Date and Walnut Muffins
Tender, moist muffins studded with soft Medjool dates and toasted walnuts, scented with cinnamon and a whisper of cardamom. The dates are soaked first so they melt into the crumb and add caramel-like sweetness.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Wait
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 12 standard muffins
Steps
Before you start
- Take the eggs and yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly into the batter.
- Pit the dates and check each one for stray pit fragments. If your Medjool dates are firm or dry, they will need the full 10-minute soak.
- Read the timing: the walnuts toast while the oven preheats, and the dates soak while the walnuts toast, so start both together.
- Use a standard 12-cup muffin tin (each cup about ½ cup / 120 ml).
Toast the walnutsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Spread all the walnuts (both the batter and topping amounts, about 115 g total) on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes.
- Cool for a few minutes on the sheet, then chop coarsely into ¼- to ½-inch (0.5–1 cm) pieces.
- Set aside ¼ cup (30 g) for the topping.
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Ready when: Walnuts smell nutty and are a shade darker, with lightly golden interiors when broken
Tip: Set a timer; walnuts go from toasted to bitter quickly.
Soak the dates
- While the walnuts toast, place the chopped dates in a small heatproof bowl and pour the just-boiled water over them.
- Stir once and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
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Ready when: Dates are very soft and the water looks syrupy and brown
Tip: Do not drain the dates; the soaking water goes into the batter.
Mix the dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom (if using), and salt for about 30 seconds until evenly combined with no streaks of spice.
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Ready when: Mixture is a uniform pale tan color
Whisk the wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar for 1 minute until smooth and slightly lightened.
- Whisk in the yogurt, oil, and vanilla until fully combined and glossy.
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Ready when: No visible sugar lumps and the mixture looks uniform
Tip: Press out any brown sugar lumps with the back of a spoon before whisking.
Add the dates
- Mash the soaked dates and their water with a fork or the back of a spoon for about 20 seconds, leaving some small pieces for texture.
- Stir the whole mixture into the wet ingredients.
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Ready when: Date pieces are suspended through the liquid, which is a uniform caramel brown
Tip: If the date mixture is still very hot, let it cool for a minute so it doesn't scramble the eggs.
Fold the batter
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula in 10 to 12 strokes, just until most of the flour disappears.
- Add the ¾ cup (85 g) chopped walnuts and fold 2 or 3 more times.
- The batter will be thick and lumpy.
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Ready when: A few small flour streaks may remain; batter is thick enough to mound on a spoon
Tip: Overmixing makes muffins tough and tunneled, so stop while a few streaks remain.
Fill and top
- Divide the batter among the 12 liners, filling each about three-quarters full (roughly 1/3 cup / 80 ml each).
- Sprinkle each with the reserved chopped walnuts and a pinch of turbinado sugar.
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Ready when: Batter reaches about ¼ inch (6 mm) below the rim of each liner
Tip: Press toppings in gently so they don't roll off while baking.
Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) on the center rack for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 12 minutes.
- Check by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden and spring back when lightly pressed; a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter)
Tip: Melted date bits can smear on a toothpick, so judge by crumbs and wet batter, not stickiness.
Cool and serve
- Let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack.
- Cool for at least 10 more minutes before eating; they are best slightly warm.
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Ready when: Muffins are warm, not hot, and release easily from the liners
Tip: Leaving them in the tin longer than 5 minutes can make the bottoms steam and turn soggy.
Good to know
Tips
- Toasting the walnuts brings out their flavor and keeps them crunchy against the soft dates.
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or better, weigh it. Packed flour makes dry, dense muffins.
- Lightly toss the chopped dates in a teaspoon of the measured flour if they stick together, so they distribute evenly instead of clumping.
- For taller domed tops, bake the first 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce to 375°F (190°C) for the remaining 15 to 17 minutes.
Make ahead
"Toast and chop the walnuts up to 3 days ahead and store airtight. You can also soak the dates up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them in their water; bring to room temperature before mixing. Baked muffins keep well, so they can be made the day before serving."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: airtight container up to 2 days (place a paper towel in the container to absorb moisture). Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat from room temperature for 10 seconds in the microwave, or from frozen for 30 to 40 seconds, or in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes."
Substitutions
- walnut halves → pecans or pistachios. Toast the same way; pecans give a sweeter flavor, pistachios a more Middle Eastern accent.
- plain whole-milk yogurt → sour cream or buttermilk. Use the same weight or volume. Buttermilk makes a slightly thinner batter, so the muffins will be a little more tender.
- light brown sugar → dark brown sugar or coconut sugar. Dark brown gives a deeper molasses flavor; coconut sugar is slightly drier, so the crumb may be a touch less moist.
- Medjool dates → Deglet Noor dates. These are less sweet and firmer. Use about 200 g and extend the soak to 15 minutes.