Try this Carrot Oatmeal Muffins recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- cooking spray (i use misto)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp baking powder aluminum free
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots packed
- 1 cup oat bran or quick/rolled oats
- 1/3 cup raisins or chopped dates (not packed)
- 1/3 cup nuts coarsely chopped (walnuts (i used cheaper pie pecans, hazelnuts)
- Carbohydrate 168.626191693141 g
- Cholesterol 1218.57083332008 mg
- Fat 162.698388330544 g
- Fiber 21.6342329648336 g
- Protein 50.4150983223647 g
- Saturated Fat 95.3267783315401 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (931g)
- Sodium 1578.4521663244 mg
- Sugar 146.991958728307 g
- Trans Fat 13.9495336665176 g
- Calories 2286 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray non-stick 12 muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and whisk for 15 seconds. Add applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk well to combine. Add carrots and stir a few times. Add oat bran or oats and whole wheat flour; gently mix until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in raisins and nuts.
- Distribute batter evenly between 12 openings of a tin (I used regular ice cream scoop) and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let muffins cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off completely.
A dense exterior gives way to a moist, tightly bound interior populated by soft shreds of root vegetable and chewy dried fruit. Achieving the proper density in baked goods containing whole grains requires precise handling of moisture and gluten formation. Whole wheat flour absorbs significantly more liquid than refined white flour, meaning hydration levels dictate whether the final crumb remains tender or becomes heavy.
- Grate carrots using the fine holes of a box grater rather than the coarse side. Finely shredded pieces distribute evenly throughout the batter and release moisture into the crumb during baking, preventing dry pockets.
- Whisk the eggs vigorously for fifteen seconds before adding other wet ingredients. This incorporates air to assist the leavening agents without requiring prolonged mixing of the batter.
- Fold the whole wheat flour and oats into the wet mixture gently using a rubber spatula. Overworking the batter develops gluten strands from the whole wheat flour, turning a light muffin into a chewy, tough product.
- Check doneness at the twenty-five-minute mark by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the pick emerges clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, remove the tin from the oven immediately to halt residual cooking.
- Allow the baked items to rest in the tin for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Moving them too soon causes structural collapse, while leaving them inside past ten minutes creates soggy bottoms from trapped steam.
Spices like cinnamon and nutmeg react chemically with the natural sugars in applesauce and maple syrup, deepening the warm aromatic profile as the heat intensifies. Proper cooling solidifies the internal starches, ensuring each bite maintains its structural integrity.
