If you are looking for a tasty and nutritious start to your day, at home or on the run, this recipe for these Healthy Orange Date Muffins is for you. Believe it or not, you could be biting into a warm muffin in less than thirty minutes.
One of the reasons I love muffins is that they truly are so simple to make at home; not to mention the fact that clean up is such a breeze. You will see that this easy recipe for orange date muffins is no exception despite the fact that we will be using a food processor.
We will be using the food processor to process the whole orange, dates and the liquid ingredients together. Yes, that’s right, the whole orange! Except of course that dried stem-stump and the orange seeds. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical the first time I tried this easy muffin recipe because everyone knows that the pith of an orange is often bitter (the pith is the white spongy part of an orange, found between the actual fruit and the outer skin). But as Sir Francis Bacon once said: knowledge is power. When I understood the health benefits associated with the pith of an orange, well, I changed my perspective. Now, I say the pith adds depth of flavor to my muffins 🙂
NUTRITIONAL FACT: Did you know that the pith of an orange is a rich source of fiber, anti-oxidants and contains the same amount of Vitamin C that is present in the fruit?
So, when I told you that these orange date muffins was going to be easy, I was not exaggerating… let me explain…
The first thing you want to do is pulse the orange and dates in a food processor until finely chopped.
Next, add the orange juice, buttermilk, vegetable oil and finally the room temperature egg and process for about a minute or so.
As far as the dry ingredients are concerned, they need to be whisked together in a large mixing bowl.
And now, it is just a question of adding the liquid ingredients to the dry and folding together with a large mixing spoon until combined. That’s it… and just like that you have made an easy muffin recipe.
Portion the batter into your lined muffin cups and bake in a preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes.
Before you know it, your whole kitchen will smell fresh and citrusy!
Remember, when you are shopping for oranges, or any other citrus fruit, always look for fruit that looks heavy for its size and of course, firm to the touch. As far as storage is concerned, fresh citrus fruit should last 3-4 weeks when properly refrigerated.
When making these muffins, or any dessert that uses oranges like this orange juice cake, it is important for the orange to be at room temperature and preferably organic.
Recipe origins
Well, you know by now how much I love my Robin Hood collection of recipes (I’ve already shared this recipe for Healthy Blueberry Oat Muffins, this recipe for Moist and Easy Banana Muffins, and of course one of my absolute favorites: Date Bran Muffins). And today, I just had to share this orange date muffin recipe before the end of the citrus season.
As usual, I’ve made a couple of changes to the original recipe: I replaced the butter with vegetable oil and buttermilk; I reduced the amount of sugar and added some vanilla extract.
This recipe for these Easy Whole Grain Orange Date Muffins could not be simpler- and the result could not be any more delicious! Would love to hear what you think of the muffins!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made these Date Muffins Recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Healthy Orange Date Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 medium orange preferably organic, cut into 8 sections (remove the dried stem-stump and the orange seeds)
- 6 dates chopped
- ⅓ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-½ cups whole wheat flour
- ⅔ cup sugar granulated
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup walnuts chopped , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220C). Position rack to middle.
- Paper line 18 muffin cups.
- Place cut up orange slices and dates in a food processor.
- Pulse until finely chopped.
- Add orange juice, vegetable oil, buttermilk and process on low for about 30-45 seconds.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and pulse for another 30-45 seconds.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the pureed mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and with a mixing spoon, combine until just moistened (combine nuts if using).
- Fill muffin liners ¾ full.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until top bounces back when lightly touched.
Notes
Nutrition
Nik
I loved the orange flavor— what a brilliantly simple idea— but baking at 425 burnt the bottoms. Next time I’ll do 350 for a bit longer. I used 10 dates and no sugar without losing any sense of sweetness. I also substituted kefir for buttermilk.
Maria
Oh, sorry to hear that Nik. Just wondering if you placed the oven rack in the center? The other thought I have is that sometimes oven temperatures need to be calibrated. Have you ever tested the oven temperature with a thermometer and compared it to the set thermometer? Thanks again for stopping by.
Jenn
One of the tastiest and moist muffins I have experienced. I love oranges and these muffins have the full citrus flavor.
Maria
Thanks so much Jenn!
Ashley
Unbelievable! Probably the most delicious muffins I’ve ever had. These are definitely going to be a new staple for Muffin Monday’s at work. I made it as written however, I’m going to cut the sugar in half next time as I think the orange and dates add enough sweetness. I doubled the recipe and got 24 large muffins.
Maria
Fantastic Ashley! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Crystal
I need to replace the whole wheat flour with AP flour. Normally I just don’t bother with recipes containing it BUT cannot resist using dates and whole oranges. Please help!
Maria
Hi Crystal, the conversion I use is 3/4 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of white flour. In this recipe. you should get a good muffin by replacing 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour with 2 cups of AP flour. If you have time, let me know how they turn out! Thanks for stopping by.
Lola
Hands down Orange date muffins are my all time favourite muffin! They have great citrus flavour as well as the sweetness of the dates together they’re a match made in heaven. The recipe my family has made for 30+ years is slightly different as we don’t use cinnamon or nuts. I look forward to giving these a try! Thanks for sharing my fav😊
Maria
My pleasure Lola! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Leslie B.
I used 6 very large dates, grapeseed oil, 4 oz. sugar, 6oz. Whole wheat flour. Baked them with tulip style liners so I filled to top of pan (so they could rise with support). Needed to bake for a total of 21 minutes. Thermopen said 195-200. Yield was only 11 because they were larger.
Very light, flavorful and not too sweet. Yum. Will make again!
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Leslie!
Alyssa
Hi Maria, I was wondering if it’s possible to use lemons (perhaps 2 lemons in place of the 1 orange) and lemon juice instead? What are your reccomendations and advice?
Thanks!
Maria
What an interesting idea Alyssa. I think it might work with a meyer lemon as they are less acidic than regular lemons. Would love to hear about your results if you do decide to try it out. Thanks for stopping by, appreciate it.
Janna
I have made these twice now and have tweaked them as I go. I find I only get 12 muffins from the recipe not 18, but I might just like mine a bit bigger! I used 1/3 of a cup of sugar and up the number of dates to 9. I also do not use the vegetable oil and instead substitute homemade applesauce that has no added sugar (leave the peel on and blend after cooking with some added water – delish and a lovely pink colour). This significantly decreases the fat and sugar content making for a “healthier” muffin! They are moist and delicious and have quickly become a family favourite.
Maria
Love it Janna! Thanks so much for sharing and for taking the time to comment, appreciate it.
Mary
Hi there, I’m planning to make these muffins and wondered did you peel the orange before blending them with the dates?
I’m looking forward to making them!
Maria
Oh, I think you are going to love these Mary! No, blend them whole, with the peel. In fact, I only remove the seeds. Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy Weekend!
Vi
Applesauce instead of the egg