These healthy Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins are lightly sweetened with maple syrup and include turmeric, a spice with anti-inflammatory properties
I’ve been hearing so much about the benefits of turmeric lately. Turmeric contains the active ingredient curcumin which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. What I find especially appealing about curcumin is its ability to enhance the function of the liver to detoxify our bodies. Though I’ve been using turmeric for it’s beneficial health properties in savoury food for years, I’ve only started to use it in baked goods.
Since adding turmeric (fresh or dry) to your food is a great way to add antioxidants to your diet, I’ve been on a quest to add it to as many foods as I can. I decided to try it in my baked goods after seeing this recipe over at Green Kitchen Stories.
I adapted their recipe to make these whole wheat carrot muffins spiced with turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and a touch of black pepper. The black pepper is added to help our bodies absorb the beneficial properties of turmeric. I also added some walnuts to these muffins for some crunch and their nutritional benefits.
You can top these muffins with the rolled oats mixture or just leave them plain. Either way these muffins bake up light, moist and tender. Enjoy!
Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1-1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1-1/2 cups grated carrots
- 2 eggs, lightly wisked large, room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup light tasting oil
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For topping:
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1 tbsp. light tasting oil
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 dash cinnamon
Instructions
For the oat topping:
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In a small bowl, combine the oats, oil, maple syrup and cinnamon. Set aside.
For the Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins:
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Place a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat oven to 375ºF.
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In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, oat flour, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt and pepper.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, maple syrup, oil, eggs, vanilla extract and grated carrots.
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Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
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Add in the walnuts and give it a quick stir.
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Evenly spoon the batter into the greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
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If using, top each muffin with a bit of the oat mixture.
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Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffin comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.
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Let the muffins cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the muffin pan and place onto a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Notes
Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for later consumption.
*Toasting the walnuts will add to the texture and the flavour of your baked goods. You can toast walnuts in a 350ºF oven for about 8-10 minutes or until they are lightly browned and fragrant, let cool and chop coarsely.
References:
What are Turmeric and Curcumin Good For
Top 10 Evidence Based Health Benefits of Turmeric
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These are a perfect way to start the day!! Thank you for sharing!
I think so too, thanks for visiting!
These muffins look so good, I think I’ll be baking a batch of these this weekend!
I really hope you enjoyed them!
I just discovered your site and I wanted to let you know that I baked these carrot muffins for my family and they loved them.
Thank you for writing and letting me know, it makes me happy to hear that people are enjoying my recipes!