The Occasional (Very Lazy) Vegan: Carrot Spice Muffins

You may call it cheating that I've discovered muffins are an easy way to sneak in my self-imposed need for vegan cooking, but I call it smart breakfast eating (seriously these muffins have just 135 calories and 1 g of fat each, or so the site I got the recipe from claims). This carrot cake-like morning coffee companion seemed like the perfect healthy option to balance out my pistachio ice cream sandwiches and complete my Sunday of baking.

Vegan Carrot Spice Muffins
Adapted from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Servings: 24 muffins
Time: 30 minutes (plus however fast you can shred carrots)

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp flax meal or ground flax seed
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup soy yogurt
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2/3-1 cup golden raisins

Yeah, that batter doesn't look like baby food gone wrong at all. 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Mix the agave nectar, apple sauce, soy yogurt, water and vanilla together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed.
4. Add in the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until just incorporated. 
5. Stir in the shredded carrots and golden raisins with a rubber spatula.
6. Fill up lined muffin tins 2/3 of the way with batter.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

My army of loyal muffin minions are ready to take over the world (or at least breakfast).

These were a welcome addition to my ever-growing muffin stable. For something so healthy (and proper muffin looking) these tasted great. An abundance of raisins (I upped the amount considerably) mixing with all those fresh carrots highlighted these muffins and helped me forget all about carrot cakes usually being smothered in cream cheese. They probably could have used a little more spices for added kick and perhaps soy milk in the place of water to reach greater levels of tasty veganity. Minor quibbles aside, these were still a delightful way to start off your morning.