These pumpkin date muffins are just the thing for a snack or a side in the fall or winter. The dates are a perfect substitute for refined sugar and add a good amount of fiber, as does the flax seed. And the applesauce and coconut oil keep these muffins nice and moist.
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The key to using dates as a sweetener is that you need to have a good piece of equipment that will pulverize them into little bits that will then disperse evenly into the batter. A food processor or a blender works well here. Be warned though, if you do not have a good blender, the dates will likely blow out the motor since they require a lot of power to break up.
I have a Vitamix 5200 that has lasted me more than 10 years now and still works just as well as the day I bought it. It can turn nuts into nut butter, instantly crush ice, and make the perfect blended beverage. A Vitamix can most definitely grind up dates. It is the only blender I will ever own again. Absolutely worth the splurge!
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- Pitted Noor dates
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- My Vitamix 5200
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- Combine pumpkin, coconut oil, eggs, and applesauce and blend until smooth, then add dates and blend again.
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- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients
For these pumpkin date muffins, DO NOT use dates that have pits in them. Not only will you wreck your food processor or blender, but you will have hard pieces in your muffins that could potentially crack your teeth! I like to use Noor pitted dates. They are a small size and pretty soft when you buy them fresh (check your grocery store’s produce or refrigerator section).
Lots of good ingredients in these babies. I like to use homemade pumpkin puree and homemade applesauce when I can to make good use of my fall CSA produce. I also add a good amount of ground flax seed which gives you TONS of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids (Bob’s Red Mill golden flaxseed meal is the best!) These are not vegan muffins, but by using coconut oil instead of butter, and applesauce instead of milk, they are totally dairy free. Another reason to love these pumpkin date muffins!
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- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full
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- Bake 20-25 minutes
Last thing – to make life easier, make a double batch and freeze these pumpkin date muffins to keep on hand for easy snacks and to slip into lunches. You can take them straight out of the freezer and into your bag and have a defrosted muffin by lunchtime. I always freeze my baked goods in these silicone bags from Net Zero Company. They do a much better job than a regular plastic zippered bags at preventing freezer burn and also help me save a bunch of plastic from the landfill.
Pumpkin Date Muffins
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup cold pressed coconut oil
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 can or 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 cup PITTED whole dates
- 2 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour
- 1 cup golden ground flaxseed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Place applesauce, coconut oil, eggs, and pumpkin in a food processor or Vitamix blender. Run until smooth.
- Add dates and pulse food processor until they break up, then run until smooth. If using a Vitamix blender, start on low and slowly increase to high speed until batter is smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.
- Use coconut oil to grease a muffin tin, then fill each cup about 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 22-24 regular sized muffins.
