Whole Wheat Persimmon Muffins
Submitted by kartim
Whole wheat persimmon muffins spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, packed with chopped walnuts and raisins. The persimmon pulp keeps them naturally moist and tender, perfect for fall breakfasts when ripe persimmons hit the market.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minRipe persimmons have a brief season and a short shelf life, so when you find them at peak softness, scoop the pulp into muffins like these. The fruit melts almost completely into the batter, leaving behind moisture and a faint honey-and-pumpkin-pie sweetness that pairs beautifully with whole wheat flour and warm spices.
The technique calls for blending the persimmon pulp, oil, and lemon extract until smooth before adding to the dry ingredients. That blender step is what gives the muffins a consistent texture instead of stringy bits of fruit throughout. A cup of chopped walnuts and half a cup of raisins go in for chew and crunch.
The wet ingredients are added to the dry just until mixed. Resist the urge to keep stirring; overmixing develops gluten and toughens the muffins. A few dry streaks are fine and disappear during baking.
Chef Tips
- Use truly ripe Hachiya persimmons. They should feel almost jelly-soft to the touch. Underripe Hachiyas are mouth-puckeringly astringent and will ruin the muffins.
- Fuyu persimmons (the flat tomato-shaped variety) can be used too but they’re firmer and milder; you may want to add an extra tablespoon of oil for moisture.
- Don’t overfill the muffin cups. Fill two-thirds for a proper domed top without overflow.
- These freeze beautifully. Wrap individually in plastic wrap once cooled, then bag. Thaw at room temperature in 30 minutes.
Variations
- Drizzle a lemon glaze (powdered sugar plus lemon juice) over the cooled muffins for a tart finish.
- Swap the walnuts for chopped pecans or hazelnuts.
- Add half a teaspoon of ground cloves or cardamom alongside the cinnamon and nutmeg for a deeper spice profile.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the first 9 ingredients.
In a blender, blend pulp, oil and lemon until just smooth and add to the flour mixture.
Stir only until well mixed.
Pour into greased muffin pans, and bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 25 to 30 minutes.
Lemon glaze may be added when cool.
Comments
I always try to use less sugar, so used 1/2 cup instead of 3/4.
I usually find that wholewheat flour needs more baking powder, so used 2 tbsp instead of 1.
I did not have lemon extract so used lemon juice.
The mixture was way too dry to mix properly, so I added 1/4 cup almond milk which was perfect.
They've come out well, a very good consistency, but very dark almost as if overcooked. Great otherwise.