Fresh Apricot Coconut Muffins
Fresh Apricot Coconut Muffins are healthier whole grain muffins studded with chunks of sweet apricot, coconut and the flavor of orange zest and vanilla. They’re light, fluffy and completely delicious!
I love all stone fruit, but apricots hold a special place in my heart. Every summer when I slept over at my grandparents’ house, my grandmother always had a bowl of fresh apricots on the table.
They were one of my grandmother’s favorite fruits, and to this day when I eat one, I can’t help but think of her.
I picked up some apricots at the farmer’s market this week and realized that I’d only baked with dried apricots in the past.
I knew right then and there that I needed to do something about that, so these wholesome Apricot Muffins were born. 🙂
A few years ago I read that fresh apricots don’t live up to their full potential until they’re cooked. I’m not sure that I agree with that entirely as I love eating them fresh when they’re perfectly ripe and sweet.
They’re amazing as-is or in a yogurt parfait with granola and honey.
I do agree that the flavor of apricots are unleashed when cooked — we all know how wonderful apricot jam is. When apricots are perfectly ripe they’re quite sweet, but when they’re not they can be overwhelmingly tart and dry.
Your muffins will only be as good as your apricots are, so make sure that you have the best.
These healthy apricot muffins have a double dose of coconut with both shredded sweetened coconut in the muffins and coconut flakes on top.
There’s another ingredient that goes hand in hand with apricot, and that’s orange. I’ve used this combination before in my Apricot Orange Irish Soda Bread, and absolutely loved it.
The orange zest truly brings out the flavor of the apricot and makes it shine.
Do fresh apricots need to be peeled before baking?
No! Peeling apricots would be much too tedious. These healthy fresh apricot muffins include that fuzzy skin and I promise that it doesn’t compromise the texture of the muffins.
Recipe notes
- If you don’t have whole wheat white flour on hand, you can substitute with all purpose flour or a combination of 1 cup all purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour.
- Your muffins will only be as good as your apricots! Make sure you use ripe, sweet apricots, which will result in a sweeter more flavorful muffin.
- If fresh apricots aren’t in season use dried apricots instead!
More muffin recipes you’ll love:
- Blackberry muffins
- Chocolate zucchini muffins
- Healthy morning glory muffins
- Healthy peach muffins by Amy’s Healthy Baking
- Healthy zucchini muffins
- Lemon blueberry muffins
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Healthier Fresh Apricot Coconut Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat white flour*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar or your favorite sweetener
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted and slightly cooled (canola oil may be substituted)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest about half a medium orange
- 3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk or milk of your choice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh chopped apricot chop into ¼" chunks (about 3-4 apricots)
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup coconut flakes for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, oil and orange zest vigorously until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until almost combined, then gently fold in the apricot and shredded coconut.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the muffin batter evenly between the (12) muffin cups and top with the coconut flakes, if using. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and the top of the muffins spring back when gently pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
- Store unused muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- *If you don’t have whole wheat white flour on hand, you can substitute with all purpose flour or a combination of 1 cup all purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour.
- Your muffins will only be as good as your apricots! Make sure you use ripe, sweet apricots, which will result in a sweeter more flavorful muffin.
- If fresh apricots aren’t in season use dried apricots instead!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**The photos, text and recipe for this post were updated in June 2018.
42 Comments on “Fresh Apricot Coconut Muffins”
I love apricots too! I picked up some yesterday while grocery shopping. Love these muffins. The grains, crunch and moist is making me happy. Have to try!!!
I saw on your Boston trip you had an apricot macaron — yummy! Thanks, Zainab, and have a great Monday. 🙂
They look scrumptious! Definitely pinning to our coconut board.
Have a marvelous Monday!
Thank you, Melanie, and I hope you have a great Monday as well! 🙂
Love these tropical muffins Marcie! Combining apricots and coconut sounds so so good – I have a ton of apricots that my mom just brought over too and I’ve been looking for ways to use them up. Muffins sound like the perfect thing – especially ones that look this awesome:)
Sounds like you’re stocked up and ready to use some apricots, Kelly! These muffins would be one great way to use some up. Thanks, and I hope you have a great Monday! 🙂
So totally shameful but I have never had a fresh apricot! Eek I feel like a bad food blogger!! haha I really need to buy some – I have a strong feeling I would love them : ) And then make me some muffins!
My mouth is hanging open in shock! You’re not shameful or a bad food blogger by any means, just definitely try an apricot soon. haha I’ll bet you love ’em! 🙂
Marcy, I could almost taste these as you described them! What a lovely trio of flavours! The muffins ended up being so healthy as well. I do love fruit in muffins, and it’s a great idea to add all that coconutty flavour. I think maybe coconut milk is the new buttermilk!
Yes, I think coconut milk may be the new buttermilk! I do love buttermilk, too, but I find myself subbing it out for coconut more and more lately. Thank you, Helen, and have a great Monday! 🙂
Oh these look yummy. My mother would love them. She loves apricots.
I loved your title Farmers Market Friday. I am coming over from Best of the weekend. I linked too about visiting our Farmers Market. LOL. Come by and see my post! I enjoyed meeting and visiting you. I am following you now.
Have a great weekend.
Sherry
Hi, Sherry! Thanks for stopping by and for following! I’m heading over to check out your post. 🙂
I love this flavor combo Marcie… coconut is one of my favorite ingredients. These would be perfect for breakfast – or – well – anytime! Pinning!
I love coconut a bit too much, and I’m glad you’re there with me! Thanks, Deb, and hope you have a great Monday! 🙂
These muffins look delicious! I love the combo of apricot and coconut, and often use it too. I have fresh apricots at the moment and I was planning to make muffins tomorrow morning, so I think these will be the ones. Thanks for the inspiration. Found you on Best of the Weekend.
Sounds like perfect timing, Julie, and I hope you enjoy the muffins! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend! 🙂
Thank you, Consuelo, and I hope you’re able to you make a batch now that you have plenty of time on your hands for fun! Good to have you back, and have a wonderful rest of the weekend! 🙂
Thank you, Allison! I really don’t know why I haven’t baked with fresh apricots before, but there will be a lot more of it in the future. 🙂
Oh, that jam your grandmother made sounds so good! You wouldn’t happen to have a recipe, would you? 🙂 If not, I’ll have to look it up! We never had apricot jam at home either, so it wasn’t until I met my husband that I got into apricot jam. I definitely need to make some. Memories of time at the grandparents’ house are always the best! Have a great weekend, Jamie! 🙂
I love all the fruits you’ve been using Marcie! These muffins look so good, I love the topping.
Thank you, Jessica! There’s so much great fruit in season right now I keep overbuying. It’s a good problem to have since I like to bake. haha Hope you’re having a great weekend. 🙂
I love these muffins, Marcie! They make me think of beaches and palm trees. Ahh…tropical flavors are the best aren’t they? 😀 I LOVE the granola topping on these gorgeous muffins. I so have to try that!
Thank you, Sarah! Tropical flavors really can make you feel like you’ve escaped reality for just a bit, don’t they? Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
Love the tropical flavor combination! I don’t think I’ve ever baked with fresh apricots. I’m loving your Farmers Market Fridays. I’m going to have to make myself get up early tomorrow morning and go to one instead of sleeping in. 🙂
Thank you, Christin! Fresh apricots were so great in these muffins — I need to make a point of baking with them more often! Sleeping in or farmer’s market is a tough decision, but going to the market will probably result in a very fruitful day. 🙂
Love the flavor combination of these muffins! Definitely takes the ordinary muffin up a notch. I haven’t baked with apricots too much, but these look amazing!
The fresh apricots were better than I ever imagined. I hope you’re able to give it a try, Gayle, and have a great weekend! 🙂