Apple, Coconut & Carrot Breakfast Muffins

I love having muffins in the house for my family. They're so convenient for kids to grab and snack on, or to take along for a quick breakfast on the go. You can combine so many different flavors and combinations, it's pretty hard to go wrong! Not only that, but they're fun to make! These particular muffins have come a long way since I made my first batch. Back when I first made them, I followed this recipe by Weelicious which is absolutely more guilt free than my version. They were nice, but I wanted to customize them a bit more, and I also found they stuck to the liners when I used them due to the honey. I decided to play with the recipe a bit and have changed it through the past few years into what I now have today. I know this recipe is based on the "old school" Morning Glory muffins that typically use pineapple, raisins and walnuts, I'm sure each or all of those would be an amazing addition. Next time I make them I may actually add some walnuts and raisins, but these are pretty amazing as is.

I call them low-guilt breakfast muffins because for the most part they have some pretty healthy ingredients. White whole wheat flour, coconut milk and grapeseed oil are all pretty healthy, in addition to the carrots and apples. Of course there's sweetened coconut and sugar (mostly brown) in there too, which makes them low-guilt. Not quite no-guilt, but delicious nonetheless! We're talking muffins here anyway! These have an amazing flavor and delicious texture, I love the bits of flavor in every bite. They are perfect for the season and I would absolutely bring them to a Halloween party or serve as part of breakfast for Thanksgiving with my Pumpkin Muffins! These are a perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea, and would be delicious served with a pumpkin spice coffee or a vanilla chai tea!

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup all-purpose white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium granny smith apple, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• pinch of raw sugar (to sprinkle)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients (flour, sugars, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices).

Prepare the shredded carrot, apple and coconut.

Add coconut, carrots and apples to dry mixture. 

Mix until well combined.

Combine all wet ingredients (eggs, extracts, milk, and oil). 

Add the dry mixture to the wet, stirring until just combined.

Using a standard size muffin/cupcake pan, scoop two tablespoons batter per liner. (Makes 12 muffins.)

Sprinkle with a pinch of raw sugar over each muffin, and bake 20-23 minutes until done.

Let cool and serve.

Enjoy!