We are featuring our next Pick Your Own (PYO) meal, Carrot Cake Breakfast Muffins. Craving a muffin…but wanting something nutrient-dense? These muffins are similar in style to the blueberry breakfast cookie, but because of the cake texture, they are lighter and fluffier. They contain whole wheat flour, oats, oat bran, carrots, and nuts which provides a whole lot of fibre.

We have rows of carrots in the PYO patch ready to be harvested. Have you ever picked a carrot? They are challenging due to how deeply they grow and how tough they are to pull, yet so fun and rewarding when you finally wiggle them out! Come out to the farm and try for yourself!

Please tag us on Instagram (@thamesrivermelons) if you try this recipe!

Recipe

*Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients

3 cups or ~5 medium Thames River Melons carrots, grated

2 ½ cups unsweetened apple sauce (you can also substitute for crushed pineapple or mashed banana)

4 large Thames River Melons farm fresh eggs

⅓ cup oat bran

2 ½ cups whole wheat flour

½ cup olive oil

4 tsp vanilla

⅓ cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 ½ cups rolled oats

⅓ cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup nuts of your choice (we used cashew and walnuts)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease with oil/butter.

2. Add grated carrots to a large bowl, along with applesauce, eggs, olive oil, vanilla, and brown sugar. Whisk together well.

3. Add flour, rolled oats, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a bowl with the carrot mixture. Whisk together again to incorporate everything.

4. Finally, fold in the chopped mixed nuts and chocolate chips.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about ¾ of the way.

6. Bake until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes or so.

7. Allow them to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before enjoying.

Cost

PYO carrots are $1/lb. The 5 medium carrots or 3 cups is approximately 1 lb, which makes the total cost for vegetables in this recipe right around $1. What a deal!.

Nutritional Density

These muffins would make a great back to school snack because they contain fibre and protein (for calculations, check out a similar example in our blog titled, Blueberry Breakfast Cookies).

Did you know that there are two types of fibre? Soluble and insoluble fibre. Food that contains a source of fibre typically has both types although some foods contain only one type of fibre.

Soluble fibre

Dissolves in water and can form gels and can also be prebiotic and fermenting.
Sources: oats, chia and flax seeds, pectin in fruits like apple, orange and pear, onions, bananas, garlic, asparagus, and legumes.
Benefits: can help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol and increase the function of your gastrointestinal system (1).

Insoluble fibre

Does not dissolve in water and is more difficult to digest.
Sources: whole grains, celery strings, seed hulls, and corn kernel skins.
Benefits: adds bulk to stools and decreases the risk of gastrointestinal disorders (1).

Overall, both types of fibre are important for a healthy diet.

Storage

These muffins will last for 4 days in an airtight container on the counter.

You may also make ahead and freeze for up to 4 months in an airtight container or plastic bag, once cooked and cooled. Don't forget to name and date them! Grab and go, for an easy nutrient-dense snack.

Waste Less Notes

At the PYO patch you may decide to keep the carrot tops on the carrots and use them to make other recipes. Using carrot tops are a great way to reduce waste and incorporate greens into your diet. They taste similar to parsley and may be dried to create a beautiful herb or garnish! We have some recipes and ideas on how to cook with carrot tops on our blog.

The carrot tops, roots, and peels may also be saved to make a homemade vegetable/bone broth.

*If you have room in the freezer, save a bag of vegetable scraps. When you have accumulated enough, then cook them down to make your favourite broth.

Shredded too many carrots or have leftover carrots that you aren’t sure how to use? Not a problem, they are easy to freeze in a plastic bag to be used in your next baking recipe, or can be saved and used in the winter for soups, stews, and more.

Modifications

This recipe may be modified to suit your needs. In terms of the nuts, you may use any nut or seed you have on hand, just make sure you chop them first.

You may also substitute the applesauce for canned crushed pineapple or mashed banana.

All-purpose flour may also be used if that is what you have on hand, just note that the whole wheat flour does provide more nutrients than the all-purpose.

Recipe modified from Cookie and Kate and photographed by dietetic interns Lexie Nobbs and Lise Wolyniuk and reviewed by Alex Chesney, RD

Reference:

Alberta Health Service (2020). Fibre Facts. Alberta Health. Retrieved, August 19, 2024, from https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-fibre-facts.pdf