Carrot-Oatmeal Muffins

So I'll start by saying that I have a craving for carrot cake. Delicious, cream-cheese frosted carrot cake. I blame my friend Jane for putting the idea in my head. Now a week after she first mentioned it, I'm still looking for that carrot cake fix but in a healthier form. First I made carrot-oatmeal cookies and they were good. Today after 2 days house-bound thanks to 30+ inches of snow it took all of my willpower NOT to make banana chocolate chip cookies. I was literally standing in the kitchen near my baking cabinet saying "I will not make cookies" in repetition. I'm a baker. I love to bake and when trapped indoors, that baking impulse is strong. Hence the quest for muffins. If I can't make cookies, I was on a mission to find a healthy carrot oat muffin recipe. A little internet searching and I found my inspiration, The Minimalist Baker's healthy carrot apple vegan-gluten free muffins. A few changes and swap outs and you have my non-gluten-free, non-vegan version. Still healthy but something that works with what I have in the pantry!

The finished product were better than the cookies were earlier this week and definitely one I'm adding to my repertoire. Andrew and Parker both loved them and Addie was eating batter out of the bowl as I was trying to fill the muffin tin so there you have it, Shen family approved. Enjoy!

Carrot-oatmeal muffins:

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 c. coconut oil

1/2 c. mashed ripe banana (1 banana)

1/4 c. agave nectar or maple syrup or honey 

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce or 1 apple, finely grated

1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 

1/2 tsp sea salt

1.5 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c. vanilla almond milk, unsweetened

1 heaping cup (packed) grated carrot (about 4 carrots)

2/3 c. whole rolled oats

1/2 c. oat flour

1 c. + 2 Tbsp wheat flour

1/4 c. walnuts (chopped) for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Prepare muffin tin with liners or lightly grease them.

2. Beat egg, add mashed banana, agave or maple syrup, oil and whisk to combine. Add applesauce, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and whisk to combine.

3. Add almond milk and stir. Add grated carrot and stir. Add oats, flours blend and stir.

4. Divide evenly among 12 muffin tins, filling them all the way up to the top, and top with crushed walnuts (optional).

5. Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

6. Remove from oven and let set in the pan for 15 minutes. Then cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, store in a covered container at room temp to keep fresh. Freeze after that to keep fresh.

Nutritional info: (1 muffin) 
Cal: 203
Fat: 8.5g 
Saturated fat: 1g 
Carbohydrates: 30g
Sugar: 14g 
Sodium: 255mg 
Fiber: 3.5g 
Protein: 3.5g