I’m so excited to share these small batch healthy cinnamon swirl muffins with you! This recipe makes just six muffins, and is made without any refined sugar. This recipe is sweetened completely by dates and a bit of maple syrup! Plus, it’s low on white flour and has a boost of protein from Greek yogurt. I find that these muffins are very best served warm, so I like to heat them up a bit before eating, but any way you eat them they are a great treat!
Small Batch Healthy Cinnamon Swirl Muffins
- ½ cup pitted medjool dates (about 7 dates)
- ½ cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Remove the pits from your dates and place them in a heat safe bowl. Cover the dates with the boiling water and let them sit until softened (about 20-30 minutes).
When the dates are soft, add the entire bowl of dates and water to a blender with the cinnamon and blend until smooth. This will be what you’ll use for the cinnamon swirl. (This cinnamon date puree is so good and it can be used in a lot of applications!)
In a separate bowl, mix the oil, egg, yogurt, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until everything is just moistened and comes together in a very thick batter. Add 3/4 of the date mixture to the batter and mix until you see swirls throughout. This does not have to be fully combined. You want to see cinnamon swirls throughout the muffins.
Using an ice cream scoop for consistency, divide the batter into a muffin tin lined with six paper liners.
Next, top each muffin with about a teaspoon of the date mixture and swirl it around with a spoon or knife to make a pretty swirled topping.
Bake the small batch healthy cinnamon swirl muffins at 400 for 20 minutes until baked through and the top of the muffins spring back slightly when you touch them.
Store the small batch healthy cinnamon swirl muffins in an airtight storage container. If you’re keeping them for more than a day or two, keep them in the fridge for maximum freshness, then reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds or so to warm them up before eating.