Carrot Muffins

I know what you're thinking... another muffin post? Yes I'll admit that I haven't ventured far from the tin when it comes to baking, but I'm just starting to master the craft! I mean, I am still relying on others for recipes and tips, but I think I'm finally starting to measure up! But I can't take the credit for how this batch turned out; I owe it all to www.ohmyveggies.com. Their spiced carrot muffin recipe is on point and I didn't have to (or want to) substitute anything. Believe me, you're going to want to try these.

Here's what their recipe called for:

• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (ok, I did actually substitute this with whole wheat)
• 1 cup rolled oats (additional for topping)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (liquefied)
• 2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium sized carrots)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

I was originally looking for a carrot apple muffin recipe but when I saw this one already called for coconut oil and flax-egg (flaxseed + water) I decided to settle on just carrot. It also called for a 12 cup standard sized muffin tin. I recently purchased a 12 cup but I'm not sure if it's standard sized because I had extra batter at the end of filling number 12. Either way, the instructions yielded perfectly cooked, yet extremely moist muffins.

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin
• In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed and water
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
• In a medium size bowl, mix the remaining ingredients (coconut oil, almond milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, carrots, and flax-egg. Reminder: the liquids need to be room temp or warmer to keep the coconut oil from solidifying.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
• The recipe called to divide the batter between muffin tin cups, just over 1/3 full. However, I filled mine up to the top and nothing exploded. (And I still had left over batter! What gives?)
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, every oven is a little different. Insert a toothpick into the center to test if it comes back clean. If so, remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Between my sweet-tooth and Patrick's need to eat everything, they're practically already gone. If you want to prove to someone that vegan baked goods can be delicious, choose this recipe.