These sugar-free peach muffins are perfect for little ones as they are naturally sweetened, fruity and easy to hold with their little hands. It only takes 35 minutes to bake them and are easy to freeze for busy days. Enjoy!
Muffins are one of those things that neither kids nor adults can easily resist, and the same goes with my kids, well maybe not my 10 month old, but definitely my preschooler. And while we do indulge sometimes in the usual sugary muffins, I often try to make our own healthy versions of sugar-free muffins, that contain no refined sugar and are naturally sweetened with dry and fresh fruits.
These sugar-free peach muffins are one of our favorites as we love peaches and they do get nice and juicy when baked. They are very easy to make and I often get my little helper involved in preparing the batter or scooping it to the muffin cases.
If you have a baby under 12 months, then you could share some of your peach muffin with him as it doesn't contain any sugar, salt or honey in it. All their sweetness comes from the peach and dates. I do recommend though not to give them regularly to babies but only as a special treat, as they are still sweet and you don't want them to develop a sweet tooth.
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👩🏻🍳 Why you should try my recipe
- Easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Not requiring a mixer or blender, just a whisk.
- No sugar or artificial sweeteners used, naturally sweetened from fruits.
- Freezable for a quick snack on busy days.
- Perfect for babies and toddlers to hold with their little hands.
- Great snack for toddlers and preschoolers.
- Suitable for babies that follow the Baby Led Weaning method.
- Easy to pack for dates out, playgrounds and lunch boxes.
🥘 Ingredients
To make these kid-friendly, sugar free peach muffins, we will need two peaches, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla extract, plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon and dates.
All the sweetness of the peach muffins comes from the dates and peaches, making them suitable for babies and little ones as they are naturally sweetened. Still, I don't recommend giving them regularly to babies under 12 months as you don't want them to get used to sweet flavors and reject their vegetables and other nutritious food.
For full quantities and to print the recipe see the recipe card down below.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
So get your ingredients ready and let's get started!
01. To start, I'm removing the stones from the dates and put them in a bowl with ⅓ cup of hot water. I let them rest for around 10 minutes to soak in the water and get softer.
02. Then I add the dates with the water to a food processor and blend them until they become a nice, thick paste. I'm using 5 dates to make this paste and that is my main sweetener for these sugar free peach muffins. You could use a couple more dates if you like them sweeter, up to your taste.
03. In a bowl, I'm adding the mushed dates along with the eggs, butter, vanilla extract and cinnamon. The butter needs to be at room temperature to incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients. Then using a whisk, I just mix everything together.
04. Now it's time to add the flour, baking powder and milk. I'm using all-purpose flour for the peach muffins and my raising agent is only the baking powder. I add half of the flour and the baking powder to the bowl and mix it with a spatula until it's incorporated. Then I add the milk and the rest of the flour and I gently mix everything together until all blended.
05. Finally, it's time to add the peach. I'm using two ripe peaches that I cut into cubes roughly. If the skin is too loose you could peel them otherwise leave it on. The skin is going to get soft when baked and also helps to hold the fruit shape together. Using the spatula, I just mix the peach cubes with the batter until blended.
06. I preheat my oven to 180°C or 350°F while I put the batter in the muffin cases. I'm using a tray with 12 muffin cases. You could use silicon, reusable ones or paper ones. Whatever you prefer and have available at home. My little one loves to help me fill them in, it's one of her little jobs!
07. They only need 30-35 minutes in the oven to get a nice golden brown color. Make sure you don't open the oven door for the first half an hour, as you don't want to lower the heat and interfere with the rising of the muffins. After I take them out of the oven, I wait for a couple of minutes and then put them on a rack to cool down completely.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- You could use a couple more dates if you prefer the peach muffins sweeter.
- You could use any milk alternative to dairy you like. I often make them using coconut milk.
- You could leave out the cinnamon or replace it with a teaspoon of allspice.
🍽 Serving suggestions
Babies (6-12 months): You could serve these sugar-free peach muffins as a snack or for breakfast to your baby, as they are naturally sweetened. Still, I don't recommend offering them regularly, as you don't want them to get used to sweet flavors and reject their veggies and protein.
All other ages: For all other ages, children and adults, you could have these healthy peach muffins for breakfast with some yogurt and berries on the side. They are great as a snack in the afternoon, for lunch boxes for school and when you are out and about with your little ones and you want an easy-to-hold snack for some energy.
🧰 Storage
If you have any leftovers of these healthy peach muffins, I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Then they might get hard but most importantly, if it's too hot, it's easy to go bad since they are moist inside from the peaches.
You could also store them in the freezer when they cool down, wrapped in foil or in a ziploc bag. Then thaw them for a couple of hours or until they get soft.
💭 Tips
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature to be easier to incorporate.
- Don't forget to remove the stones from the dates and leave them to soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes to get softer and juicier.
❓ FAQ
Sugar-free muffins can be healthy, depending on what natural sweetener you are using and how much of it. Always use as less as possible, just enough to add a bit of sweet taste to your muffin, and go for fresh or dry fruits as sweeteners followed by maple syrup or honey in moderation.
Babies can't have honey under 12 months and you should avoid any salt and sugar when preparing their meals. As long as sugar-free muffins don't have any honey or other artificial sweeteners that are not recommended for babies under 12 months, you could give a little bit of a sugar-free muffin to a baby. Safe natural sweeteners for babies are fresh and dry fruits like bananas, peach, mango and dates.
Yes, you can definitely leave the skin on the peach, as it's going to get soft and prevent the peach from getting too mushy and breaking down. If the peach is too ripe though and you find that the skin separates easily when cutting the fruit, then I recommend removing it as it will separate from the flesh when cooked and won't look nice.
📋 Recipe
Healthy Sugar Free Peach Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 peaches ripe
- 5 dates
- 3 eggs
- 1 stick butter (114 grams) at room temperature
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Remove the stones from the dates and add them to a bowl. Add ⅓ cup of hot water and let them soak for 10 minutes.
- Add the dates with the water to a food processor and blend until a thick paste.
- Add the dates paste to a big bowl. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix everything well using a whisk.
- Add half of the flour and the baking powder to the bowl. Mix until the flour is incorporated.
- Add the milk and the remaining flour and mix with a spatula until all blended.
- Chop the peaches into cubes. Add them to the bowl and incorporate using a spatula.
- Add the batter to a 12 case muffin tray using silicon or paper muffin cases.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven to 350℉ / 180℃.
Notes
- You could use a couple more dates if you prefer your peach muffins a bit sweeter.
- Place the peach muffins in a rack after you take them out of the oven to cool down completely.
- Store them at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Wrap them in foil or put them in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
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