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Moist, tender, and caramel-y: that sums up these 3 ingredient chickpea flour date muffins! They are also vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, grain-free & added sugar-free! Have fun customizing the muffins in countless ways (e.g., add spices, vanilla, nuts, seeds or chocolate chips).
Table of Contents
- 3 Ingredient Date Chickpea Flour Muffins
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients
- How to Make 3 Ingredient Chickpea Flour Date Muffins
- Step One: Quick Soak the Dates
- Step Two: Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan
- Step Three: Blend the Dates
- Step Four: Make the Batter
- Step Five: Divide the Batter
- Step Six: Bake
- Step Seven: Cool the Muffins
- Flavor and Texture of the Muffins
- FAQ
- Add-In Suggestions
- Ultimate Collection of Chickpea Flour Recipes
- Related Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Chickpea Flour Date Muffins (V, GF, Oil-Free) Recipe
- Add-In Suggestions
3 Ingredient Date Chickpea Flour Muffins
Ooh, how I love a simple muffin recipe, especially one that I can memorize without trying. It is clear I am not alone: my 3 ingredient chickpea flour banana muffins and 3 ingredient chickpea flour zucchini muffins, both with suggestions for countless customizations, were hits this past year.
After some thinking, pottering, and testing, I’ve come up with something new, but on the same theme: 3 ingredient Chickpea Flour Date Muffins.
Oh my word. As a self-confessed caramel lover, I am crazy abut the not-too-sweet caramel flavor of the muffins. And the texture? A tender, perfect crumb (apologies for my lack of humility), all without eggs, grains, or added fat.
If it has been awhile since you last made muffins, now is the time. You will not be disappointed.
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Grain-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Oil-free (e.g., no coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil)
- Nut-free (e.g., no peanut butter, almond flour, or added nuts)
- Seed-free
- Added Sugar-Free
- Fast & Easy to Make
- Frugal
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
You only need three pantry ingredients to make the muffins. I do not include water in my ingredient count for this, or other recipes, on powerhungry (I assume everyone has running water). Likewise, I do not count salt, since it is optional (but recommended, to heighten flavor).
Here is what you will need:
- Chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour)
- Pitted dates (any variety)
- Baking powder (certified gluten-free, as needed)
If you want to add more to the basic recipe, please do. I have suggestions in the FAQ section below if you need specific ideas. I strongly recommend adding a teaspoon of vanilla to enhance the caramel flavor of the dates. These make perfect spice muffins, too.
How to Make 3 Ingredient Chickpea Flour Date Muffins
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
Step One: Quick Soak the Dates
Place the dates in a small mixing bowl. Add the boiling water to the bowl. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to soften. Do not drain.
Step Two: Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line 9 cups of a standard size muffin tin with silicone liners (or paper or foil liners; silicone liners work best for easy release of the muffins).
Step Three: Blend the Dates
Transfer the dates and their soaking liquid to a blender or food processor. Process until completely smooth. Transfer to a 2-cup (473 mL) measuring cup and add enough water to equal 2 cups.
Step Four: Make the Batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients, chickpea flour and baking powder, until blended. Whisk in the salt (as well as any spices that you may decide to add).
Add the date purée and stir until completely combined. If you choose to add any mix-ins (e.g., chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped nuts), now is the time to stir them into the batter.
Step Five: Divide the Batter
Divide batter evenly between the 9 prepared muffin cups in the muffin pan.
Step Six: Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until a rich golden brown and tops are firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out with only moist crumbs attached.
Step Seven: Cool the Muffins
Cool the muffins, in the muffin tin, for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tin and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Hello, caramel muffins…
Flavor and Texture of the Muffins
The muffins have a balanced sweetness (not too much, not too little). The pureed dates are essentially date caramel, so it should come as no surprise that the muffins have a caramel butterscotch flavor. The strong flavor of the dates makes the taste of chickpea flour negligible. If you like, add spices to remove any last hint of chickpea flour.
The texture of the muffins is nearly identical to muffins made with all-purpose wheat flour. They are tender and moist (thanks to the dates).
FAQ
- How should I store the muffins? Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Can I substitute a different flour in place of the chickpea flour? No. This recipe is specifically designed for use with chickpea flour.
- How can I make the muffins moister?
- Oil Version: Replace some or all of the water with oil or melted vegan butter.
- No-Oil Version: Replace some of the water in the date puree with full-fat coconut milk (a favorite for me–coconut caramel muffins!), cashew cream, or runny nut butter or seed butter (e.g., peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter)
- How can I make the chickpea flour date muffins sweeter? You can add 1 to 3 tablespoons of the sweetener of your choice, such as coconut sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, or (if you are not following a vegan diet) honey. Adding other ingredients (e.g., chocolate chips, dried fruit or fresh fruit) will also make the muffins sweeter (see ideas below).
Add-In Suggestions
The options for add-ins to these easy chickpea muffins are vast! Consider one, or a combination of several, of the following options to customize your muffins to your tastes.
- Spices: Add 1/4 to 1.5 teaspoons of your favorite spice, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice. Or add a combination of spices (no more than 1.5 teaspoons total) for fragrant spice muffins.
- Dried Fruit: Add up to 1/2 cup (118 mL) of chopped dried fruit, such as raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried cranberries or 1 cup of chopped dried apples (caramel apple muffins!).
- Fresh Fruit: Add up to 3/4 cup chopped fruit or berries to the batter. For example, blueberries, raspberries, chopped ripe (but not overripe) banana, apples, or mango. You will likely need to bake the muffins for an additional two to five minutes, depending on the moisture of the fruit and quantity added.
- Chocolate: Add up to 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate chips or chunks.
- Nuts or Seeds: Add up to 1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds, such as walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds. Alternatively, sprinkle a few nuts or seeds on top before baking.
- Extracts or Zests: Add a teaspoon of vanilla or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, rum extract or coconut extract. Or add one to two teaspoons of finely grated lime, lemon or orange zest.
- Coconut: Add up to 1/2 cup shredded or flake unsweetened coconut (toasted or un-toasted). Alternatively, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with coconut before baking.
Ultimate Collection of Chickpea Flour Recipes
Chickpea flour is one of my favorite ingredients for gluten-free baking. You can see all of my chickpea flour recipes HERE. 😊
Related Recipes
3 Ingredient Chickpea Flour Date Muffins (V, GF, Oil-Free)
Equipment
- 1 standard size muffin tin (12-count)
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates (packed)
- 1.5 cups boiling water
- 1.33 cups chickpea flour, (sifted, if lumpy)
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder, certified GF, as needed
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Optional: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, cardamom or allspice
- Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the dates in a small mixing bowl. Add the boiling water to the bowl. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to soften. Do not drain.
- Transfer the dates and their soaking liquid to a blender or food processor. Process until completely smooth. Transfer to a 2-cup (473 mL) measuring cup and add enough water to equal 2 cups.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line 9 cups of a standard size muffin tin with silicone liners (or paper or foil liners; silicone liners work best for easy release of the muffins).
- In a large bowl, whisk the chickpea flour and baking powder until blended. Whisk in salt and/ or cinnamon, if using.
- Add the date purée and stir until completely combined. If you choose to add any mix-ins (e.g., chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped nuts) now is the time to stir them into the batter.
- Divide batter evenly between the 9 prepared muffin cups
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until tops are firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out with only moist crumbs attached.
- Cool the muffins, in the muffin tin, for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tin and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
Add-In Suggestions
The options for add-ins to these easy chickpea muffins are vast! Consider one, or a combination of several, of the following options to customize your muffins to your tastes.-
- Spices: Add 1/4 to 1.5 teaspoons of your favorite spice, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice. Or add a combination of spices (no more than 1.5 teaspoons total) for fragrant spice muffins.
-
- Dried Fruit: Add up to 1/2 cup (118 mL) of chopped dried fruit, such as raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried cranberries or 1 cup of chopped dried apples (caramel apple muffins!).
-
- Fresh Fruit: Add up to 3/4 cup chopped fruit or berries to the batter. For example, blueberries, raspberries, chopped ripe (but not overripe) banana, apples, or mango. You will likely need to bake the muffins for an additional two to five minutes, depending on the moisture of the fruit and quantity added.
-
- Chocolate: Add up to 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate chips or chunks.
-
- Nuts or Seeds: Add up to 1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds, such as walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds. Alternatively, sprinkle a few nuts or seeds on top before baking.
-
- Extracts or Zests: Add a teaspoon of vanilla or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, rum extract or coconut extract. Or add one to two teaspoons of finely grated lime, lemon or orange zest.
-
- Coconut: Add up to 1/2 cup shredded or flake unsweetened coconut (toasted or un-toasted). Alternatively, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with coconut before baking.
Nutrition
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Very tasty. But, I found that I did have to add a bit more flour since it was kind of runny instead of a batter. Will make again (and again) with some of the variations suggested.
Great, Jackie, glad you were able to adjust the recipe on the fly, and that it was a success!
I just made it with cinnamon and banana extract added. It tastes like a banana bread muffin. This is the first recipe that is grain, nut and seed free but high in fiber that actually tastes good. Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world. God Bless.
That sounds delicious, PeanutGallery! I’m so glad the recipe turned out well, and suits your needs. Cheers.
Thank you for this recipe. I wonder if you can substitute the dates for something else. I am sensitive to dates.
Hi Sandra! I am sure you could use just about any dried fruit (use the same weight) you can tolerate in place of the dates. For example, raisins, prunes, etc. Cheers.
Surprisingly rich and moist. I added mini chocolate chips for Valentine’s Day.
Awesome recipe!
Note to self: Examine the dates for pits. One of my dates still had part of its pit inside which I did not notice until the muffins were baked. Luckily, I found it just in time.
Wonderful, Irma! Oof, glad you caught the pit before chomping down. Thank you for the reminder to check! ☺️
What is 1.333 cups? I made the muffins and put them in 6 large muffin tins. They were very good, but I guessed at the amount of flour, what is it?
Hi Judy,
1.33 is 1 and 1/3 (.33 is 1/3, .25 is 1/4, .75 is 3/4, etc). I am writing the amount in decimal form, as opposed to fractions, because the recipe card will not convert “1 and 1/3” when people press the 2x or 3x option, but it will for numbers. You can also toggle the metric option under the ingredients to get the weights. Cheers.
I absolutely love garam/besan/chickpea flour. What a delightful thing it was to find this recipe.
Im so happy you are here, Nappy Dee! Enjoy the recipe (and hooray for chickpea flour ☺️)
Hi Camilla!
Wow! I made these muffins yesterday and they are amazing!! I followed the recipe as written, along with the optional ingredients (although I used pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon). I did find that they took a bit longer in the oven (about 22 minutes), which could be due to altitude (I’m in Calgary, Alberta). Long story short, these are amazing muffins with simple ingredients and moist delicious texture. This recipe is a keeper!!😁
Fantastic, Jennifer! Pumpkin spice sounds perfect. Yes, it could be altitude difference, but it could be as simple as a difference in our ovens 😊 So glad you like the recipe!
Hi Camilla! I made your muffins today and they were delicious and so easy! They were light with just the right amount of sweetness…love using dates instead of sugar! Thank you!
You are very welcome, June, delighted you like them! 🙂
I have just made these and they are beautiful I will definitely do them again I put pumpkin spice in most and chocolate in the last 3
Yum, sounds great, Karen! Very happy to know you enjoyed them and chuffed that they are going onto the “make again” list!
Today I tried your fabulous muffin recipe – Wow just so moist tasty and easy to make. I put in some chocolate nibs, sunflower seeds 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder and also a 50mls of melted butter.
They are just delicious and satisfied my craving for a wholesome muffin. Definitely going to make this again. Thank you so very much Camilla – for your wonderful effort and recipes which I truly appreciate and am grateful for. Much love
Indira, your additions sound heavenly! I am so glad you tried the recipe and made it your own from the start. Thank you so much for the kind words, too! Cheers 🙂
I had all the ingredients so I gave it a hopeful attempt this morning. These surprised me. They whip up easily, they are moist and they are oh so yummy!! I added vanilla and cinnamon per the notes. I highly recommend giving them a try.
I am so glad you gave them a go, Anita— and that you were pleasantly surprised! Cheers 😊
Five Stars! This is an excellent recipe. I made it this morning and we had the muffins tonight. They’re really good. I added 1/2 tsp of allspice, chocolate chips (unsweetened) and a few walnuts. Yummy. They’re truly tasty and worth adding to your favor recipe list. Thanks, Camilla.
Wowza, thanks so much, Sandy! I love allspice (so underused! so delicious!)–pairing it with chocolate sounds so good. I am so happy you enjoyed the muffins! 🙂
My husband made these this morning.
Delicious! He added chopped pecans and dried cranberries along with 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. I think he cooked them about five minutes longer but that is due to our oven
Will definitely make them again. We love how many ways you can use chickpea flour
Thank you for your wonderful talent
Oh yum, pecans are cranberries are two of my favorite ingredients, Diane! That sounds so good. I am with you, chickpea flour is pretty amazing 🙂
Would date syrup work instead of dates? If so, how much syrup?
Hi Jcb,
I am guessing that you could. The results will be a little bit different since date syrup has all of the solids strained out, which contribute to the moist and tender texture of the muffins. I do not have any date syrup on hand, so you may have to play around with the amounts. Here is what I suggest:
(1) I would add an extra 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour to make up for solids that you will not get from the date puree.
(2) I guesstimate you will need roughly 1.75 to 2 cups of wet ingredients total. I would begin by adding 1 cup water + 1/2 cup date syrup. Taste for sweetness (it will taste very chickpea–that will change after baking).
(3) If it is sweet enough, add the remaining liquid (1/4 to 1/2 cup) as water. If it needs more sweetness, make that final 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid part water/part syrup or all syrup.
Cheers 🙂
Can’t wait to try these, Camilla!
BTW, your link goes to the naan bread recipe by mistake.
Thank you, June (oops). I have sent out an email with the corrected link 🙂
This recipe sounds excellent. I will defiantly make them soon. I especially appreciate the versatility, or extra add-ins. Thanks for this healthy and simple recipe idea.
My pleasure, Sandy!