Every time I think of carrot cake I think about my mom. When I was young, I would watch her grating carrots on a metal standup grater. She’d hold that grater and grate with such focus. I was always so amazed how those carrots could be transformed. She turned those carrots into a fantastic cake. You know, the one everyone is always asking you to bring to a function or party. Yep, that is her carrot cake. 😀
Needing a snack to take to work and school I came up with these Carrot Cake Muffins…
Carrots have long been famous for being great for your vision. That is because they are an excellent source of vitamin A. Their bright orange color tells you they are loaded with carotene. Carotenoids are converted to vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. That beta-carotene is what is beneficial for maintaining your vision. Cooking increases vitamin A content because beta-carotene is released when heat breaks down cell walls.
Don’t store carrots with apples, pears or other fruits that produce a gas or they may develop a bitter taste.
I use whole white wheat flour and applesauce to make these Carrot Cake Muffins healthier. To make grating the carrots easier I used my food processor with the grater attachment.
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1½ cup whole white wheat flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cup grated carrots
- In a medium bowl lightly whisk eggs. Add applesauce and stir together.
- Add vanilla extract and sugar to egg mixture, stir to dissolve sugars.
- In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon.
- Combine the wet ingredients and carrots with the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, about 25 strokes.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Scoop batter with a muffin scoop into paper cups. Bake until muffins are lightly golden, about 18-20 minutes. Insert a toothpick in center, if it comes out clean they are done.
This is one whole grain muffin to add to the favorites list. I love all the beautiful flecks of orange in these muffins. They not only look pretty, they have a wonderful aroma, and taste delicious!
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