First off, photographing these muffins was weirdly hard, so bear with me as I learn more about food photography and please don’t make too much fun of me as I find my way :[]
Secondly, allow me to introduce you to one of our favorite muffins! Carrot Applesauce!! We LOVE muffins at our house, but the problem with traditional muffin recipes is they have roughly the same amount of refined sugar as a cupcake! So, rest easy that any muffin recipes posted here will be refined sugar-free and suitable for breakfast!
This recipe is adapted from another great blog… 100 Days of Real Food. I’ve always believed in eating healthy and food closest to its most natural source, but in college, one of my best friend’s moms introduced me to this blog and not too long after, I became 100% convinced that processed food had no place in my life or my future family’s. Overtime as I learned more and researched more, I got to where I am today. Anyway, it’s a great blog, and I highly recommend checking it out!
This is a great Easter season muffin!! It’s sweet, but not overly sweet and just amazing! I even made it into a smash cake when my baby turned 1 and topped it with cream cheese frosting. It was a hit 😉
You could top it with frosting for a little treat, but it isn’t the same texture/sweetness of carrot cake so I wouldn’t sub it for carrot cake. Original recipe here.
Below are the Substitutions I made/notes:
- Subbed 3/4 c. Almond flour and 3/4 c. gf flour blend (I like this one) for whole wheat flour
- Added 1/4 c. walnuts
- For nut-free, omit walnuts and sub 3/4 c. gf flour blend for almond flour (so it’s 1 1/2 c. total gf flour blend)
- For egg free: Sub 1 flax egg (1 T. Ground flax with 3 T water, let sit to gel for 5-15 min. I just subbed it due to an egg sensitivity, but if you can have eggs, you don’t need to do this
- Added 1/4 c. Walnuts
- For dairy free: Sub olive oil or coconut oil for butter. If you can have butter, use 1/2 c. softened butter and you’ll need to use an electric mixer, not just a whisk
- For vegan, you could try subbing maple syrup (though I have not tried this option)
- If you have a food processor, I would use it for the carrots- it makes it go so much faster
- If ginger isn’t your thing, I’d reduce to 1/8-1/4 teaspoon or omit entirely.
- If you like the recipe, I would recommend doubling and freezing lots of them. I always double muffin recipes and put the majority in the freezer and leave an amount out that we’d eat in a few days and that way you have an easy breakfast/snack without having to cook all the time!
We love these and hope you do too!
Her recipe is below with my adjustments added in! *indicates to check recipe notes for other options
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 cup almond flour*
- 3/4 cup gf flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil or coconut oil (if using coconut oil, use as is- don’t melt it).*
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 flax egg (or normal egg)*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 3/4 cup carrot, shredded
- 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon ground flax with 3 tablespoons water and let sit 5-15 min.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- In a separate bowl combine oil (or butter if you are using it), honey, flax egg, and vanilla and whisk. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined.
- Using a spatula, carefully fold in the applesauce, carrots, and walnuts (optional). Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes and muffins are beginning to turn golden brown on top. If using a flax egg, you’ll need to bake an additional 10-15 min.
