You asked and we delivered! We brought back our fan-favorite Baklava nut butter to kick off 2024 and we couldn't be more excited! Indulge in the decadent fusion of Eastern Mediterranean flavors with these Baklava Babka Muffins! A symphony of buttery goodness, infused with the richness of our limited-edition Walnut + Pistachio Baklava nut butter. These make for a great addition to your morning breakfast spread or serve as a simple snack for when you’re on the go and need something a little sweet. Plus, if you love our Baklava flavor as much as we do, you need to try these!

Ingredients:

For the muffins: 

• 1 ½ tsp instant yeast
• 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ½ cup almond milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice (combine and let sit for at LEAST 5 minutes)
• ¼ cup cane sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp vegan butter, room temperature + cut into cubes 

For the filling: 

• ¾ cup Walnut + Pistachio Baklava Nut Butter 

For the matcha icing: 

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ tsp vanilla 
• 1 ½ tbsp almond milk 

Directions: 

1. To make the dough, add the instant yeast, all purpose flour, and salt to a large bowl and mix until just combined. Using a hand mixer, beat the almond milk + lemon juice mixture, sugar, egg, and vanilla. The dough should look a bit crumbly. Once combined, add in the butter cubes one at a time, continuing to beat on medium speed until all the butter has been added. Continue to mix until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl and takes on a smooth texture. 
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. The dough should soften and this will also help to smoothen out the texture of the dough more. 
3. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a cool dark place and allow it to rise for one hour. After 1 hour, you can transfer the bowl to the refrigerator, still covered, and set aside for another hour.
4. Grease a 12  insert muffin tin and set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle roughly 10” x 20”. 
5. Spread the Baklava nut butter in an even layer on the dough, careful to leave some room on the sides to create a border. 
6. Starting from the long side of the dough, roll the dough into a long cylinder (it should look like a log!) 
7. Using a knife, slice the log into 12 equal pieces and place one round in each of the muffin inserts in the pan. Once completed, allow the muffins to sit at room temperature for another hour before baking.
8. When the muffins are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
9. Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden.
10. Remove from the oven and let cool. While the muffins are cooling, prepare the icing by adding all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisking until smooth. 
11. Drizzle the icing on each muffin and enjoy! These muffins are best kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

*Recipe loosely adapted from the Cinnamon Chocolate Babka Muffins from Bunsen Burner Bakery.