Orange-Date Pumpkin Muffins
A whole orange pulverized in the food processor gives these nutrient-rich date-pumpkin muffins a wonderful intense flavor.
From EatingWell: November/December 2011
Yield: 1 dozen muffins
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/4 hours (including cooling time)
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large seedless orange, scrubbed and cut into 8 sections (peel left on)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 2/3 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (see Tip)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3/4 cup chopped pitted dates
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 standard 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray.
- Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Puree orange sections in a food processor. Add egg, egg white, pumpkin, sugar (or Splenda), honey and oil; process until mixed. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and dates, and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with nuts.
- Bake the muffins until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
- Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Muffin tin with 12 (1/2-cup) cups
- Tip: In the EatingWell Test Kitchen, sucralose is the only alternative sweetener we test with when we feel the option is appropriate. For nonbaking recipes, we use Splenda Granular (boxed, not in a packet). For baking, we use Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking, a mix of sugar and sucralose. It can be substituted in recipes (1/2 cup of the blend for each 1 cup of sugar) to reduce sugar calories by half while maintaining some of the baking properties of sugar. If you make a similar blend with half sugar and half Splenda Granular, substitute this homemade mixture cup for cup.
Nutrition Per serving:
226 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 16 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrates; 15 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 283 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (44% daily value)
3 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 fat
Nutrition Note: Per muffin with Splenda: 2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings, 209 calories, 36 g carbohydrate