Take advantage of the many types of frozen fruit easily available today to enhance your muffin making. These Coconut Mango Muffins are an excellent example of how you can make your morning muffins a little more exciting.
It’s been a long time since I’ve made muffins first thing on a weekend morning. It’s such a pleasurable thing to do: mixing the batter while the coffeemaker drips and hisses and the heating oven warms up the cold kitchen, while nearby a cat who’s eaten his fill of kibble licks a paw and tends to his bath in a patch of sunshine. The rising scent of baking — batter, spices and additions like fruit or nuts — perfumes the air while I empty the dishwasher, tidy up and set the table. Through the oven window I see the muffins swelling and browning. Anticipation becomes keener once the timer signals it’s time to remove them from the oven for at least a cursory cooling before devouring.
Sitting down with the newspaper and a platter of muffins, still too hot to eat but tempting enough to take the risk, I mull over whether to slather one with sweet butter or simply savour it as is. Usually, in the way of fools who burn their tongues, I rush in and enjoy at least the first one in all its unadorned, steaming glory.
Is there anything better than a fresh newspaper, hot coffee and warm muffins enjoyed in a kitchen fragrant from baking?
Coconut Mango Muffins
For this recipe, I decided to go tropical. I’ve been using a lot of coconut lately in dishes like these macaroons, and it was calling out to be paired with the bag of mango chunks in the freezer. For a hint of warm island spices I added cinnamon and allspice. The result was a gustatory getaway to the tropics on a spring morning that still felt like winter.
I’ll definitely be booking my ticket for more tropical breakfasts right here at the Urban Cottage.
Let’s Make Muffins
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup wheat bran
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1-1/4 cups kefir (or substitute buttermilk, milk soured with vinegar, or yogourt)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped mango (half-inch pieces; I used frozen)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
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Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a 12-compartment muffin tin with large (extra-large if you can find them) paper baking cups.
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In a large bowl, mix the flours, bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
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In another bowl, combine the kefir, maple syrup, vanilla, oil, egg and sugars. Stir with a whisk until well combined.
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until mixed together well. Fold in the mango and coconut.
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Using a large ice cream scoop with a built-in scraper, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. They will be about three-quarters full.
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Bake in the 400℉ oven for 25 minutes, or until the muffins have risen high and are nicely browned; some of the tops will be cracking.
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Remove the tray from the oven and set on a rack to cool for a few minutes before decanting the individual muffins onto the cooling rack. While I’ve been known to eat one or two while they’re still hot, I think they’re best while pleasantly warm. That said, cold muffins make a great snack throughout the day.
Looking for More Muffin Goodness?
I’ve made many muffins over the years. They’re quick and easy, and excellent vehicles for a world of flavourings. And they’re good for both breakfast and a portable snack. Here are a few recipes that I think you’ll enjoy: Blueberry Almond Muffins, Triple Berry Jam Muffins, and Banana Chocolate Muffins.
First Published 2016 04 06
Republished 2022 10 30
that looks delicious…
Thank you!
Now that’s a different kind of muffin! They sound nice for when the weather finally warms up. 🙂
It’s always fun to come up with a new recipe! The tropical ingredients fool me into thinking it’s warm out, lol.
Marlene, I think you know the way to my heart and that is through muffins lol. I may not be a huge fan of coconut but you are definitely making me want to give coconut a try again :).
I need to make more muffins, obviously, since you’re such a fan, Kia! If coconut isn’t your thing, I suppose you could leave it out, or perhaps add some chopped nuts instead. The coconut does provide texture, as well as flavour, so nuts could take on that role.
it as been a while since i made muffin also//… that sounds delish… thanks Marlene….
I made these muffins again last week — it’s a treat to have muffins in the house, and these are quite wholesome.