I think I can safely say, that nothing I’ve ever baked, makes my kitchen smell better, than these Raisin Date Pecan Mini Muffins! It must be the dates, but these muffins smell so warm, rich and sweet.
I’ve been working on eliminating, and adding different things to my diet, to see if it helps me manage my energy levels better, and this recipe fits the bill with no refined sugar! In spite of that, these Vegan Raisin Date Pecan Mini Muffins satisfy my sweet tooth perfectly, and are delicious even though they contain no eggs, oil or dairy!!
Here’s what goes into these delicious muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups very hot water
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1 banana mashed
- 1 cup raisins, organic
- 1 1/3 cup whole grain wheat flour
- 2/3 cup whole grain oats
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
This recipe may seem a little complicated, but I promise you, it’s not. You need several bowls, one microwave safe. Heat up the 1 1/2 cups of water in the microwave (or if you prefer, in a pan on the stove). Then in another bowl, mash up your banana very well with a fork.
Now you can buy dates already chopped up in little pieces, or if you buy them whole, you need to chop them up, removing all the pits. You don’t want to bite down on pits!
Then add your chopped dates, raisins and vanilla to the hot water, and let them sit for a few minutes to soften up. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oats, chopped up pecans, baking powder and baking soda.
Once the raisins and dates have softened up, pour everything together in one bowl, including the 1 1/2 cups of water that your fruit was soaking in, your flour mixture and your banana, and mix well, till everything is incorporated.
These work well in mini muffin pans, although you could use regular size muffin pans, and just bake them longer. Spray your mini muffin tins with cooking spray (there is no oil in this recipe, so this is important), and fill each to the top with the batter. These don’t raise a whole lot, so fill them up. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Your kitchen will smell amazing! Let them cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, and then turn them out onto a cooling rack or clean towel.
This recipe makes 36 mini muffins.
Vegan Raisin Date Pecan Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups very hot water
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1 banana mashed
- 1 cup raisins organic
- 1 1/3 cup whole grain wheat flour
- 2/3 cup whole grain oats
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- This recipe may seem a little complicated, but I promise you, it’s not. You need several bowls, one microwave safe. Heat up the 1 1/2 cups of water in the microwave (or if you prefer, in a pan on the stove). Then in another bowl, mash up your banana very well with a fork.
- Now you can buy dates already chopped up in little pieces, or if you buy them whole, you need to chop them up, removing all the pits. You want NO pits!
- Then add your chopped dates, raisins and vanilla to the hot water, and let them sit for a few minutes to soften up. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oats, chopped up pecans, baking powder and baking soda.
- Once the raisins and dates have softened up, pour everything together in one bowl, including the 1 1/2 cups of water that your fruit was soaking in, your flour mixture and your banana, and mix well, till everything is incorporated.
- Spray your mini muffin tins with cooking spray (there is no oil in this recipe, so this is important), and fill each to the top with the batter. These don’t raise a whole lot. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let them cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, and then turn them out onto a cooling rack or clean towel.
Even though these aren’t your typical light, fluffy, white sugar, white flour muffins (for a reason), they are so delicious and sweet, and you can feel good about eating so many healthy ingredients in a muffin. Everyone I’ve made them for has thought they were great, and I’ve been enjoying them for years, even when I wasn’t trying to eat super healthy.
If you’ve never used dates in a recipe before, I think you’ll fall in love with their flavor in this recipe!