Apple, Date, and Walnut Muffins

There’s so much tasty goodness packed into each of these hearty Apple, Date, and Walnut Muffins! Moist and flavorful, the dates lend a touch of sweetness, and the walnuts add a nutty crunch. Great for breakfast or brunch or even for a light lunch, these delish apples are easy to make and oh-so-good!

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These may not be the prettiest muffins around, but they sure are some of the tastiest. Loaded with tart apples, sweet dates, and crunchy nuts, these Apple, Date, and Walnut Muffins are perfect for breakfast on the go, for leisurely brunches, or even for a quick lunch.

Packed with good-for-you ingredients and less sugar, these tasty muffins are also easy to bake. I love making them in the jumbo muffin tin – and this recipe will make 6 jumbo muffins – or you can make them in a traditional muffin tin and get a dozen smaller muffins.

The cinnamon and sugar topping puts these muffins over the top, infusing each bite with even more cinnamony goodness.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
• Baking powder – There’s a fair bit of baking powder in this recipe to get the dense batter to rise. Make sure your baking powder isn’t expired.
• Cinnamon – You’ll need some extra cinnamon for the topping.
• Salt – I use kosher salt.
• Butter – I use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon more salt to the recipe.
• Apple – Granny Smith apples are perfect in this recipe, or use another tart apple.
• Walnuts – Toasted and chopped
• Dates – Chopped. Make sure the pits are removed.
• Egg – Just 1 large egg.
• Milk – Whole milk or whatever you have on hand.
• Brown sugar – For the topping.

You’ll Also Need:

• Food processor
• Muffin tin – 6 or 12
• Cooking spray or muffin liners

How To Make The Best Apple, Date, and Walnut Muffins

1. Preheat your oven to 425-F and prepare a 6 or 12-cup muffin tin by spraying it with cooking spray or lining it with muffin liners.
2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it looks sandy and crumbly. You can also use a pastry blender but trust me, a food processor is faster and easier. Set aside 1/4 cup of this flour mixture for the topping.
3. Transfer the flour mixture to a large bowl and add the dates, diced apple, and walnuts. Mix well.
4. Whisk the egg and milk in a separate small bowl, then add it to the flour mixture, stirring until combined. The batter will be lumpy from the apples, nuts, and dates.
5. Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full.
6. Combine the reserved flour mixture with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Sprinkle this evenly over the tops of the unbaked muffins.
7. Bake the muffins at 425-F for about 15-20 minutes for jumbo muffins or about 10 minutes for regular-sized muffins.
8. Let cool and enjoy!

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• Did you know baking powder can expire? It can, and it won’t have the same leavening (rising) power if it is fresh.
• Fresh spices make all the difference. Grind your own cinnamon if you’re flexing your inner chef.
• Don’t like walnuts? Try this apple muffin recipe with pecans instead.
• Don’t dice the apple too small, or it’ll melt into the muffins while cooking. I like about 1/4-inch dice for this recipe, or use the largest side of your alligator chopper to make quick work of those apples.
• Top your muffin with some of this Instant Pot Apple Butter for more apple-y goodness or enjoy your muffin with this coffee porridge!
• Pair your muffin with a bowl of this detox soup for a delish lunch!

Recommended

How Do You Know When Muffins Are Cooked?

You may have heard to insert a toothpick into baked goods, and if it comes out clean, then they’re cooked. Wrong. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the baked goods are OVER cooked. This isn’t usually a problem until you’re had perfectly cooked baked goods. Instead, ideally, the toothpick should have a few crumbs clinging to it. This means the muffins are cooked through and still moist. Goo on the toothpick is bad – they still need a few minutes to cook.

What Are The Best Apples For Apple Muffins

Some apples cook better than others. My favorite cooking apples in most baked goods are Granny Smith apples. I find that desserts and baked goods are sweet enough without the added sweetness from sweet apples, and Granny Smith apples hold up nicely while cooking. Other good not-so-sweet apples are pink lady and Braeburn apples.

Storage

Like many baked goods, these Apple, Date, and Walnut Muffins are best eaten fresh. The leftovers can keep on the counter in an airtight container for about a day, or freeze them. Muffins freeze amazingly well! Pop them into a zipper-top freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze them for up to a month.

Step By Step Process

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