In my quest to develop baked goods with less sugar, I hit on the right combination of ingredients for a delicious, moist basic muffin. This recipe is a spinoff from there, adding cinnamon and a crumb topping, like I used to put on muffins when I ran my bakery. I’ve typed in the recipe below, but you could also simply download my recipe .pdf page and print it out from my HandMadeInIowa.com website on the quick breads page (look for moist cinnamon muffins under reduced sugar/fats. To see how they’re made check out the video below!

Delicious Moist Cinnamon Muffins
Makes about 12 Muffins

5 oz (1 cup) whole wheat flour
5 oz (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/4 cup water
1-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil of choice
1/4 cup milk of choice
1 Tbsp flax meal
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional topping:
1-1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 oz (1/2 Tbsp) melted butter

Prepare crumb topping: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until it is the texture of sand; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon; set aside.

Prepare liquid ingredients: In a medium bowl, cover the dates with 1/4 cup boiling water and allow them to rest until the water has been absorbed. OR use tap water and place the bowl in the microwave on high for about 1 minute, or until the dates are mushy and most or all of the water has been absorbed. Do not drain any excess water. Add the remaining liquid ingredients to the rehydrated dates and stir to combine. Add liquid ingredients to dry mix and mix until dry ingredients are moistened.

Portion batter into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with topping mixture. Bake at 375F for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove from pan and enjoy or allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

These muffins are truly delicious and impart far less “guilt” than the standard fare. Let me know if you try them! Check out the video below to see how they’re made. Judi