Think sticky date pudding and carrot cake combined. These muffins are fluffy yet textured, light yet hearty and can be adjusted to be gluten free, dairy free and egg free. Easy peasy.
For the muffins:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil (canola, olive or coconut)
- 3 medium sized carrots, grated
- The zest of one orange
- 1/4-1/3 cup sugar (raw, brown or coconut)
- 1 cup SR flour (GF SR flour also works perfectly)
- 1/2 tps. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- A good handful of dates, chopped
- A handful of raisins (optional)
For the frosting
- 1/2 a block of Philadelphia cream cheese
- the juice of half a lemon
- the juice of half an orange
- ~ 1/2 cup icing sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease a muffin tray (either a 6 or 12 muffin tray).
In a large bowl mix all wet ingredients plus sugar, carrot and orange zest. Then add your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and spices) and carefully fold in making sure all is combined but try not to over mix. Pour mixture into your muffin tin. If using a 6 muffin tin bake for 25mins (I suggest checking muffins at 20mins), if using a 12 muffin tin bake for 15mins.
Allow muffins to cool in tin while you make your frosting. To make, using a whisk mix cream cheese, citrus juice and icing sugar in a small bowl until well combined and creamy. If too runny add more icing sugar and if too thick add a tiny more juice.
Once muffins are cool, add frosting and enjoy.
Lara x
Gestational Diabetes –
These muffins can certainly be made to be suitable for if you have GDM. Like with many cakes and muffins I would not suggest to enjoy one daily but rather to have occasionally. But, it does depend on your BGL management, so if unsure of what’s best for you, speak with your Dietitian or reach out to me via email or social media. If keen to try these I would suggest the following recipe adjustments and to also make sure you make 12 muffins. One muffin will make a suitable snack to enjoy in between meals.
Adjustments: use 1/4 cup sugar and preferably coconut. Dates and sultanas/raisins provide concentrated sugar and are quite high in GI, if adding these the muffins will be a little high in sugar for a snack (for most people with GDM). I would suggest leaving out the dried fruit/dates and just adding the sugar. I would also suggest not making and adding the icing unless you make a sugar free style cream cheese icing (and as long as the cream cheese is pasteurized).
Lara x
