished texture but contribute both structure and nutrition.
Why are the dates split — half blended, half folded in whole?
The first 1/2 cup of finely chopped dates goes into the blender with the wet ingredients to sweeten the puree and add body. The second 1/2 cup is folded in with the walnuts after the batter is mixed, so you get distinct pockets of chewy, caramel-sweet date pieces in each muffin.
Regarding the ingredient that says: ” ? cup vegetable or light olive oil”. Is it supposed to say one (1) rather than the question mark? Thanks.
How much oil works best with this recipe? It looks great.