It's date night! Or date breakfast? Either way, these Brown Sugar Date Muffins are giving off sweet caramel vibes. Made with dried dates, brown sugar, and a hint of cinnamon, these fluffy, moist muffins have subtle notes of molasses. Oh, and it's the perfect way to sneak a little fruit into your morning routine!
I have a confession to make. Dates used to scare me. They look like little prehistoric fingers—eek! But then I discovered date syrup, which is a naturally sweet, molasses-like syrup that I love to drizzle on toast.
So, I went straight to the source for these muffins- the delicious date! I quickly got over their funny shape once I started baking with them, and now I eat them like chocolate!
If you love my banana muffins, you will love these date muffins. The ingredients are very similar, and they both give off deep caramel vibes. The dates melt into the batter just enough to blend in, so don't worry- no creepy fingers to bite into!
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Ingredients
Here is what you will need to make date muffins.
- Flour- All-purpose.
- Baking soda and baking powder
- Salt- Kosher or fine sea salt.
- Cinnamon- For a little warmth.
- Sugar- Dark brown sugar and white sugar. The dark brown sugar really brings out the molasses flavor in the dates.
- Dates- I used dried dates, which are easy to find in the grocery store. Look for Medjool or Deglet Noor dates that are pitted. You will need to reconstitute them before adding them to the batter. Read all about dates here.
- Buttermilk- For richness.
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Butter- Unsalted.
- Turbinado sugar- For crunchy, sweet muffin tops.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
You will need a 12-cup standard muffin tin. To get the tall muffin tops, it's helpful to have 2 standard muffin tins, but that's optional.
Step-by-step directions
Use this visual guide to help you prepare the brown sugar date muffins. Full instructions are located on the recipe card.
Place the dates in a bowl, and then add 1 cup of boiling water on top. Let soak for about 10 minutes.
In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars. Add the vanilla.
Pour in the butter and the buttermilk and stir until combined. Add the date mixture.
Add the date mixture to the flour mixture and blend until the flour is incorporated.
Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin tin
Lastly, just sprinkle with some coarse sugar, and bake!
👩🍳Expert tips
- Using a standard 12-cup muffin tin, fill every other muffin cavity. This prevents the steam from weighing down your batter and allows the moisture to escape. You can do this in 2 separate muffin tins, or cook the muffins in batches using the same muffin tin.
- Fill your muffin cavities. Many recipes call for filling the cups halfway. I like to fill mine to the top. If it means it will only yield 9 muffins instead of 12, then it's worth it in my opinion.
- Cooking the muffins at high heat initially helps them get that initial rise. Set a timer to remember to turn down the temperature to continue baking.
Substitutions
Don't have an ingredient for these date muffins? Try some of these swaps.
- Buttermilk- Swap out the buttermilk for sour cream or Greek yogurt. Whatever you choose, be sure they are at room temperature.
- Nuts- Try adding ½ cup of chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
- Cinnamon- Try adding other warm spices such a cloves.
- Chocolate chips- Add ½ cup to 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Fruit- Add up to 1- 1 ¼ cups of chopped fruit like strawberries or blueberries.
Storage and make-ahead tips
Store the cooled muffins in an air-tight container lined with a paper towel. Place an additional paper towel over the top of the muffins to absorb any moisture. Leave at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze, wrap the cooled muffins in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Many recipes call for soaking dried dates in boiling water with a little baking soda. While testing, we found that although this method yielded soft dates, the muffins had a metallic taste. Using boiling water, just enough to submerge the dates, is all that is needed to soften the dates for baking.
Need a pairing?
Try some of these popular recipes.
Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear about it! Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating with a comment right below the recipe card. If you snap a photo of your creation, don't forget to tag me on Instagram @brunchandbatter.
📖Recipe
Brown Sugar Date Muffins
Equipment
- 1 12-cup muffin pan
- mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces) chopped pitted dates I used dried
- 1 cup (8 ounces) boiling water
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1-2 tablespoon turbinado sugar for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray or insert 12 muffin liners.
- Soak the dates: Add the boiling water to the dates. Let soak for 10 minutes. While the dates are soaking, prepare the remaining ingredients.1 cup (8 ounces) chopped pitted dates, 1 cup (8 ounces) boiling water
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher or fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and the sugars, until blended (be sure to break up any lumps in the brown sugar for easier blending). Add the vanilla, and stir to combine. Slowly add the butter, followed by the buttermilk, and stir until blended.2 large eggs, room temperature, ¾ cup (6 ounces) dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (2 ounces) white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ cup (4 ounces or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk, room temperature
- Drain the dates from the water. With the back of a spoon, remove some of the liquid from the dates. They should be very soft and paste-like. Add the dates to the buttermilk mixture.
- Add the date/buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until no flour streaks remain (do not overmix). Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- When the batter is finished resting, divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. (If you want taller muffins, use only 9 cups, filling the batter to the top ). Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the tops if using. Bake at 425℉ for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, reduce the heat to 350℉, and continue baking for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.1-2 tablespoon turbinado sugar for topping
Notes
- Using a standard 12-cup muffin tin, fill every other muffin cavity. This prevents the steam from weighing down your batter and allows the moisture to escape. You can do this in 2 separate muffin tins, or cook the muffins in batches using the same muffin tin.
- Fill your muffin cavities. Many recipes call for filling the cups halfway. I like to fill mine to the top. If it means it will only yield 9 muffins instead of 12, then it's worth it in my opinion.
- Cooking the muffins at high heat initially helps them get that initial rise. Set a timer to remember to turn down the temperature to continue baking.
Nutrition*
*Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary depending on many factors, such as products used, measurements and substitutions, therefore it is recommended that you obtain nutritional calculations based on your own finished recipe.
Minalini Lakshman says
was a great hit!
Jennifer says
Awesome, thanks for trying the recipe!
North Shore says
These were delicious and my husband said he'll be asking for them again. I increased the amount of chopped, dried (sugared) dates to 2 cups for two reasons: I like a lot of fruit in my muffins and my dried dates came in a 16-ounce package. 🙂 The extra fruit made enough batter for 12 good-sized muffins. I substituted (room temp) evaporated milk for buttermilk since I never have buttermilk on hand and didn't have any yogurt or sour cream. I added regular white sugar for topping as well as a single pecan half on each muffin. Prep time took longer than 40 mins -- more like 60 -- and preparation dirtied a lot of dishes. But it's worth it: the muffins came out perfect: fluffy, moist, and tasty. I used cooking spray and the muffins popped cleanly out of the tin. They rose nicely yet didn't overflow the tin. Excellent recipe!
Jennifer says
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed them!
Anna says
Great recipe. I didn’t have any baking powder so used self raising and baking soda. Put some walnuts in as well and they are delish!!
Jennifer says
Yay, so glad you like them!
Colleen Morrison says
These were excellent! I used Greek yogurt, and made 10 muffins. they were moist and delicious. I will definitely make them again!
Jennifer says
Thanks for giving them a try!
Renée, says
This recipe is awesome! I added chocolate chips, vanilla bean and vanilla sugar on top, as well as about 30 grams of sourdough starter. The muffins are so homey and delicious and soft. Ill be saving this recipe and making it again and again! Thank you!
Jennifer says
Yay! Thanks for giving them a try!
Donna says
I just took these out of the oven and they look great.I doubled the recipe plus I doubled the dates.I used Greek yogurt also.Highly recommend this recipe.Filled them very full and it took another 6 minutes of baking time.
Jennifer says
Thanks for giving them a try Donna!
Kira says
I made these and they were a huge hit! I used some leftover fresh dates and just chopped them up and tossed them in a little bit of flour so they didn’t sink in the batter instead of boiling dried dates, but they turned out amazing still.
Jennifer says
Dates are so amazing right? So glad you loved them!
Gary Hattingh says
Donners LEKKER!!!!!!
Jennifer says
Thanks Gary. I had to Google Translate that response, and I'm so glad you found it "tasty"!