Really Healthy Carrot Muffins

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 learns to eat on $6/day.

Today I made these muffins for breakfast and a carrot cake for a church party tonight. Talk about carrot schizophrenia.

These muffins are good, but they are very very virtuous--low in sugar, low in fat, full of whole wheat, and containing a decent dose of Vitamin A. If you're family is used to such things, then you can probably serve these plain. If, however, you are used to a muffin that is more of a cupcake or if your family is spoiled and picky like some families out there, these are still worth making, but you may want to dress them up a bit at first. I used orange frosting in the first batch. A little went a long way and the flavors went beautifully together. Today I made some with chocolate chips, because I thought that would appeal to the minions a bit more. They were good, but I'd definitely recommend using milk or white chocolate chips instead of the semi-sweet, which tasted a little too dark against the somewhat stoic muffin.

If it's still too righteous for your family, you can up the sugar to 1/2 C and/or sub out some of the whole wheat flour for all-purpose. I won't tell.

Also, I pureed the carrots in the food processor. This is because if my kids see orange stripes in their muffins, well, the gig is up. However, if you and yourn are not opposed to orange stripes in your food, they're probably great with shredded carrots as well, though I haven't made them as such.

Really Healthy Carrot Muffins
Adapted from Deceptively Delicious
Makes 12 muffins
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Cost: $1.05
(carrots: .40, oil: .04, sugar: .10, egg: .10, milk: .03, flour: .36, other stuff: .02)

Note on dried fruit: The original recipe called for 1/4 C dried chopped apricots, 1/4 chopped pitted prunes. I knew those things would not fly in this family and so omitted them. If you'd like to add them, feel free. I think it might be good with raisins and I think it'd be awesome with coconut.

Note on orange juice concentrate: The original recipe also called for 2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate. I omitted this as well because a) I didn't have it and b) it seems like one of those random ingredients that a person might end up buying just for this recipe. However, if you have it, feel free to add it and tell me how it goes.

1/4 C oil or melted butter (I used oil)
1/4 C brown sugar (white would work too, possibly even better)
1 C carrot puree (2 large carrots, or 10 oz.)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate (optional; if you omit, add an extra Tbsp or 2 of sugar)
3 Tbsp milk or buttermilk (I used milk)
2 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with 12 muffin cups.

In food processor puree carrots (it won't be a super wet puree). (Alternately, you can shred them.)

In large bowl, beat oil and sugar. Add puree,egg, milk, vanilla, orange juice concentrate if using, and dried fruit if using. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soad, cinnamon, and allspice, and stir until just combined. (I always do my dry ingredients lazy style and throw them on top of the wet ingredients and then sort of mix the dry ingredients with a fork and then fold them into the wet batter.) The batter will be extremely thick. Leave batter a little lumpy.

Put in muffin cups and bake about 15 minutes. Don't overdue it or they'll be dry.

Cool. (Note: These muffins are much much better cooled.)

PRINTABLE RECIPE