ABOUT THE RECIPE:
When you feel like having cake, but you want the ease of making muffins, these yummy carrot treats really fill the bill. You can bake these vegan and gluten-free babies in a jiffy for a quick breakfast, snazzy snack, or delicious dessert.
Makes 18 muffins
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon golden flaxseeds
- 1½ cups quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
- ⅔ cup (packed) light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plain or vanilla-flavored dairy-free milk (sweetened or unsweetened)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup (firmly packed) peeled and grated carrots (2 very large or 3 medium)
- ¾ cup raisins
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin and a 6-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Put the flaxseeds into a high-performance blender (or spice grinder, see important note) and process into fine flour. Transfer the flaxseeds to a large bowl. Put the rolled oats into the blender (or a food processor) and process into coarse flour. Add the oat flour to the flaxseed flour in the bowl.
Add the coconut, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and stir ingredients together with a dry whisk to combine.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the dairy-free milk, olive oil, and maple syrup and mix together using a large spoon until incorporated. Fold in the grated carrots and raisins.
Divide the batter evenly among the 18 muffin cups. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Put the muffin tins on a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold. Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover muffins will keep for about 3 days.
Chef’s Note: A dedicated coffee or spice grinder may be used to grind flaxseeds. Be sure to use a dedicated grinder for flaxseeds, especially if you also grind coffee or spices! Alternately, you can use flaxseed meal (pre-ground flaxseeds) in this recipe, but freshly ground flaxseeds are preferred. If you do use pre-ground flaxseeds, be certain to store it in an airtight, opaque container, and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer until use.