Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

from kristineskitchenblog.com

These Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins are a yummy snack for little ones! These muffins are whole grain and refined sugar free. They pack well in school lunchboxes! When I make these carrot cake oatmeal muffins for toddlers, I like to make them mini muffin size (baking directions below).

Prep Time15

Cook Time18

Total Time33

Servings: muffins

Calories: 174kcal

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup pure maple syrup or honey
¼ cup melted unsalted butter cooled slightly* (4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 ½ cups peeled grated carrot* (about 2 medium)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce and maple syrup (or honey). Whisk in the melted butter.
Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the white whole wheat flour, oats and grated carrot. Be careful not to over-mix the batter. The batter will be thick.
Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. (You can also make 36 mini muffins with this recipe. Mini muffins will take about 12-14 minutes to bake.)
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage: The muffins freeze very well. If kept air-tight in a zip-top plastic bag, they will stay fresh in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost on the counter or in the microwave before enjoying. Muffins will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Notes

*Coconut oil may be substituted for the butter to make the muffins dairy-free.

*Use either a box grater or a food processor to grate the carrots. I like to run a knife through the grated carrots a few times to chop the pieces smaller for kids.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.