Well she’s at it again… the one who can’t rest when she’s sick! What can I say!? I was tasted up for a carrot raisin muffin and there were carrots in the fridge! Now, on a note to my future self, baby carrots are NOT the optimum for baking and I’m actually amazed that I didn’t grate my fingers in the process! But, as I previously stated, in my defense that’s all that was in the fridge and I was in no condition to be baking… let alone traipsing out to the store in the Seattle rain! So, I worked with what was in the pantry!
I cut the original recipe in half since my other half doesn’t enjoy vegetables in his baked goods and I can’t..er… shouldn’t eat a dozen by myself in a week. Although after tasting one fresh out of the oven just now, I’m pretty sure I could happily live off of these and soy foam americanos for at LEAST the next week. These are THE best muffins I think I’ve ever made! And let me tell you, I’ve made a LOT of muffins in my lifetime! They were perfectly moist yet dense and hearty enough that I wasn’t reaching for a second just to feel full. The balance between the walnut, carrot and raisin to “bread” ratio was superb!
When it comes to breakfast, I start with my “protein” and build around that. Garbanzo bean flour has twice the protein that other flours have and mixed with the other goodies in the muffin, it’s just a perfect delight to grab in the morning and doesn’t leaving me reaching for a loaf of bread by 10am or feeling bad about eating a muffin for breakfast! One of these guys with some yogurt or cottage cheese and a coffee and you’ve got a happy morning!
I was short on eggs and long on garbanzo bean flour so I figured I’d noodle around with the recipe a bit. After all, I strongly believe that recipes are simply “ratio guidelines” for us to play with! And I like raisins so I threw a few handfuls in there! When it comes to “wet” ingredients in baking recipes I cook a lot “to taste” making sure to keep the same ratio of wet to dry ingredients while making sure to keep an eye on the leavening agents. I learned that last one the hard way, you don’t want to omit those or you’ll have dense flat baked goods!
Carrot Raisin Walnut Muffins (Dairy Free)
Yield: 6 muffins
Recipe adapted from PCC’s Market recipe: Carrot-Walnut Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 c Garbanzo Bean Flour
1/2 c wheat bran
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 c + 2 tbsp apple sauce
2/3 cup vanilla soy yogurt
2 1/2 cups grated carrots
chopped walnuts & raisins to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, and stir to blend. Spoon into oiled muffin tins or paper muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutritional Value
| Calories | Fat(g) | Sat Fat(g) | Cholesterol(g) | Sodium(mg) | Potassium (mg) | Total Carbs (g) | Dietary Fiber (g) | Sugar(g) | Protein (g) | |
| 1 Dozen | 175 | 2 | 0.75 | 3.75 | 346 | 226 | 31.5 | 6.6 | 16.8 | 8.6 |
| Half Dozen | 351 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 692 | 451 | 63 | 13 | 34 | 17 |
Variations:
- Any flour can be used, but keep an eye on the baking time if you’re using whole wheat as it tends to burn quicker
- 1/4 c apple sauce replaced one egg
- 2 tbsp apple sauce replaced 2 tbsp oil
- I added raisins to my recipe since I like them, but you can omit or add whatever other ingredients you wish (coconut, chocolate chips, other nuts, etc)