Spiced Carrot and Orange Muffins

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My dad's favorite cake has always been carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Over the years, I've eaten my fair share of his carrot cake birthday cakes. After all these carrot cake taste tests, I can confidently say that I prefer my carrot cake to be super moist with plenty of spices and carrots. In this recipe, I take my favorite carrot cake qualities and turn them into muffins!

I'm pretty particular when it comes to muffins. I don't love whole wheat muffins because the wheat tends to distract from the other flavors. However, overly sweet, cupcake-like muffins are just too much for me. I like my muffins to feel relatively healthy, with a subtle sweetness and a lot of flavor. 

In this recipe, I achieved the perfect balance of wheat, sweetness and flavor by using a combination of white whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour, a bit of orange zest, and a touch of maple syrup. The result is a wheaty, sweet, tender and zesty carrot muffin that’s perfect for breakfast or snack time!

Spiced Carrot Orange Muffins
Spiced Carrot Orange Muffins

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 30 minutes

Equipment: 1 12-muffin tin

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest from about 1/2 large orange

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 3/4 cup maple syrup

  • 2 eggs

  • 3/4 cup milk of choice

  • 2 tablespoons orange juice from about 1/2 a large orange

  • 2 1/2 cups grated carrots, from about 3 large or 6 small carrots

Methods

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, orange zest and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together syrup, eggs, milk and orange juice.

  2. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until almost combined. Then, add in the grated carrots and fold until incorporated.

  3. Evenly divide the batter between 12 greased standard-size muffins wells. Bake the muffins for 8 minutes at 425 F. Then lower the oven temperature to 350 F and bake for 10-14 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Dig in!

Sustainability Tips

  • Flours: I like to buy King Arthur brand flour because King Arthur is a B Corp, meaning that a third party holds them to a high environmental and social standard. Alternatively, you could find a farmer who grows and mills flour locally. Buying locally can help connect you to your local food system and cut back on the miles your food has to travel.

  • Maple syrup: Buying your maple from a local provider is the best way to be more connected to your food. If you buy locally, you can ask the provider any questions you have about producing syrup, and your syrup won't emit as many climate-changing greenhouse gases during travel.

  • Eggs: Local eggs are really easy to find if you look for them. Buying locally means your eggs won't have to travel as far, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.

  • Milk: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products from B Corps, which are held to really high environmental and social standards. Alternatively, you could buy from a local dairy producer or use non-dairy milk.

  • Carrots and orange: Your best option is to grow the carrots and orange yourself, but any local carrots and oranges are a great option. Also, be sure to make this recipe during the winter because that's when carrots and oranges are in season. This way, your produce won't contribute as much to GHG emissions during travel.