Healthy Carrot Cake Mini Muffins
Yields: 36 mini muffins
 
This mini muffin recipe is one of my favorite flavors! The muffins are full of cozy spices and sweet carrot cake flavor. They’ll keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ tsp vanilla crème stevia
  • ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
  • 2 cups (180g) freshly grated carrots (see Notes!)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 36 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg whites, vanilla extract, and vanilla crème stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 13-16 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends will work as well, if measured like this.

This is my favorite whole wheat flour because it allows my baked goods to rise higher and have a more tender texture than some other brands. White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.

I highly recommend using the vanilla crème stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. (I always buy mine online here because it’s the cheapest price I’ve found!) If you prefer, 8-10 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the vanilla crème stevia, and the milk should be reduced to 3-5 tablespoons to compensate for the added liquid.

Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

I highly recommend using the finest holes in your box grater for shredding the carrots! I used the standard-sized holes, and some carrots still had a teensy tiny crunch after baking. Using the smallest holes (the “finely shredded” size) will ensure your carrots fully bake through. Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots.

Be VERY careful if using liners! Generously coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray before adding the muffin batter. This batter will stick to liners like superglue if they aren’t coated with cooking spray.

If you prefer, this recipe will yield 12 standard sized muffins. To bake standard-sized muffins, preheat the oven to 425°F instead. Bake them at 425°F for 7 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (without opening the oven!) and continue to bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. The muffins will be done when the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, low sugar}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/03/14/carrot-cake-mini-muffins/