Persimmon Muffins with Lemon & Cardamom

I went on a roll this fall of trying new fruits and veggies that I’d never had before. I tried acorn squash for the first time (definitely delish!), and then that same week saw these weird little orange tomato-like things in my grocery store and just had to grab one. Turns out it was a persimmon, specifically of the fuyu variety.

So the next logical question was what to make. I browsed a ton of recipes, but most were salads, and I definitely didn’t want to go that route (boring). Then I found this somewhat odd-sounding muffin recipe and had to give it a try.

I “healthied it up” by using half whole wheat flour and cutting down on the sugar just a little. The persimmons gave it a lovely sweetness, with the lemon giving it a tart complement. The overall texture of the muffins was pretty light but still hearty, due to the whole wheat flour. And, like most muffin recipes, they came together in a flash.

I ate one fresh out of the oven with blackberry honey from Croatia, and then took them to work for my breakfast for the next few days (with honey from New Zealand…I definitely have a honey souvenir addiction!). This is such an easy and versatile recipe that you could swap out the persimmons for many other fruits, and even swap in a different citrus zest to mix things up (orange would have been lovely here as well).

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line muffin cups with papers if you want, I just spray my muffin tin with non-stick instead.

Peel and dice your persimmons and zest your lemon ahead of time, this all goes quickly once you start with the muffin batter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom), and fold or gently stir to mix everything together. It’s okay for it to be a little shaggy and have some dry bits, you definitely don’t want to over-mix it.

Fold in the persimmons gently. Divide mixture among your prepared muffin cups or greased muffin tin. You’ll want to fill them about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.

Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes for regular muffins (if you’re making minis, they’d be about half that). Cool on a rack and then store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I’ll throw them in a big ziploc bag to take to work, but I’ve found that it’s best to leave the sack open for an hour here and there to let them breathe—otherwise they get damp and start smelling funky and fermented.