Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

These easy, healthy and moist Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins are made with whole wheat flour, oats and walnuts and don't include any refined sugar or applesauce. They are easy to make and are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Whole Wheat and Oat Carrot Muffins

These wholesome Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins are light, moist and tender. At 194 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat per muffin, these are the healthiest carrot muffins I've made.

They are made with a combination of whole wheat and oat flour. Walnuts are added for some crunch and their nutritional benefits. Feel free to substitute the walnuts if nut allergies are a concern. You can use shredded unsweetened coconut or raisins as add-ins.

Since the muffins are spiced with turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of black pepper they are also super flavourful. 

The black pepper is added to help our bodies absorb the beneficial health properties of turmeric. If you don't have any turmeric you can leave it and the black pepper out of the recipe.

Adding Turmeric to Diet

Turmeric contains the active ingredient curcumin which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. What is especially appealing about curcumin is its ability to enhance the function of the liver to detoxify our bodies.

Since cooking with turmeric (fresh or dry) 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 recently started adding it in my baked goods after seeing this muffin recipe over at Green Kitchen Stories.

How to Make Healthy Carrot Muffins

Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients in this recipe, these muffins are easy to make.

Ingredients Overview:

• whole wheat pastry flour
• Oat flour
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. Turmeric is optional.
• Salt
• Black pepper (optional)
• Carrots
• Eggs
• Yogurt
• Pure maple syrup
• Light tasting oil
• Pure vanilla extract
• Walnuts

Steps Overview:

The oat topping for the muffins is optional. If you choose to include it, simply combine the oats, oil, maple syrup and cinnamon in a small bowl, mix together and set it aside.

For the muffin batter, start by grating the carrots. Put them in a medium-sized bowl and add the rest of the wet ingredients to the carrots. Whisk the wet ingredients together until blended.

Add the dry ingredients to a second bowl, whisk them and add the wet ingredients to the dry. Combine the ingredients until the batter is well blended. Add the walnuts and give them a quick stir. Don't overmix the batter or your muffins won't be as tender.

Fill your muffin cups with the batter and top each muffin with the rolled oats mixture before baking them. Bake them for approximately 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out dry.

How to Store

To store the muffins, let them cool completely on a wire rack and place them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you have more muffins than you can eat in 4 days, store the extra muffins in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months.

Enjoy!

More Healthy Muffins

• Sweet Potato Muffins
• Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Muffins
• Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

These healthy and easy to make Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins are lightly sweetened with maple syrup and include turmeric, a spice with anti-inflammatory properties

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 12 mins

Cook Time 18 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 194 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoon turmeric optional
• 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper optional
• 1-1/2 cups grated carrots
• 2 eggs, lightly wisked large, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• ⅓ cup light tasting oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts toasted and chopped coarsely

For topping:

• ⅓ cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon light tasting oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 dash cinnamon

Instructions

 

For the Oat Topping:

• In a small bowl, combine the oats, oil, maple syrup and cinnamon. Set aside.
  

For the Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins:

• Place a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, oat flour, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt and pepper.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, maple syrup, oil, eggs, vanilla extract and grated carrots.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
• Add in the walnuts and give it a quick stir.
  
• Evenly spoon the batter into the greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
• Top each muffin with a bit of the oat mixture.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffin comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.
• 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 completely before storing in a container.

Notes

1. 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.
2. A pinch of black pepper is added to help our bodies absorb the beneficial health properties of turmeric. If you don't have any turmeric you can leave it and the black pepper out of the recipe.
3. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 315mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 900IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 0.8mg

Keyword Carrot Muffins, Healthy Carrot Muffins, Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

Tried this recipe? Have any questions, comments or suggestions? Leave a comment below!Mention @sweetandsavourypursuits or tag #sweetandsavourypursuits!

References:

What are Turmeric and Curcumin Good For