Carrot Walnut Muffins

Ingredients

0 of 17 out on the counter

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2½ cups grated carrot
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• ⅓ cup dark raisins
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 375 °F and set paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. We have not raised the oven for altitude (Colorado State University Extension gives 15 to 25 °F hotter at 5,000 feet; the sea-level versions of this muffin bake at 400 to 425 °F, so 375 °F is not hotter than they are), and we have not yet baked it here, so go by the toothpick.
2. 2Stir the carrot, dates, raisins and walnuts together in a large bowl. Add the eggs, olive oil, applesauce, honey and vanilla and mix until the fruit is coated.
3. 3In a second bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
4. 4Fold the dry mix into the carrot mix just until no dry flour shows. Let the batter sit 10 minutes so the whole wheat flour soaks up the moisture; it will thicken.
5. 5Scoop the batter evenly into the 12 liners, about ⅓ cup each, filling them to the top.
6. 6Bake 20 to 24 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin 5 minutes, then on a rack.