Healthy Carrot Muffins with raisins, dates, and walnuts, just might be the perfect breakfast muffin. Slightly sweet and full of texture, this muffin will fill you up without weighing you down.
Let’s face it. Most mornings we are in a rush to get out the door. At least I am. It’s always a struggle to get myself and kids ready and have to feed us a healthy breakfast. Sometimes in the stress of it all, it was more convenient to pour a bowl of sugary cereal, or skip breakfast altogether for myself.
At one point I committed to having a fridge full of healthy make-ahead food so that there wouldn’t be a scramble for quick, and usually processed options. Make-ahead recipes is my game, so I’m ready to take on a fridge full of easy make-ahead foods.
My favorite options for make-ahead breakfasts are loaves and muffins. However, these can quickly become more like dessert than breakfast if you’re not careful with the fat and sugar intakes in your recipes. That’s why I came up with these delicious Healthy Carrot Muffins.
Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfasts
When it comes to busy weekdays, having a fridge (and freezer) full of healthy make-ahead breakfast options is key. I have a couple that I always go to like these Healthy Carrot Muffins. They are truly the perfect muffins and stay moist and delicious days after making them.
Another favorite breakfast item to have on hand are egg cups. So simple to make in your muffin tin and customizable use whatever you have on hand. My favorites are my Spinach and Feta Egg Cups and my super healthy Kale Egg Breakfast Cups. Both of these dishes can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.
Some people are just more sweet than savory in the morning! That’s why I also like to have a muffin or bread on hand. Add a smear of peanut butter or serve with a piece of fruit, and you are good to go for a healthy and protein-filled breakfast. My favorite recipe, and the one I make most often, is healthy One-Bowl Banana Bread. I make this one all the time because it’s so delicious and I always seem to have overripe bananas to use up!
Lastly, I always have one guaranteed crowd-pleasing freezer-friendly breakfast ready to go: Breakfast Burritos. I whip up a batch of these Freezer Breakfast Burritos with Turkey Sausage on the weekends and freeze a couple for the week. Love the portability of breakfast burritos and how they fill you up without slowing you down.
If you are looking for another excellent healthy muffin option, I also recommend Ellie Krieger’s Apple Muffins Recipe.
How to Make Healthy Carrot Muffins
After making literally thousands of muffin recipes in my lifetime, I have finally found the perfect recipe. Being able to incorporate flavors and textures is key when making a whole wheat muffin. That is why my Healthy Carrot Muffins have it all: carrots, raisins, dates, and walnuts!
First I blend together the dry ingredients. The mixture of whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, and regular flour form the base of this muffin. The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg add to the flavor and help to bring out the ingredients.
In a second bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, applesauce, and sugar. By using applesauce in your muffin recipe, you are able to cut down on the amount of oil needed as well as bump up the nutritional value.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and fold in the carrots, raisins, dates, and walnuts. Don’t have walnuts? Substitute whatever nut you’d like or omit it altogether.
Scoop the muffins into a well-greased muffin tin using a muffin scoop. You could also bake the muffins in cupcake liners. I would recommend spraying the inside of the paper liner with cooking spray to ensure that the muffin doesn’t stick when you try to peel off the liner.
Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
Make-Ahead Healthy Carrot Muffins
Love that you can make these ahead and have a super moist and delicious muffin. A couple of make-ahead tips for muffins:
- Be sure that the muffin is completely cooled before storing in an airtight container.
- Most muffins can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 2 months.
- If your muffin seems try, wrap it in a moist paper towel and microwave for a couple of seconds.
- Muffin batter doesn’t freeze well. You are better off baking the muffins then freezing them.
- Dense muffins like these Healthy Carrot Muffins refrigerate well. Soft and fluffy “cupcake-like” muffins don’t do as well and should be eaten sooner.
I hope you enjoy these delicious Healthy Carrot Muffins. Be sure to comment below!
Carrot Muffins with Dates and Raisins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup wheat flour
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about one large carrot)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, applesauce, and oil. Stir in the dry ingredients to combine. Fold in the carrots, raisins, dates, and walnuts.
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin tins. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
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