Carrot Apple Muffins

Loaded with carrots, apples, pecans and raisins these muffins fill the belly and get the day off to a good nutritious start.

They can also convert from breakfast food to a teatime delight with cream cheese icing and coconut sprinkled on top. Simply mix 2–4 tablespoons of cream cheese with half that amount (1–2 tablespoons) of plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and just enough sugar to suit your taste.

carrot muffins
Carrot Apple Muffins
Print Recipe
18 muffins
carrot muffins
Carrot Apple Muffins
Print Recipe
18 muffins
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil eighteen 1/2-cup muffin cups.
  2. Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cardamom, and salt and whisk in sugar.
  3. Coarsely shred enough carrots to measure 2 cups and chop pecans. Add shredded carrots and pecans to flour mixture with raisins and coconut and toss well.
  4. In a bowl whisk together eggs, brown sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Core apple and coarsely shred. Stir shredded apple into egg mixture. Add to flour mixture, stirring until batter is just combined well.
  5. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling them three-fourths full, and bake in middle of oven until puffed and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Instead of spelt flour, use 1 cup whole-wheat flour and 1 cup white flour.

I like using spelt flour because it is more nutritious than white (wheat) flour, but is also light whereas whole-wheat flour makes the muffins dense.

 

Share this Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

Pancakes made with white flour have a high glycemic index value. This means the starch is converted into sugar and released into the bloodstream quickly. It will spike your blood sugar, setting off a roller coaster as your body releases insulin as to restore balance.

Make your pancakes more nutrient-dense using whole-wheat flour, oats and apple, and always add a bit of fat from nature (chia, ground flaxseed, Greek yogurt, coconut oil or a bit of grass-fed butter)

Oats provide fiber and digest more slowly. This stabilize blood sugar levels and keeps you going longer, feeling more satisfied and energized.

Make extra to freeze for busy mornings, making a pancake “sandwich’

  • Mix 2 tablespoons cream cheese with a bit of  honey and fresh or dried berries
  • Spread nut butter and banana or other fruit
apples with cinnamon
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes
Print Recipe
Servings
12 4-inch pancakes
Servings
12 4-inch pancakes
apples with cinnamon
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes
Print Recipe
Servings
12 4-inch pancakes
Servings
12 4-inch pancakes
Ingredients
Toppings
Adjust servings: 4-inch pancakes
Units:
Instructions
  1. In a bowl whisk together 1 cup buttermilk and oats and let the mixture stand for 15 to 20 minutes. (You can mix the night before).
  2. In a large bowl whisk together egg, brown sugar, and apple.
  3. Stir in flour, the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons oil, and oat mixture, until well mixed.
  4. Heat a griddle over moderate heat, brush it with butter or coconut oil. Drop the batter (approximately 1/4 cup) on the griddle
  5. Cook the pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes until it starts to bubble. Flip and cook or golden and cooked through.
  6. Serve with topping of choice
Recipe Notes

NOTE:

  • Add 1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped nuts and/or 2 tablespoons of raisins for increased fiber and nutrient density
  • Exchange cinnamon for cardamom or a pinch of allspice or nutmeg

Adapted from Epicurious: Apple and Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes.

Share this Recipe

Making Breakfast Easy

In just a few minutes, make breakfast the night before, and it’s ready in the morning. If you haven’t tried overnight oats before, this is a great recipe to start with. I love Angela Liddon’s website  Oh She Glows;  although I don’t think I will ever be vegan, I’ve made many recipes from her website. Her cookbook is one of only three I have in my kitchen—that’s how much I use it.

There are innumerous recipes for overnight oats. The more I make them, the more concoctions I come up with depending on fresh and frozen fruits (and nuts) I have on hand.

If you don’t like the texture simply skip the chia seeds. Instead sprinkle a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseeds and mix in right before eating.

Overnight Oats
Print Recipe
Servings
1 bowl
Servings
1 bowl
Overnight Oats
Print Recipe
Servings
1 bowl
Servings
1 bowl
Ingredients
Suggested toppings
Adjust servings: bowl
Units:
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth. Now stir in the chia seeds and cinnamon until combined.
  2. Stir in the oats, almond milk, and vanilla (if using). Cover and refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.
  3. In the morning, stir the oat mixture to combine. If your Vegan Overnight Oats have a runny consistency even after they soak, simply stir in an additional 1 tablespoon chia seeds and place the mixture back in the fridge until it has thickened up. If the oat mixture is too thick, simply add a splash of milk and stir to combine.
Recipe Notes

Source: Oh She Glows

Share this Recipe

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

One of my favorite resources for breakfast recipes is Weelicious.com. These pancakes are a huge hit in our house. They are especially yummy with berry puree. I double the recipe and freeze the extras to have on hand during the week. Pop them in the toaster and breakfast is ready in minutes on a busy weekday morning.

For the Berry Puree, simply defrost a package of frozen berries (raspberries, black berries, mixed berries) and puree until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of orange juice or water to dilute if it is too thick.
Sweeten if desired with 1 – 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. In a bowl whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla and honey
  2. In a separate bowl whisk the dry ingredients.
  3. Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
  4. Heat a large sauté pan or griddle over medium heat, brush with butter or coconut oil. Pour a spoonful of batter at a time. When begin to bubble, flip them over.
  5. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are set and golden.
  6. Serve with maple syrup of berry sauce on top.
Recipe Notes

Modified from

Weelicious: Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Share this Recipe

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread

This is quite popular in our house—either as muffins or a loaf of bread. I make a double recipe to freeze some for week days. Before freezing the bread loaf, I slice it and place pieces of parchment paper between the slices; making it easy to pull out a frozen slice and pop into the toaster.

Sweet potatoes pack a powerful nutritional punch. They have over 400% of your daily needs for vitamin A in one medium spud, as well as loads of fiber and potassium. More about sweet potatoes here.

I also like the high fiber content in these muffins (slices); high fiber breakfasts help promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread
Print Recipe
To make muffins instead of a loaf,  brush the muffin tin with softened butter, coconut oil or expeller-pressed canola oil. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread
Print Recipe
To make muffins instead of a loaf,  brush the muffin tin with softened butter, coconut oil or expeller-pressed canola oil. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
  3. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl.
  4. Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in another, larger, bowl until blended. Mix in zucchini and sweet potato.
  5. Add dry ingredients and walnuts and stir well.
  6. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
  7. Cool bread in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around bread to loosen. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from Epicurious: Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread

Share this Recipe