Healthy Orange Carrot Muffins

When I posted the recipe last week for my Healthy Chocolate muffins, I received a far better reception than I’d have dreamed. I mean, post some kind of decadent cookie recipe and you know people will like it, but it’s a surprise- albeit a pleasant one, to discover that people are so fond of delicious yet healthy recipes.

At work too, people loved my muffins. And why not? They are delicious, and they don’t make you want to avoid your scale.

So I decided to take those muffins and make some other versions. Why should chocolate get all the fun? Let’s invite some other flavors to the party!

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always been tempted by the non-dietetic carrot muffins I made for my family and friends. And so while I basked in the success of my delicious healthy muffins, I schemed and planned and developed these: Orange Carrot Muffins. Healthy, of course.

The texture on these in astonishingly light and airy (they’re whole wheat!) and the taste is phenomenal. But as you bite into a warm muffin, you will notice something else. The aroma of orange that emanates from this muffin is enough to seal the deal; these are just plain delicious.

Healthy Orange Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 heaping tsp grated orange zest

1 cup vanilla flavored Soy Slender

3/4 cups finely grated carrots

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups (King Arthur’s) white whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

9 packets of splenda (to taste, if you like it less sweet or more sweet you can adjust it)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper muffin liners.

In an electric mixer, or with a wire whisk, mix together the first 8 ingredients until well blended.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and splenda. Gently mix the dry ingredients in to the wet mixture. Stir until just incorporated.

Spoon batter into 12 prepared muffin liners, filling all the way to the top. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes.

Yields: 12 muffins

Enjoy!