Carrot and Walnut Muffins
I’ve been baking with beans…
Yup – those guys
And while technically you could use any of these beans, for these muffins, I chose cannellini beans – the small white ones right up the top – and used a tin since they’re already cooked and ready to use.
They honestly are the base for these scrumptious muffins. But you (and anyone you feed them to) would never know.
Beans provide a lovely smooth, moist texture that allows you to limit the amount of sugar and fat you use in baking without your baked goods turning out tough or dry. Plus since they are so incredibly healthy, they add fibre and protein to your baking, lowering the glycemic index and making your baked goods more filling and satisfying.
Now you may be thinking I am some really weird hippy type using beans when I bake, but you too will be converted if you give these a go.
Sweetened with minimal honey, although you can use maple syrup or any other liquid sweetener you prefer, with a gorgeous balance of spices and orange zest which really shines through, these muffins are healthy enough to eat for breakfast. But you’d never know they’re so healthy since they taste so damn good.
If you don’t have cannellini beans, try butter (lima) beans or chickpeas. Other beans would work too, but the colour may be a bit off-putting. If you don’t have carrot, use apple or zucchini. But make sure your zucchini isn’t too wet when grated. Perhaps sop up any extra moisture with paper towel first.
In place of raisins you can use other dried fruit, crystallised ginger or even chocolate chips. And if you’re after a nut-free version, use sunflower or/and pumpkin seeds.
For a vegan version, use an egg replacer. My preferred choice is ground linseeds mixed with water. But if you try this, let me know how they go as I haven’t done this yet.
But I really do hope you try these muffins and if you do, make sure to let me know what you think 🙂
- 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained
- ¾ cup whole rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 generous teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- zest 1 orange
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large carrot, grated - approx 1 cup lightly packed
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup walnuts, broken
- 12 walnut halves, optional, to put on top
- Heat oven to 170 degrees C and line a muffin tray with paper cups.
- Place beans, oats, oil, honey, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and orange zest in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until lovely and smooth. Wipe down the sides of the bowl, then add eggs and baking powder and blitz again until well combined.
- Stir through carrot, raisins and broken walnuts. Spoon into prepared muffin tray and top with walnut halves.
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in tin for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
BTW, to get this shape muffin, I used this tray which I think I got from Tupperware many, many moons ago!
And if you’d like more delicious, healthy baking recipes
Check out my healthier baking ebook