Food & Recipes

Honey & Goat Cheese-Filled Fig Muffins

Sweet figs and a filling of tangy goat cheese give a surprising twist to these hearty breakfast muffins. Make a batch of these on the weekend and enjoy them for breakfast all week long. If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, try them with cream cheese instead.

Servings: 12

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Total Time: 60

Prep Time: 40

Recipe Ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup crumbled soft goat cheese, or reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
2. 2 tablespoons honey
3. 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
4. 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
5. 2 cups white whole-wheat flour
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8. 1/4 teaspoon salt
9. 2 large eggs
10. 1 large egg white
11. 3/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
12. 1 cup low-fat or nonfat buttermilk
13. 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
14. 1 1/4 cups chopped dried figs
15. 3 tablespoons turbinado or granulated sugar

Recipe Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
2. Thoroughly combine goat cheese (or cream cheese), honey, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Lightly beat eggs and egg white in a medium bowl; add brown sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in buttermilk and oil until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in figs.
4. Spoon half the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Add 1 generous teaspoon of the reserved cheese filling to the center of each muffin, and cover with the remaining batter. (The filling should not be visible.) Sprinkle the muffins with sugar.
5. Bake the muffins until the edges start to brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per muffin: 272 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 6 g mono ); 39 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrates; 20 g added sugars; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 239 mg sodium; 184 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Iron (20% daily value).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3

Exchanges:1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 other carbohydrates, 1 1/2 fat

Special Health Considerations:

Low Sodium - Low Cholesterol - Low Sat Fat - High Fiber - Heart Healthy

See More Nutrition Guidelines

Recipe Categories:

For more recipes go to EatingWell.com
Find more WebMD recipes on the Recipe Finder