Carrot "Cake" Muffins

Right before thanksgiving I bought an abundance of baby carrots and because it was a "BOGO" sale I had a bag left over that I did not cook. The date on them is just about up and since I forgot they were in there, I bought more carrots a couple of days ago. They are just starting to look a bit dry as they do after a little while so though they may not be as tasty fresh, they would do just fine baked into something. So to use them, I decided to make these.

I call these carrot "cake" muffins. Its a lot like a carrot cake and before a few minor changes I made the batter was originally for a cupcake. In this case, I do not frost them and to many, that would make it a muffin. Feel free to add a dollop of cream cheese frosting if you would like or sprinkle some brown sugar on top. I substituted some of the all-purpose flour in the original recipe for whole wheat just to give it a kick of nutrition. Crushed pineapple is a common ingredient in carrot cake, and it helps to cut down the oil a bit. Don't worry if your not crazy about pineapple, it is not the prominent flavor in these muffins by any means. Its the cinnamon and other spices that really shine through.

Now, get to baking!


*A nut of your choice can be added as well, but I am allergic and prefer not to handle them unless it is a crucial part of the recipe (in which case I wear gloves). Due to their potent aroma and such, peanuts are an ingredient I do not work with; you wont see many peanut based recipes on here. I post recipes that I make for others and do not eat myself, but I always like to prepare the dishes I share. 

1 Cup all purpose flour

½ Cup whole wheat flour

1 ½ tsp Baking powder

½ tsp Baking soda

½ tsp Salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp Ginger

¼ tsp Nutmeg

1/3 Cup canola oil

1/3 cup crushed pineapple (undrained)

3 Eggs

1 Cup white sugar

2 tsp Vanilla extract

2 Cups shredded carrots

Brown sugar for topping (optional)



Preheat the oven to 350 and line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners. (Hint: give em a spritz of cooking spray so they will come off the muffin with less crumbs)

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, pineapple, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and carrots.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on medium with an electric mixer just until all is combined. Divide among the prepared muffin cups and if desired sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes before removing from tins to a wire rack.