Carrot Muffins

Simple and delicious recipe for carrot muffins, perfect for the lunch box.

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

• 2 t. grated carrots (equivalent to about 4 regular carrots)
• 2 t. flour of your choice (I use half and half all-purpose + whole wheat)
• ½ t. ofFrançois Lambert maple sugar (if you like it sweeter, put 1 t.)
• 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats (oatmeal)
• ¼ to ½ t. chocolate chips (I put caramel, Gaël loves it), it can also be cranberries, raisins or nuts (but forbidden in elementary school)
• 1 C. baking powder
• 1 C. baking soda
• ½ tsp. mixed spices (i.e. 4 spices, Jamaican spices, I use Garam Massala)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ t. vegetable oil (sunflower, peanut, sweet olive) or softened butter
• ½ t. juice or milk (today I had pineapple and banana juice)
• 2 eggs
• 1 C. vanilla extract

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper cases or oil the moulds..
• In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add grated carrots. (I grate my carrots in a food processor to make it faster, but a cheese grater and a little elbow grease does the job).
• In another bowl, whisk together the oil, juice, eggs and vanilla. Add everything to the dry ingredients and mix gently with a spatula until the mixture is slightly moist. Divide the mixture into the muffin tins.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
• Let cool, unmold, then let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy your lunch!