Coconut Orange Date Muffins
These lovely muffins just burst with coconut, orange and date flavors. Coconut Orange Date Muffins are moist and make a delightfully irresistible snack throughout the day or menu item for breakfast. If you enjoy a sweet treat first thing in the morning, these are completely mouthwatering.
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I made two batches of this Taste of Home recipe. My husband thought the first one was on the dry side (I’ll show a picture below). I’m not one to toss out a recipe even for a partial “fail.” So I tried again. This time I added an extra egg, baking soda and sour cream to the batter to see if I couldn’t get a smoother, moister texture. Even though the first version tasted well enough, the second version was definitely better. The second try also puffed up better and wasn’t quite as heavy and dense and the first go around.
While these scrumptious muffins are certainly great for fall and holiday baking, all of the ingredients are available throughout the year so they can certainly be made more frequently. I know coconut isn’t for everybody. For that matter, some eschew dates! But I love them both, so these muffins were certainly a win-win for me. 🙂
Coconut Orange Date Muffins are delightful!
You’ll enjoy every bite!
Grated orange peel delicately flavors the muffins, while the coconut and dates add body.
The second version of this recipe with the additional egg, baking soda and sour cream makes these muffins so much moister and lighter than the first version.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Grate orange peel and set aside.
Add baking soda to sour cream to activate it.
Stir ingredients to combine; set aside. (The texture will become lighter and fluffier).
In a large mixing bowl, pour unbleached all-purpose flour. (bleached flour toughens baked goods). Add brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
Stir or whisk ingredients to combine.
Add dates, coconut and grated orange peel to the flour mixture.
Whisk ingredients to combine; set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, add melted butter.
Add eggs, sour cream mixture and half-and-half.
Whisk ingredients to combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
Whisk until incorporated. This mixture is so much moister than the first version.
Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full.
Bake at 400 degrees about 17-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
This is what the first batch looked like. While they tasted okay, the muffins were drier, denser and not as light and fluffy as the second batch.
Cool muffin pan 5 minutes before removing muffins to wire rack to cool completely.
You can bake Coconut Orange Date Muffins in paper liners if you prefer. But these muffins actually turn out pretty well without them.
If you enjoy coconut and dates, you’ll love these muffins.
This recipes makes 14 regular-sized muffins and 28 miniature muffins.
Here’s the recipe.
COCONUT ORANGE DATE MUFFINS
(Recipe adapted from Taste of Home, 50th Anniversary Cookbook, pg. 53)
Coconut Orange Date Muffins
Equipment
- 1 12-tin regular-sized muffin tin or substitute miniature muffin tins, if desired
- 1 6-tin regular-sized muffin tin
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 grater or orange zester
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 rounded teaspoon grated orange peel
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 2 tbsp. salted butter melted
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup sweetened flakes coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Grease 14-regular muffin tins or 28-miniature muffin tins; set aside.
- Stir baking soda into sour cream; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Whisk or stir well to combine.
- Add dates, orange peel and coconut and stir again; set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half and butter.
- Add sour cream mixture to liquid ingredients and whisk to combine well.
- (The sour cream will activate and become fluffier in texture after the baking soda has been added.)
- Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
- Stir until mixed.
- Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins until about ¾ full.
- Bake regular muffin tins at 400º for about 17-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Bake miniature muffin tins at 400º for about 7-8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
NOTE: Taste of Home no longer has a search engine that allows you to search recipes by title. Most of the time, you have to weed through thousands of recipes in collections. If any link is to be found, I find direct links through google, not their own website. I could not locate a direct page for this recipe. But it is in the cookbook noted above.© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
We loved the texture of the second batch of these muffins.
The first batch of these muffins came out a little on the dry side with a heavy, dense texture. This second batch lifted higher with nicely rounded tops, were moister and had a lighter, more airy texture. They were lovely.
My husband gave two thumbs up to the second version of this recipe!
Coconut Orange Date Muffins are actually pretty easy to whip up. Since the recipe doesn’t call for a topping or a glaze, they are quicker and easier to prepare. Enjoy.
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