Healthy Carrot Breakfast Muffins

Before we had kids, I was someone who never really considered breakfast to be important. Now I breakfast is one of my favorite meals.

I'm always looking for new and interesting muffins. All of us enjoy muffins and I make muffins at least twice a week (during non-hectic weeks!). Personally, I prefer the savory muffins, but haven't been able to sell it to my daughter. The kids love their sugar hit. 

These muffins are packed with goodness and once you have the carrot and fruit grated/chopped, the muffins come together quite quick! 

Not too sweet, really moist and bursting with flavor, I think you would really enjoy this one! My favorite part of the muffin is the bits of pineapple. Such a juicy burst of flavor in the mouth. Super yum!

Healthy Carrot Apple Muffins

Loosely adapted from Joy the Baker 

Ingredients 

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2/3 whole wheat flour

3 tbsp oat germ/wheat germ 

1/4 cup rolled oats 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

A generous grating of nutmeg 

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar 

1/3 cup oil 

1 small apple, peeled, cored & grated

1 1/2 cups grated raw carrots 

1/4 cup chopped pineapple (I used canned)

Walnut halves to garnish 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, oats and oat/wheat germ. Stir well and set aside. 

3. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil and sugar and whisk for a few minutes. 

4. Add in the grated apple, grated carrot and chopped pineapple. Whisk to combine. 

5. Add the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined and no dry flour mixture is visible. 

6. Spoon/scoop the muffin mixture into your lined muffin tray. Top each muffin with a walnut half. 

7. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the top of the muffin springs back to the touch and a toothpick/cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

8. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm. 

These muffins are very reminiscent of an old-fashioned carrot cake - moist, fluffy and with that lovely hit of spice. 

I love that these are healthy and that my kids are getting whole grains, fiber, nuts, a vegetable and a couple of fruits in one shot. I think you could even throw in chopped nuts and dried fruit to up the nutrition, flavors and texture. 

Definitely a keeper, this one! 

Until next time...