Do you remember these?
Persimmons. They have to be my favorite fall fruit! When left to ripen persimmons are exceptionally sweet. They are full of beta-carotene, vitamin c and potassium. However, you need to know that there are two types of persimmons. The fuyu and the hachiya. The fuyu is my favorite and the kind pictured above. They are small and can be eaten at any stage in ripeness. The hachiya are larger and shaped like a large roma tomato. These persimmons can only be eaten when entirely soft and ripe. If you dig into them earlier, you’ll be left with a sticky, dry aftertaste that is horrible! This astringent flavor is due to the high level of tannin in the fruit.
Persimmons are primarily grown in China and domestically in California. So for people in the east coast or midwest like myself, they are incredibly expensive. Up to $2 each! I was excited to find organic persimmons while visiting San Francisco for the foodbuzz festival. However, I wanted to share a little trick up my sleeve to help you get persimmons on the cheap. Visit your local grocery store. Not a chain store, but a local area grocer. Scope out to see if they have persimmons and gasp at the price! Start to notice if people are buying them. Is the persimmon section still full because of the high prices? Now feel them. Are they still under ripe? Are they close to being fully ripe? If they are still under ripe, come back in a few days and feel them again. Once you start seeing that the persimmons are not selling and they are beginning to ripen and some even on the brink of molding… talk to the produce manager. I always ask them politely if they would be willing to lower the prices on over ripe persimmons. They are usually happy to sell them cheap. The best thing about persimmons is they taste the best when they’re at that stage. Last year I left with about 15 persimmons for $3! Now that’s a deal!
Honestly the best way to enjoy persimmons is raw! If you have a baby, definitely puree them. They freeze great and the babies love them! If you have quite a few and you’re able to buy them inexpensively then by all means, try to bake with them. Unfortunately, when baking with persimmons, they always tend to take on the characteristics of pumpkin and not the incredible flavours of eating them raw. However, yesterday was a baking day. It was cold outside and I just felt like baking with the kids. They of course were ecstatic, so I came up with this persimmon muffin made with coconut flour that’s not too sweet but filled with nourishing ingredients that the kids enjoyed!
To start this recipe, Nehe went out to collect our eggs. He does this every morning. He loves to visit his chickens and see how many eggs they’ve laid. Huevos out of the chicken butt is what he says, lol!
The three boys then had so much fun as they each had specific jobs. Xavier mixed the dry ingredients while Nehe cracked the eggs and mixed the wet ingredients. Nehe is getting so good at cracking eggs, makes mama’s heart melt!
Then like big boys, Xavier and Nehe used the hand mixer! Zekie wanted in on the action as well!
I finished by pouring the batter into the muffin trays and making the cream cheese topping. It’s so much fun baking and cooking with the kids. They enjoy it and take so much pride in the finished product!
These muffins are just right. Topped with homemade persimmon cream cheese and sprinkled with turbinado raw cane sugar from Wholesome Sweeteners.
Coconut Flour Persimmn Muffins Topped with Homemade Persimmon Cream Cheese
-adapted from Elana’s Pantry, Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients (muffins)
- ½ cup coconut flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
- 6 eggs
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup persimmons, cut into small dices
- In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, honey, coconut oil and vanilla and blend well with a hand mixer
- Mix dry ingredients into wet, blending with a hand mixer
- Gently fold in persimmons
- Place batter in paper lined muffin tins
- Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes
- Cool
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients (cream cheese topping)
- 1 cup homemade cream cheese (you can sub store bought cream cheese)
- 3/4 cup pureed persimmons
- 1 1/2 tbls raw honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Combine all ingredients and add more honey or spices to taste. Add a dollop of persimmon cream cheese topping on the muffins and sprinkle with turbinado raw cane sugar.
These make a nourishing and wholesome snack that your kids will love! Enjoy!!
This post is part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday!
Hi, Diana,
Thanks for asking how I am doing. I did not know that you have your own eggs. Your boys are look so precious gathering eggs. The cupcake pictures are to die for. Do have to be invited to go to Foodbuzz or can you just pay your way to go there? -Tien
Baking with kids is my favorite thing to do. I have made persimmon egg free cupcakes, but I am intrigued by coconut flour. yum.
wow great muffins and cute little helpers love it,
Delicious muffins and the best helpers in the world 😉
xoxo
I can't wait until my little boy gets to help me bake. It looks like you all had a lot of fun. The muffins look wonderful!
Gorgeous. You have really fresh eggs. Great activity for kids too. Speaking of coconut muffins, I haven't finished my blog post for that yet.
I'm so in the mood for a mouthful of frosting right now. Where's my Cool Whip?
It's 5:12 am here & you inspire me to start baking 🙂
Bad I don't have those cute little helpers 😉
Gorgeous pictures 😀
I LOVE persimmons. I'd like a muffin, please.
I have found the best prices for persimmons to be at asian or international food stores. The local HyVee is selling them for 1.68 each while the Jung's Food is selling them for 0.98 a pound.
Diana, you are so smart! 15 persimmons for $3, what a deal! The fuyu variety is my favorite as well. Growing up we ate this fruit like apples. Can you believe they only cost $0.39/lb when I was growing up? Although, I don't think they were organic.
Your sons are terribly cute! It's so wonderful so see how involved each of them are in creating the food they eat.
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You have such lovely boys! Maybe one day they will be great chefs. 🙂 I like this idea of coconut flour and Persimmon fruit.
Your boys are so gorgeous 😀 These muffins sound delicious. I can rarely find persimmons around here…but I'm going to search again. And coconut flour! This is the second time in a week I've seen it and I know I want to locate some and give it a try! Delicious 🙂
Thanks everyone for the comments! I had the best watching the kids bake 😉
Unplanned Cooking – Thanks for stopping by! Alway's so much fun to meet new people 😉
Foy – GREAT TIP!!! I'm heading out to the asian market today to see if I can find some more persimmons!
Kate – Thank you! I'll shoot you an email right now!
I'm sure these smell amazing! I think it's persimmon season. I can also find a lot of these at the market. They really do look awesome. Btw, I've an award for you. Please feel free to drop and collect the batch. Thank you very much.
p/s I can imagine the situation that how your boys working on that. Noisy…noisy…"mommy, I want to try….!" haha…
Your photos are stunning and your boys are absolutely adorable! Great tip about buying persimmons on the cheap. These muffins look delicious.
Oh my, these are gorgeous! Since going gluten-free, I've learned the wonders of coconut flour. It's healthier than regular too – but I like that it's tender and moist. And I have only recently discovered my love for persimmons – I love them raw, but of course, this sounds absolutely lovely. Great tip on scoring cheap persimmons. I can find them at the Asian groceries, but I sometimes forget that you can make deals with the produce manager at the "regular" store.
Really enjoyed reading you post! I am fortunate enough to have a great Korean market close by and they carry both kinds of persimmons – at good prices… Now you've inspired me to go get a whole lot today!!!
LOVE the picture of your children… They are so, so adorable!
Really enjoyed reading you post! I am fortunate enough to have a great Korean market close by and they carry both kinds of persimmons – at good prices… Now you've inspired me to go get a whole lot today!!!
LOVE the picture of your children… They are so, so adorable!
Really enjoyed reading you post! I am fortunate enough to have a great Korean market close by and they carry both kinds of persimmons – at good prices… Now you've inspired me to go get a whole lot today!!!
LOVE the picture of your children… They are so, so adorable!
YUM! I have never seen coconut flour around here. I'll have to keep an eye out for it. I think I may be making a rustic persimmon tart today if I have time…
i love persimmon! what a deal u got there!
i would say u r really creative to come up with such interesting muffins!
I have 2 huge boxes of persimmons ripening out in my garage right now. My dad has a couple of trees and keeps me supplied. I usually make a ton of cookies and breads each fall. But now I'll add these muffins to my repertoire! Fabulous!
Love your little guy gathering huevos … and the boys working in the kitchen … precious.
Oh … I'll email you about "Jamie" … look out! LOL
I see persimmons all the time and have never known enough abut them to buy them and enjoy. Your blog post has changed that! I will be picking up a few next time I am at the market.
Muffins with persimmons sound wonderful! I love your use of coconut flour here too and the frosting with persimmons is excellent!
Diana, you never cease to amaze me with your creativity. I've had persimmons all my life but never in a baked good. I love the pictures of the boys baking – so cute!
my Grandfather had several persimmon trees growing in his front yard, so I grew up on these, but have never had them in a muffin! these look gorgeous and so yummy – i'll have to try it!
Diana,
This is such a beautiful post! Your boys are adorable and the muffins are too! It sounds really good. I have never heard of coconut flour. I am bookmarking this one!
All the best,
Amber
Oh forgot to mention, in Northern California, take for instance in my town of St Helena, persimmon trees are everywhere. Tons of them end up rotting on the streets because people just don't know what to do with them. I think slowly they are becoming more popular. Great I"ll probably spawn poachers in the neighborhood now! LOL
Hi there Diana,
This looks absolutely PERFECT!!!!
Unique and mouthwatering!
Your kids are so so so cute!!!
I love persimmons. Love them. we get the super ripe ones in Brazil and they're cheap, so cheap.
Can I come visit you in Iowa, I want to meet your boys, and the chickens.
this looks good..there are sooooo many persimmons around here looks like a perfect recipe.
Diana! Your boys are so precious! How beautiful to see that they elp mommy in the kitchen. There will be lasting memories. Great recipe and pictures. I have saved for the future!
WOW, Splendid muffins!!!!
I love persimmons! The muffins look and sound amazing. And I love your little helpers!
Congratulations on making Top 9! 🙂
It's so great you're having your own eggs. I get fresh eggs from my country house neighbor and they're so better than the store bought ones.
I always wondered about baking with persimmons and I'm glad you commented that they become similar to pumpkin. Like you, I think they taste best raw.
I am so cracking up over "huevos out of the chicken butt."
I made this recipe last night after I found it when I was looking for a coconut flour muffin recipe. I didn’t have any persimmon, and just wanted a “plain” muffin recipe I could adapt as I needed. WOW, this was perfect! Very simple recipe, easy to mix, and they baked up perfectly and best of all were not grainy or crumbly ( that is the issue I have with lots of GF recipes) . I will be putting this recipe on my weekly list, and making it for my dayhome kids and myself, with different add ins 🙂 Thank you for a wonderful recipe!! 🙂
I’m glad to hear that, Kelly!