Contrary to what you might think, carrots are not a starchy vegetable. They may taste sweet, but 100g of carrots have a little over 9g of carbohydrates and almost 3g of fiber when compared to 100g of potatoes, which have over 20g of carb and just under 2g of fiber.
The naturally sweet taste makes carrot an excellent addition to treats such as these carrot cake muffins. These muffins are additionally sweetened with applesauce and raisins. These make an excellent breakfast addition and freeze well, too.
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour also works!)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots (from about 2-3 carrots)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or substitute 1 mashed ripe banana)
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup low fat milk or unsweetened plant-based milk
Optional mix-ins:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray to prevent batter from sticking to the liners. You can also omit the liners and generously spray the muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; stir to combine and then set aside.
In a separate large bowl, add carrots, maple syrup, applesauce, egg, oil and vanilla. Whisk to combine wet ingredients, then slowly stir in milk and then stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in shredded coconut and raisins, if you’d like. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups or liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan then transfer muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling. Makes 12 muffins.
Nutrition facts:
Serving size: 1 muffin
Calories: 137; Fat: 1.7g ; Carbs: 28g; Fiber: 1.2g; Protein: 2.9g; Sodium: 174.6mg
Adapted from: The Best Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins | Ambitious Kitchen
