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If you need a tasty ‘grab-and-go’ for busy work mornings or to nibble en route to a race, try making a batch of my date and walnut muffins with cinnamon streusel topping.

Sweet, moreish and surprisingly healthy, these provide you with slow-releasing carbs, healthy fats, fibre, potassium and iron.

Dates provide antioxidants; flavonoids and phenolic acid, which have anti-inflammatory properties; and carotenoids, proven to promote heart health.

Ingredients

  • 150g white self-raising flour
  • 150g wholemeal self-raising flour
  • 2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 80g coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 75g chopped walnuts
  • 120g dates
  • 2 eggs
  • 90ml vegetable oil
  • 1tbsp runny honey
  • 80ml milk
  • 80ml natural yoghurt

For the topping

  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 25g butter softened

Method

  • STEP 1

    Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases.

  • STEP 2

    Make the topping. In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon then rub in the butter with your fingertips until you have a crumbly mixture.

  • STEP 3

    In another bowl, mix the flours with the salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and spices. Stir in walnuts and dates.

  • STEP 4

    Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and combine. Don’t worry if lumpy. Spoon into the cases, add the topping to each and bake for 15-20mins until risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Get more vitamins and minerals: Reduce sugar to 40g at step 2 and add a nutrient-rich mashed banana at step 3.

Authors

Kate PercySports nutrition cook and author

Sports nutrition cook and keen amateur athlete Kate Percy set up the #GoFaster campaign in 2009 and, following the publication of several sports nutrition books, now produces a range of all-natural energy balls, Go Bites (www.katepercys.com).

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