Summer and horchata go hand in hand… and here’s the ideal way to make use of leftover tiger‑nut pulp and enjoy your horchata deliciously! These tiger‑nut, cinnamon & apple muffins are irresistibly fluffy and taste divine.
They take just a moment to prepare, and if you’re wondering why I’d turn the oven on in this heat, I say: why not? You barely notice the heat, especially when these muffins are baked in only 20 minutes!
Why I love this recipe and recommend it to you:
- They turn out SUPER fluffy and delightful to eat!
- The flavour is well balanced and suits many occasions and ingredients.
- It’s a brilliant way to use leftover chufa pulp from making horchata (chufa is energy‑rich and high in fibre!).
- The apple compote (or grated apple) adds natural sweetness, so you can use less sugar, brown sugar or panela.
What variations can you make?
Enjoy them plain—they’re amazing—but you can mix in dark chocolate chips or coat them with white chocolate. If using dark chocolate, swap around 20 g of chufa for desiccated coconut; the three ingredients work wonderfully together.
You can also replace part of the wheat flour with almond flour (pairs well with chufa).
Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you want an extra layer of flavour.
For a fruitier version, add small fresh apple pieces (peeled) to the batter or replace part of the compote with mashed ripe banana.
To add aroma, include a pinch of nutmeg or clove powder or some lemon or orange zest.
Want to make horchata first?
If you’re looking for how to make homemade horchata, find the recipe on our Claudia&Julia blog:
How can you use the crushed chufa after making horchata?
The leftover chufa pulp (“orujo”) is extremely versatile and shouldn’t go to waste. It contains fibre, natural sweetness and an earthy flavour that works beautifully in many preparations (think almond flour). Remember, chufa behaves very similarly to nuts nutritionally and in cooking!
Here are easy ways to reuse it:
- Use it in baking: muffins, cakes, cookies or brownies for moisture, fibre and a rustic touch.
- Perfect for homemade energy bars—mix with dates, oats and nuts.
- Add to homemade granola with oats, honey and nuts, then bake until crisp.
- Use as a base for cheesecakes or chilled tarts—combine with crushed biscuits and butter.
- Add to bread or focaccia dough like bran or wholemeal flour.
- Useful in veggie burgers or meatballs—mix with legumes or rice as a partial substitute for breadcrumbs.
- Use it in breakfast porridge—stir into milk or plant‑based drink with cinnamon and fruit.
- Freeze it in portions so you always have it ready to use.
Bonus tip: The pulp can also be used as a natural exfoliant in DIY skincare—mix with coconut oil or a mild oil for a great scrub.
Now, let’s get to that fluffy chufa muffin recipe!
Cinnamon chufa muffin recipe
(makes about 10–12 muffins)
Ingredients
- 120 g crushed chufa (leftover from horchata, well drained)
- 2 eggs
- 100 g brown sugar (or white sugar or a mix)
- 100 g unsweetened apple compote or 100 g grated golden apple
- 80 ml whipping cream (min 30% fat)
- 50 ml mild oil (sunflower or mild olive oil)
- 150 g wheat flour (or 100 g flour + 50 g almond meal)
- 10 g baking powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C (top and bottom heat).
- In the KitchenAid bowl with whisk, beat the eggs and sugar until frothy—don't stop the machine.
- Add chufa pulp, apple compote (or grated apple), oil and cream.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt (and bicarbonate if you use it) until smooth.
- Line muffin tin with paper cases (a Le Creuset pan works well) and fill to ¾. Optionally sprinkle sugar on top for a crust.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack…and enjoy!
