Recipe: Banana Date Muffins

Today’s recipe is actually thanks to a request from the lovely Ingrid of IngStyle who, after thoroughly enjoying a banana date muffin in a cafe, asked if I had a recipe for some she could make at home! It’s a combo I’ve enjoyed before but never made myself, so I did some playing around and here we are – my banana date muffins! Hopefully they’re as good as your cafe experience Ingrid!

Banana date muffins

I never used to be a fan of dates, I think I was put off as a child after seeing a date used to make a mouse on the Hickory Dickory Dock cake in the Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake book (please tell me someone knows what I’m referring to!). In more recent years I’ve definitely come around and now use dates in all kinds of things – smoothies, bliss balls, baking the lot. I still wouldn’t choose them to just snack on, but nevertheless you’ll almost always find them in my pantry!

And now, on to the muffins! This recipe is slightly adapted from one I found on Best Recipes.

Ingredients List

  • 200g dates
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 90g butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2tsp bicarb soda
  • 2 cups self-raising flour
  • 2tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2/3 cup flaked coconut
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 large overripe bananas

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 180C
  2. Roughly chop the dates and combine with the water, butter and brown sugar in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until butter is melted and sugar dissolved.
  3. Set aside to cool slightly, then stir in bicarb soda
  4. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine.
  5. Lightly beat the eggs and mash the bananas, then add to the flour mixture with the date mixture. Fold to combine. There will be some lumps from the dates, so just fold until the flour is mixed through.
  6. Spoon into lined muffin pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through
  7. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the pans then move to a wire rack to finish cooling
  8. Enjoy!

Banana date muffins

These muffins aren’t overly sweet, which is exactly how I prefer my muffins (cupcakes on the other hand can be as sweet as they like!). The banana ensures they are nice and moist and they are particularly delicious warmed up a little, maybe even with some butter on them if we’re really going all out. If you wanted to make them healthier you could sub half the flour with some wholemeal self-raising flour.

Banana date muffins

Banana date muffins

So there we have it, my first recipe by request! I’m not complaining one bit, and neither were my work colleagues when I showed up with these one morning!

What have you been baking lately? Fancy some banana date muffins? Don’t forget to visit some of the Meatless Monday linkup recipes shared below!

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23 Comments on Recipe: Banana Date Muffins

  1. merilyn
    November 24, 2014 at 7:52 am (9 years ago)

    I love dates, and these muffins look great liz! dates are so jam packed with vitamins and minerals … and calories ie sugar! oh well I limit myself! … my favourite instant desert or sweet treat is to put a date a walnut or two and a piece of 70%+ cocoa dark chocolate … stuff all into my mouth at one time! … chew and be rewarded! … who needs to cook!;0 lol m:)X

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 24, 2014 at 1:52 pm (9 years ago)

      Love it! And you’re right, we do need to treat ourselves at least occasionally!

      Reply
  2. Lucy @ Bake Play Smile
    November 24, 2014 at 8:02 am (9 years ago)

    Oooh I love it!! Maybe you could do a recipes by request series!!!! These look seriously good. How cute is your little spoon!!!
    Lucy @ Bake Play Smile recently posted…Berry Meringue Smash

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 24, 2014 at 1:53 pm (9 years ago)

      Aren’t they the cutest! I have a set of 4 (they’re actually little cake forks) each with a different cake on top, I love them!

      Reply
  3. Lila
    November 24, 2014 at 8:53 am (9 years ago)

    These look great! My aunty made me the hickory dickory birthday cake!

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 24, 2014 at 1:56 pm (9 years ago)

      Cute! I went through a stage as a young teen where some friends and I would get together on weekends and try making the cakes, we never did the hickory dickory one (probably because of the date/mouse!)

      Reply
  4. Rebecca
    November 24, 2014 at 9:15 am (9 years ago)

    I have learnt to deal with dates! I love them now. My problem is bananas!!!

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 24, 2014 at 1:56 pm (9 years ago)

      You don’t even like them in baking? I’m a bit iffy on their texture if they’re too ripe (or under ripe!) but I’m okay with them in baked goods!

      Reply
  5. Nicole - Champagne and Chips
    November 24, 2014 at 10:00 am (9 years ago)

    I’m with you, I like a muffin to be somewhat healthy. These sound delightful- not too much butter or sugar and packed full of fruit (and coconut). Yum!
    Nicole – Champagne and Chips recently posted…Brown Rice Salad Recipe

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 24, 2014 at 1:57 pm (9 years ago)

      Thanks Nicole! There’s definitely a time and place for sweet food, but that’s not muffins for me!

      Reply
  6. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
    November 24, 2014 at 11:17 am (9 years ago)

    I love dates. They’re often sweet enough to reduce the sugar in many recipes. Banana date muffins are a favourite of mine. I’ll try your recipe next. Muffins love to visit my house.
    Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted…How to Make Sourdough Bread

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 24, 2014 at 1:58 pm (9 years ago)

      Muffins love to visit my house too! Thankfully they also love to then visit my folks or my colleagues!

      Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 25, 2014 at 9:14 am (9 years ago)

      They don’t last long in this weather do they!

      Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 25, 2014 at 9:15 am (9 years ago)

      Thanks Kat, they certainly make a good adults lunchbox addition, that’s for sure!

      Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 26, 2014 at 9:10 am (9 years ago)

      Thanks Jess!

      Reply
  7. Caeli @ Little Vegan Bear
    November 27, 2014 at 10:31 pm (9 years ago)

    I know that date on the cake! Trent had that for his fifth or something birthday!!! I love banana date muffins…they were a staple with my mum when we were little. It was only on occasion that we got the banana choc chips. But I also used to eat mashed banana and date sandwiches quite a lot so I must have always like them…
    Caeli @ Little Vegan Bear recently posted…Soul Foods, Newcastle NSW

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 29, 2014 at 12:47 pm (9 years ago)

      Clearly you weren’t worried by the date/mouse then!

      Reply
  8. Ingrid
    December 2, 2014 at 8:53 pm (9 years ago)

    I am so excited about this! Sadly I can’t break out my baking now because I’m going away tomorrow, but this is on top of my list for next week when I get back.

    Is there anything more delicious than a banana muffin? I don’t think so. Love it x
    Ingrid recently posted…Wise words from 19 Kids and Counting…

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      December 3, 2014 at 1:32 pm (9 years ago)

      Can’t wait to hear what you think lovely xx

      Reply

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