For breakfast I usually love my plain, natural yogurt with fruit and homemade granola, but sometimes I like something different. Last year I found an interesting sounding, refined sugar-free recipe at The Muffin Myth which I’ve subsequently tweaked after making it a few times and I now have another favourite breakfast food. These wholesome muffins can be batch cooked and then frozen. Take one out for breakfast the evening before and you’ve got a lovely meal waiting for you when you wake.
These muffins are wonderful! They’re sweetened with dates, which, with the addition of baking soda when they cook, separate into a date paste; a consistency which can easily be whipped into baking. I was very pleasantly surprised at the taste and texture of this incredibly nutritious no-added-sugar recipe.
I’m not calling them sugar free because they aren’t. Dates have plenty of sugar in them, natural sugars though, not refined sugars. This seems to be a confusion with some interwebs folk – while searching for sugar free recipes in the past the number of recipes I’ve found including molasses, maple syrup, honey and gak! artificial sweeteners and claiming to be sugar free is astonishing! The artificial sweeteners can be considered sugar free, but honestly, who wants to put that stuff in their body!
It’s a fabulous recipe, do try it. One muffin is quite filling and that full feeling lasts. Bonus!
- 200 grams dates
- 225 ml water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 250 ml soya milk
- 75 grams bran
- 45 grams quick-cooking porridge oats
- 250 grams self-raising wholemeal flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 85 grams walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 60 grams dried mixed fruit & berries (or raisins)
- large pinch salt
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 12 muffins
I have entered this recipe into Mrs. M’s Recipe Link Party for April 2013 and to Fuss Free Flavours’ Breakfast Club hosted this month by Gill of Tales of Pigling Bland as the theme is ‘rocket fuel’ and this recipe will certainly get you going! Breakfast Club is a Blog Hop, so scroll down to see what other folk are cooking for breakfast this month!
Orkney Beremeal Bannocks
Do these need baking powder please? They are not listed in the ingredients list but the instructions mention their inclusion?
Hi Lucy, yes they do! The recipe should have included 1 tbsp of baking powder, my apologies!
These are great for kids. My little boy is very fussy about breakfast and gets bored with cereal and toast. We try to vary his breakfast and these will be offered to him for a change, i’m sure he will enjoy them.
I’m definitely going to give these a try, I know my Dad would love them, especially if they are moist! Ty for the recipe
I love Banana muffins, but have never tried Bran ones. Shall have to give this a go. Many thanks for another great receipe.
Now they do sound fab!
You’re right about the sugar free issue, I think I’ve been guilty of saying things are sugar free when in fact it’s natural sugar. These look great and really filling too. Thanks for entering Breakfast Club. The roundup is now live on my blog
Quite like the idea of this for breakfast. On the days I work, I tend to eat something at my desk and this might be an option that I could pack into my handbag. Thanks for sharing 🙂