Perfectly fluffy, moist, and lightly sweet! These whole wheat Cinnamon Raisin Muffins are mouthwateringly delicious, and perfect for snacks or hurried morning breakfasts. We sweeten them with dates, so there's no added sugar, plus they're oil and butter free, too. Plump, juicy raisins and warming cinnamon notes in every bite!
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Most muffins are nothing more than cupcakes without frosting, nutrition-wise. But not these! These are both healthy and yummy! My family devours these, and yours will, too.
You might also want to try some of our other heart healthy muffins, like Carrot Turmeric Muffins, or Strawberry Cardamom Muffins!
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Heart Health Benefits of Cinnamon Raisin Muffins
I feel disappointment and sometimes a little bit of anger when I see muffins being advertised as healthy when they just aren't. I'm looking at you, bran muffins, with more added sugar than bran! I just think people should be able to make informed decisions about what they eat, and can't do that if they're lied to about the healthfulness of their food.
These muffins are actually healthy. We start with whole wheat pastry flour to add fiber and delicious nutty flavor, without weighing the muffin down. Then we use dates as a sweetener so we're not adding sugar.
That's sometimes confusing, because dates are a high sugar fruit. So, yes, all fruit (and vegetable, grains, dairy products...) contains some amount of naturally occurring sugar. Naturally occurring sugar, though, is not associated with the detrimental health effects of added sugar. That's because it also comes packaged with fiber and nutrients like (in the case of dates specifically) potassium, magnesium, copper, and iron. They also are high in antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and immune stimulating properties (1). Raisins and applesauce also add some sweetness to the muffin, without making it cloying.
We added some ground flax for heart healthy omega-3 fats, and even more fiber, and lots of cinnamon for its delicious warming flavors, high antioxidant content, and anti-inflammatory effects (2).
Bottom line: With no added sugar or oils, our cinnamon raisin muffins clock in at just 124 calories a piece, with only 1 gram of total fat, and 3.5 grams of fiber.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for these raisin muffins:
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- Ground flax seed
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nondairy milk
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Date paste
- Vanilla extract
- Raisins
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
If you've never made date paste before, we start with that. It's smooth sailing to delicious muffins from there!
- Step 1: Make the date paste by first soaking dates in hot water for about 30 minutes.
- Step 2: Pour the dates with soaking water into a blender.
- Step 3: Blend on high until smooth and thick.
- Step 4: In a larger bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- Step 5: In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients.
- Step 6: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
- Step 7: Stir until just combined.
- Step 8: Gently fold in the raisins.
- Step 9: Scoop the mixture into prepared muffin pan.
- Step 10: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Hint: to fold something into a batter means to gently mix with big sweeping motions - do not beat the batter!
Substitutions
If needed, here are some subs for cinnamon raisin muffins.
- Flax - instead of ground flax, use ground chia seeds, or simply leave them out
- Milk - use any milk or nondairy milk you want, but opt for unsweetened and low fat varieties
- Applesauce - try pumpkin or other squash puree, sweet potato puree, or a mashed banana
- Date paste - you can use the sweetener of your choice instead of date paste; start with ¼ cup and adjust as needed
Equipment
To make the date paste you'll need a blender, but otherwise, you will just need some basic kitchen tools. I like a Vitamix for this, but I have had success with smaller blenders, like Ninja Personal Blender. (affiliate links)
Make sure you also have kitchen tools like measuring cups and spoons, a liquid measure, mixing bowls, and a muffin pan. Cupcake wrappers are another thing you might want.
Storage
Cool the muffins completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
These healthy raisin muffins are not freezer friendly.
Pro tip
Two very important tips for this recipe! First, do not overmix the batter. Undermixing is preferable to overmixing, which will create chewy, tough muffins. Secondly, do not overbake! This will make the muffins dry and hard to eat.
FAQ
Most of the time, this isn't necessary. The only time you may want to is if your raisin are older and starting to dry out too much. Then you can soak them in a little water for 10 minutes or so before using them.
The big secret is: don't overbake them! Bake them just long enough for a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin to come out clean, and no longer.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with cinnamon raisin muffins:
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Raisin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- 2 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Ground Flax
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Unsweetened Nondairy Milk
- ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- ½ cup Date Paste see notes
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the muffin tin. Line the cups with cupcake liners, and spray cupcake liners with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, flax, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- In a separate bowl, mix the milk, applesauce, date paste, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir just until the batter comes together.
- Add the raisins, and fold into the batter, being careful not to overmix the batter.
- Divide the mixture into the 12 cups in the muffin pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate, and will change based on the brand and individual ingredients and amounts you use. This is provided for your convenience only.
Food safety
These are important safety tips for raisin cinnamon muffins:
- Wash hands before beginning, whenever they are soiled, and after touching face, hair, pets, etc.
- Cook foods completely through
- Do not taste the raw batter. Even without raw eggs in it, raw flour is not a ready-to-eat product and can harbor illness-causing bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
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