Honey- & Goat Cheese-Filled Fig Muffins

Rating: 4.67 stars
51 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 42
  • 4 star values: 5
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 2
  • 1 star values: 1

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.

Maria Speck
Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2010
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.

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  • Thoroughly combine goat cheese (or cream cheese), honey, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.

  • Whisk flour (see Measuring Tip), 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap the muffins and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30-45 seconds.

Ingredient notes: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available in large supermarkets and at natural-foods stores. (Or find it online from bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com.) Store it in the freezer.

Turbinado sugar is steam-cleaned raw cane sugar. It's coarse-grained and light brown in color, with a slight molasses flavor. Find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets or at natural-foods stores.

Measuring tip: We use the “spoon and level” method to measure flours. Here's how it is done: Use a spoon to lightly scoop flour from its container into a measuring cup. Use a knife or other straight edge to level the flour with the top of the measuring cup.

Storage smarts: For long-term freezer storage, wrap your food in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. The plastic will help prevent freezer burn while the foil will help keep off-odors from seeping into the food.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Per Serving:
272.3 calories; protein 6.5g 13% DV; carbohydrates 43.8g 14% DV; exchange other carbs 3; dietary fiber 3.3g 13% DV; sugars 26.4g; fat 8.8g 14% DV; saturated fat 2.3g 12% DV; cholesterol 35.1mg 12% DV; vitamin a iu 129.2IU 3% DV; vitamin c 0.6mg 1% DV; folate 7.6mcg 2% DV; calcium 83.8mg 8% DV; iron 3.3mg 19% DV; magnesium 14.9mg 5% DV; potassium 184.7mg 5% DV; sodium 262.7mg 11% DV; thiaminmg 3% DV; added sugar 20g.
Exchanges:

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

Reviews (51)

Read More Reviews
51 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 42
  • 4 star values: 5
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 2
  • 1 star values: 1
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
evan33
Rating: 5 stars
04/05/2017
These took a little effort but they were worth it! Yum! Read More
Nadiago
Rating: 5 stars
01/15/2017
Delicious!!! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
05/19/2014
Problem Solved This is one funky muffin! To solve the disappearing cheese act & the sticking to the liner/pan problem I divided my goat cheese into 12 pieces and froze them first. Poured half the batter into the WELL SPRAYED muffin tins placed discs of frozen goat cheese directly in the middle of the cups topped w/ mixture of honey & lemon zest then other half of batter (making sure no cheese is visible). Ended up with a perfect cheese center and muffins that tipped right out of the pan for cooling. All of that said---this is one funky muffin! Don't love it don't hate it it's kinda weird. Won't make it again but it was a fun challenge! Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
04/14/2014
Love these Loved these. I used ch vre and a mix of calamyrna and black mission figs. The seeds made these reminiscent of fig newtons but the goat cheese made them not as cloyingly sweet as the cookies. Made a second batch last night. Pros: Balance between tangy and sweet Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
06/02/2013
it has som much potential I was intrigued by these muffins since I really like figs honey and goat cheese. I think it could have been better had i used a different kind of cheese. I made the mistake of using feta because it was in my fridge and it's a type of goat cheese. so when the muffins cooled the cheese re-solidified and created a weird consistency. Next I time would add lemon zest to whole batter and use a more neutral softer cheese lie a very mild goat cheese. One last thing the batter (once cooked) was sooo sticky the paper wouldn't peel off. I'm wondering if I made a mistake somewhere or if it's the tendency of this recipe. it's not a problem i've ever run into. Pros: figs lemon zest not too sweet Cons: sticks to paper Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 1 stars
12/13/2012
Unrealistic characterization These are good to look at and sound absolutely delicious but how ever do you justify calling them for weight loss with 20 gr of added sugar per muffin. What are you thinkin'? Pros: beautiful and probably delish Cons: pretty high sugar unhealthy and not for weight loss Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
06/27/2012
Beautiful looking nice tasting The muffins are GORGEOUS. Just like the photo. I notice other readers commented on their goat cheese did not show up as expected. The key is to reserve the goat cheese & honey and combine all other ingredients. Then after you have poured most of the batter in the muffin tins ball up the goat cheese a little larger than a marble and stick it down in the middle of each muffin. Top with just enough batter to cover the cheese. I will in the future add some spices however; perhaps some cinnamon or all spice. Like I said very pretty and very fun but just not as tantalizing a taste as I was looking for. Great recipe to build on though. P.S. If you do not have buttermilk combine 1 T lemon juice in a 1 Cup measuring cup fill with milk and let set for 5 min. Pros: Gorgeous presentation to impress unique flavor combination Cons: Not extremely full flavored Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
06/23/2012
I made these and substituted with fat-free cream cheese all egg whites and applesauce instead of oil. They still turned out good but healthier and probably didn't taste as good as the fattier version would...but still good enough for me.:-) Only thing I didn't like was that the cream cheese melted throughout the muffin and was hard to be found. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
06/18/2012
Eh these need a little altering After following this recipe to a t these muffins are okay. The goat cheese filling is not anywhere as creamy as the photo indicates which was disappointing. Great concept but not impressed with the end results. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
04/15/2012
Absolutely amazing! These are my absolute favorite muffins. They turn out great every time and have a delicious combination of flavors. Trust me the goat cheese brings it all together! Pros: everything! These are so awesome right out of the oven with the warm goat cheese! Cons: nothing Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
03/09/2012
Great Recipe! I have been wanting to try this recipe as soon as I read it it looked so interesting & unusual. Well it exceeded my expectations! The zesting and fig chopping were well worth the effort. I shared them with some friends and one reported I think this is the best muffin I've ever tasted! I did mix whole wheat and unbleached used the goat cheese and just 2 tablespoons of cream cheese to mellow the goaty flavor a bit. I also like the idea of adding walnuts perhaps chopped & mixed with a little of the sugar on top! Read More
res_emptito@yahoo.com
Rating: 4 stars
02/26/2012
delicious and good with my afternoon tea I followed the recipe except that I did use a sweet creamy Vermont goat cheese instead of crumbled which almost implies feta. In any case these are excellent muffins. My only regret (gentle readers do not make my mistake) was coating the muffin tin with cooking spray instead of using paper muffin cups. The soft cheese filling means that you cannot pull the muffins out without breaking them. I WILL use paper cups next time! Pros: good flavor combinations Cons: time-consuming (weekend project) Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
01/18/2012
a nice change from the usual blueberry or banana nut muffin! After having so many dried figs leftover from a different recipe I hit Google to find some ways to use them up. This recipe caught my eye! I didn't have ALL the ingredients on hand -- subbed buttermilk for lemon-soured nonfat milk & used 1/2 white flour 1/2 whole wheat. they came out so tasty! and aside from using a lot of bowls it was super easy. next time I'll try to use the buttermilk so they don't have as much of a lemon flavor. I'll increase the cheese & not fill the muffin tin as much so the cheese sits lower (my cheese ended up in a ball at the top of the muffin) and I saw somewhere that someone added toasted walnuts -- that sounds amazing. Pros: easy used up some leftover dried figs had the majority of ingredients on hand Cons: not enough cheese filling! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
01/10/2012
Our muffins were delicious! We used the goat cheese because we love the tang but exchanged flours and made ours gluten-free. They turned out great. The muffins were pretty and very tasty. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
01/04/2012
Delicious! My daughter and I made these together and we had so much fun! They came out great! We used cream cheese and figs which we enjoyed. We definitely will make them again but search for an alternate sweetner to brown sugar. Pros: Easy & fun to make taste terrific! Cons: High in sugar Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These are terrific! Tried the recipe as written and they were wonderful the first day but equally good after freezing and reheating in the micro. Read More
Cali4neagirl
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Delicious and satisfying. I bought and used a goat cheese log that had cranberries and cinamon which made these muffins extra special for me. Goat cheese is a bit strong so I'll make these again w/the cream cheese so my husband can eat them! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These are my new favorite muffins. I couldn't find the white whole wheat flour at our grocery store so I used whole wheat pastry flour instead. I will definitely make these again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Great! Loved them and I'm not a muffin person but they just sounded yummy and they were. Used 1/2 regular flour 1/2 whole wheat because my local natural foods place didn't have the type recommended despite having all the rest of the Red Mill products. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These are very good. I made them with the low fat cream cheese and both my husband and I liked the taste of the white whole wheat. I will be making these muffins again. Read More
takanali@hotmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These are delish! I bought goat cheese crumbles and they worked ok but didn't result in a filling that's creamy so something possibly went awry (operator error). Even so the filling is awesome I had some leftover after filling the muffin tin so I spread it on toast yum! Was like pastry filling. Will make again! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
A very good muffin. I like the flavors and the crunch that the turbinado sugar gives. However I would have liked the filling to be creamier in texture like the photo expresses. I used Cypress Grove Chevre. Maybe a different brand next time. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made these muffins as part of the tackling the bulk bins series I do on Mother Nature Network. The dried figs came from the bulk bins at my store. They are really good and I will definitely be making them again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
As other commenters have mentioned the goat cheese filling did NOT turn out creamy and runny like the picture shows but almost like the filling of a twinkie. Despite this they were delicious. I didn't have enough dried figs so I added dates which worked well. I will definitely be making these again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Very tasty. Recipe ended up making 15 muffins and I had cream cheese filling left over. Made them with lite cream cheese. I used three small eggs (I raise my own chickens and am not worried about the bit of extra colesteral/fat as free range eggs have a better nutritional profile) instead of two large and one egg white. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These are wonderful muffins. I used the cheve roll from Costco and the result was creamy prior to freezing. After freezing/defrosting the center was more firm but still had great flavor. Preparation was a bit messy and time consuming. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Love these muffins. Held me over to lunch every time I had them. I like them best after a warm-up in the microwave a day or two after baking rather than room temp. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made these to go with a soup and sald lunch with friends and we all loved them Such an unusal but nice combination of flavors. YUM YUM Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I would put less honey in the goat cheese filling so it's a bit tangier but otherwise tasty muffins. Good for guests. Read More
rhall.jd@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I shared these with the owner of Roma Bakery and he and his partner loved them. They are definitely a favorite with us and have the virtue of carrying me through the morning until lunch. I also used cranberry covered goat cheese and enjoyed the extra tang of the cranberries. Used regular whole wheat flour and liked it. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I converted the recipe to be Gluten Free and they were delicious!!! -Replace 2c wheat flour with: 3/4 cups sorghum flour 3/4 cups potato starch 1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch -Increase baking soda from 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp -Add 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum And you definitely have to cover the filling before baking! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
great muffins used the cream cheese and the filling was creamy these are definitely a keeper. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These were great! Read my take here: http://epicurable.blogspot.com/2010/03/fig-experiment-take-3-success.html Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I used Organic Valley Neufchatel cheese and freshly grated orange zest. The filling was smooth and creamy and delicious! I will definitely make these muffins again! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I too loved this recipe. But I hesitated to make it for a long while due to the "3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese." I knew this was going to be messy and it was. Trying to crumble Neufchatel cheese sounded even worse. I would appreciate an ingredient such as this to be listed by weight. Most home cooks I know now use a kitchen scale regularly. Read More
DOGLADY50
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These muffins were fabulous. I had to use cream cheese instead of goat's cheese and I can't wait to try them with goat's cheese probably will be even better. Very easy to make did stick a bit to paper muffin cups. Stored well in fridge only lasted 3 days between my husband and I so I didn't try freezing them. Did anyone freeze them? Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I love these muffins and the recipe is really easy to customize. I've started making them with 100% oatmeal rather than flour -- just grind up the oats in a coffee grinder to create flour and replace one of the whole eggs with two egg whites. I also like chopped dried nectarines and frozen blueberries in place of the figs (although the figs are fabulous too) and I always add chopped walnuts or almonds plus a few dashes of cinnamon. My husband's not so big on goat cheese so I haven't used it for the filling... yet. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I really like this recipe and have made twice so far. when i ran out of figs i used dates instead. The first time i made it though the cheese i used was not very good quality because it ruined the muffins! it tasted like a barn in my mouth i just couldn't make myself eat them. Maybe it was a bad batch but i used laura chenels goat cheese for that one and never again. The second time i got a fresh local chevre and it was much much better. I have been freezing these so I can take my time eating them too. I also add a tiny bit of fresh ground flax to the muffin batter. Pros: Cons: Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Excellent. I made these per the recipe in my Jan/Feb 2010 issue of the magazine. My tips: Press the cheese filling down so that the top coat of batter will cover it well. If you use organic figs like I did note that they will be dryer than those preserved with chemicals. It will turn out fine if you don't do this but next time I plan to either briefly steam or soak my fig pieces to make them as moist as the picture seems to suggest. I used an excellent goat cheese (Whole Foods) which made all the difference. Don't use feta for this - would be too dry and assertive. I think next time I would use more cheese than the recipe called for. This is an excellent combination of flavors and it is not cloyingly sweet. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Thank you- going to women's PEO convention and this is the best recipe for a take along breakfast I can have for the next three days. Froze the rest. Sandy T. Read More
Alison Dezsofi
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These are fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly and did find that the recipe made about 15 muffins however not 12. The lemon zest was excellent mixed with the honey and goat cheese and I may add more next time. I highly recommend these! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Loved these muffins! They're filling and the cream in the middle is a treat. I substituted dates for the figs and light cream cheese for the goat cheese. They kept in the freezer well and made for an easy treat the next weekend. - Pi Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These muffins were amazing. I'm allergic to sugar and therefore had to adapt them (I also adapted them to make them a bit healthier) and they were absolutely divine. You can check my adaptation out at my blog here! http://kaitlinwithhoney.com/2010/07/22/honey-fig-goat-cheese-muffins/ Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
These are yummy. I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the white whole wheat flour with success. I also used the good old substitution for buttermilk (1T lemon juice 1 C milk). The lemon zest mixed with the honey and cream/goat cheese is great and is especially complemented by the figs. Read More
Jessica Icard
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I was able to find goat cheese already crumbled. I couldn't find figs and I read that someone used dates so I used those because I could find them. The cheese filling pretty much cooked out of my muffins so they were date muffins with a little bit of white stuff in the middle. Also next time I will leave the lemon zest out. I must've not grated it right to "zest" it because I could clearly taste the lemon where the filling was supposed to be. Other than that it was really good. I would try cream cheese next time and see if that cooks out or not. Read More
Jessica Icard
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I forgot to add that my muffins fell apart. When you put the dollop of batter then the cheese filling and then more batter...I guess the muffins didn't bake together. I got muffin tops and muffin bottoms. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Anonymous 3/27/2010 - I'm not a fan of goat cheese either (by itself) but with the honey vanilla and lemon zest your husband may not not believe it's goat cheese... he might just be surprised!:D These are great muffins following the recipe just as it's written! I was a little concerned at first that the batter was so thin but they turned out great. I'll be making them again! I also had a couple muffins that I apparently didn't put enough batter in the bottom and when I turned them out of the tins to cool there were holes in the bottom (kind of collapsed in) and you could see the cheese filling... I just left them inverted until they were cooled and set. I also got 15 muffins from the recipe instead of a dozen:P A.D.Cool Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I tried these with the cream cheese option and since I was making them for a wide range of people changed the figs for dried strawberries I found at a specialty store. They came out AMAZING and I am not usually the best at cooking/baking. I have had multiple requests to make them again and will probably make them on a regular basis. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
Next time I make this recipe I will leave out the goat cheese. It just sort of melted in the muffin and didn't look anything like the picture. I used dried dates instead of figs and added chopped walnuts which made it really good. I generally like goat cheese but didn't care for it in these. Read More
hmoss@umbc.edu
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
to die for I didn't alter anything in this recipe and it came out perfectly. These muffins were a huge hit at my brunch party this morning -- all guests were adults who would consider themselves foodies. I am glad I chose this recipe instead of going with the boring old blueberry or banana-nut muffins that everyone makes. Pros: easy special different Cons: not everyone likes goat cheese Read More
Jody
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
YUMMY! I just made these and they are delicious! I don't like goat cheese so I used cream cheese as well as switched out the figs for raisens. They turned out awesome. I can't wait to make these again with different variations like stawberries & cream cheese. Pros: Easy to make & personalize with differeent ingredients Cons: None Read More
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