Sugar Free Blackberry Muffins

My little one absolutely loves all types of berries. You name it! Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries…all of them! She simply can’t control herself, she can have the entire package of blueberries if I let her. Since we had some leftover blackberries in our fridge from our blackberry picking day out, I’ve decided to experiment a little and make some healthy sugar free blackberry muffins that we can all enjoy guilt free!

These no refined sugar blackberry muffins are really simple to make. It will take you just 15 minutes to prepare the dough and then just put them in some paper or silicone cases and let the oven do its work. The recipe makes 12 muffins, so if you are not planning to consume all of them within 3 days, you can pop some in a ziploc bag and put them in the freezer. Then you just take them out of the freezer the night before, and the next morning you have a healthy snack as good as freshly made to take out on your walk or to put in a lunch box.

Why you should try my recipe

• There is no refined sugar in this recipe! All sweetness comes from the fruits and dates.
• Ready in less than 40 minutes! It takes just 15 minutes to prepare the muffins mixture and 20-25 minutes to bake them.
• Freezable for up to 2 months.
• Great healthy treat for lunch boxes.
• A healthy snack for babies and little children.

Ingredients & How-to

To make these sugar free blackberry muffins, you will need the following ingredients: self-raising flour, butter, eggs, milk, baking powder, cinnamon, dates, blackberries and apple.

01. All the sweetness in this recipe comes from the fruits and the dates. I get pitted dates, but if you can’t find any, then you can just use a small knife and carefully remove the stones. To break down the dates, I add them to a food processor with all or some of the flour (depending on how big your food processor is). Then give it a few spins for about 30 seconds until the dates are broken down into small pieces and incorporated into the flour.

02. In a big bowl, I add the eggs and the butter. The butter needs to be at room temperature, so remember to take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before you start making the muffins. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, I mix the eggs and the butter for a couple of minutes until the butter and the eggs are one. Since there isn’t any sugar here, you will not get that light, fluffy mixture that you usually have with sugary muffins or cakes. So don’t worry, just continue to the next step.

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03. Now it’s time to add the flour to the mixture. I’m using self-raising flour in this recipe, but if you prefer to use plain flour, then you can just add 1 more teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of baking soda. I’m adding the flour little by little and continue mixing with the electric hand mixer.

04. As the mixture gets stiffer, I add some of the milk in. I continue adding a bit of the flour and then milk until it’s all in and well incorporated.

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05. Then, I add the cinnamon and baking powder to the mixture. Using a spatula or a spoon, I give it a good stir until it’s all blended in. Now it’s time to add the fruits. I’m using a green cooking apple that I cut into cubes. You could use any apple that you like, I just find that the cooking apples are better for baking because they keep their shape and don’t get very jammy.

I add the apple, cut into cubes, and the blackberries to the mixture. Then, I mix them gently, just enough to evenly distribute them, as over-stirring will make the blackberries mushy.

06. I’m using a 12 case muffin tin and some silicon muffin cases. You could also use paper cases or just grease the tin cups with a little bit of butter and place the mixture straight in. You will need to fill those muffin cups right up to the top.

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07. Finally, I place the tin in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the muffins have a nice golden brown color. When the muffins are out, let them cool down for a couple of minutes and then place them on a rack to cool down completely.

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Serving suggestions

We usually have these sugar free blackberry muffins as a morning snack or when we are out and about. Simply wrap them with some kitchen foil or put them in a little box and take them with you on your walk.

No refined sugar blackberry muffins are also a great option for little ones and babies that follow the Baby-Led Weaning method. If your little ones are going to school, you could put them in their lunch box and have them as a healthy treat.

Storage

I recommend storing the sugar free blackberry muffins at room temperature for up to 3 days. The muffins are also freezable for up to 2 months. Let them cool down completely after you take them out of the oven. Then, put them in a ziploc bag or wrap each one individually with some kitchen foil and place them in the freezer.

FAQ

• Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising flour? Yes you can, to replace 2 cups of self-raising flour simply add 2 cups of plain flour with one teaspoon of baking powder and one teaspoon of baking soda.

• How to dissolve dates for muffins? If you are not using pitted dates, then remove the seeds with a small knife. Place the dates with some flour in a food processor and blend for half a minute until the dates break down and are incorporated into the flour.

• Can I freeze blackberry muffins? Blackberry muffins are freezable for up to 2 months. After they cool down completely, place them in a ziploc bag or wrap each one individually with some kitchen foil and put them in the freezer. To defrost, take them out of the freezer the night before and allow them to come to room temperature and get soft before consuming.

• Are sugar free muffins suitable for babies? Sugar free blackberry muffins are suitable for babies from 6 months old since they don’t contain any refined sugar. All their sweetness comes from the fruits and dates.