I’ve always wanted to find a way to include veggies in breakfast and carrots are the winner! Carrot cake is that dessert you turn to when you want to be blissfully ignorant of your “healthy” choices. But in muffin form, carrots can provide that same carrot cake essence without all the added sugar and oil.

My new roommate (shoutout to Val!) is a muffin-for-breakfast-on-the-go kind of gal, so this recipe is a product of my recent muffin baking binge. Buttermilk helps keep the added coconut oil low, while shredded carrots and dried blueberries help keep the added sugar low. And because spices are what makes carrot cake so delicious, vanilla, turmeric, cinnamon, and walnuts bring it all together.

Carrot Muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups grated carrots, cut into smaller pieces
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric*
• 1 tsp cinnamon*
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped*
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries*

*Lemon variation

• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1/2 cup unshelled pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 cup craisins

*Chocolate variation

• Replace 2 tbsp flour with 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, pour the buttermilk over the oats; stir to mix and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a 12-cup muffin tray and continue to step 3.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the carrots, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and egg; stir  the carrot mixture into the oat mixture.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, walnuts, and dried blueberries; stir the dry ingredients into the wet until the batter is just combined.
5. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling almost to the top. Bake for 17-18 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

To store, keep muffins refrigerated. Warm in microwave for 10s just prior to eating.

Lemon Variation

Chocolate Variation