Posts tagged ‘carrots’

Memorial Day Morning Glory Muffins

This Memorial weekend was not a very exciting one for me.  I worked and volunteered, missing all the great sunny weather.  On Memorial Day, I had about 6 free hours in the afternoon to myself.  I had hoped to spend the afternoon basking in the sun, but the weather had different plans for me.  So, I settled down to do some serious dietetic internship research.  About an hour into this, a big storm rolled through, and I suddenly had this huge desire to bake something.  What is it about rain, that makes me want to dig out my apron and grab the flour?

I wanted a nice treat, I was thinking blueberry muffins maybe? Nah, their crumbly topping is too sweet.  Then, it came to me, MORNING GLORY MUFFINS!  These muffins allow me to fulfill my nagging urge to bake, while serving as a healthy breakfast or snack.  They are full of good-for-you ingredients like carrots, raisins, apples, walnuts, whole-wheat flour, and cinnamon!

Typically, morning glory muffins call for coconut, but I’ve never liked it, so I replaced it with extra carrots.  I cheated a little too, and purchased the pre-shredded kind.  And okay, I admit it, I may have added far to many.  I couldn’t help it.  I didn’t want to waste what “little” was left in the bag, so I used the whole 10 ounces.

I modified this recipe from this one at honey & jam.

1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and grated*

1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and grated

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

3 large eggs

2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly line muffin tin with papers and spray insides of the papers.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, nuts, and raisins. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir just until evenly moistened.

Divide batter into the prepared pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool for 5 minutes in their pan, then finish cooling on a wire rack.

*I probably added close to 3 cups of carrots

Nutritional Benefits:

Whole Grains! White whole wheat flour provides the same benefits as regular whole wheat flour.  Old fashioned oats are considered a whole grain.

Vitamins and Minerals! Carrots are high in beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A, which is great for healthy eyes.  Carrots are also a good source of Vitamin C.

Healthy Fats! Applesauce replaces what would traditionally be vegetable oil, to reduce the calorie and fat content of these muffins.  The only fats here are from the walnuts.  Walnuts are high in the healthy unsaturated fats and omega 3′s.

Fiber! All of these ingredients contribute to a high fiber muffin, for example, apples and raisins are great sources of fiber.