Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
For the Carrot Muffins:
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- ¾ cup dark or light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tbsp. poppy seeds
- 1-¼ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tbsp. olive oil, melted coconut oil or melted butter
- 1 tbsp. orange zest, firmly packed
- 2 cups carrots, shredded
- ¾ cup low-fat buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 2 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tsp. milk, to thin
Instructions
To prepare the carrot muffins:
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
- Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Stir in the eggs, olive oil and orange zest without over-mixing.
- Fold in shredded carrots and buttermilk.
- Evenly spoon the batter into the muffin pan cups, filling two-thirds full.
- Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F.
- After the 5 minutes, without opening the oven, reduce heat to 350°F.
- Continue baking muffins for about 12 to 14 more minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
To prepare the cream cheese icing:
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and milk.
To prepare and serve:
- Drizle the icing over the muffins and serve.
Notes
Muffins are good for 2 to 3 days, in an airtight container, at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about a week.
To freeze muffins, simply place in a resealable bag then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, either thaw the muffins at room temperature or warm in the microwave.