This hearty vegetarian muffin is a favorite in my house. It’s wonderful for breakfast or an afternoon snack helping you feel satisfied without being heavy. With no white sugar or white flour, they are a healthy-ish alternative to other carbs and sweets. Don’t let the number of ingredients throw you off. The wet ingredients are mixed in one bowl, the dry in another and then they are combined. Just as a note—I prefer the King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour because it has a lighter texture, but any good whole wheat flour will work in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (85g) honey
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup (60g) unsweetened smooth applesauce
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) orange juice or pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260g) shredded carrots (about 4 large)
- 1 cup (140g) shredded/grated apple (about 1 large)
- 1/2 cup (75g) golden raisins
1/2 cup (75g) dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup (64g) unsalted chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Get your muffin tin ready by either spraying it with nonstick spray or using cupcake liners that you’ve greased or sprayed. Since this recipe makes 14–16 muffins, grab a second muffin tin or plan to bake in batches. You can keep the extra batter at room temperature while the first batch bakes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt. In another medium-sized bowl, mix the eggs, brown sugar, honey, oil, applesauce, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla until everything is well combined. Then stir in the grated carrots and apples. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and give it a few stirs with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the raisins, cranberries and pecans, and gently fold everything together until the flour is just incorporated—no over-mixing!
- Scoop the batter into the muffin liners, filling them right to the top. Pop the muffins into the oven and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F. Without opening the oven, drop the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for another 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Total baking time will be about 23–24 minutes, give or take. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- If you have any leftovers, cover them up and store at room temperature for 2 days, or pop them in the fridge where they’ll last for up to a week.
