Have a fun and healthy start to the day with a balance of macronutrients in these fun bakery style carrot oat muffins!

Bakery Style Carrot Oat Muffins :: Gluten Free & Dairy Free

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Middle School…We’ve got this!

I’ll be the first one to admit that I was a little tentative about it being her 6th grade year. I remember 6th grade…do you remember middle school?! I do not remember ever having this much confidence and poise in 6th grade, but I’ll take it. This middle school thing hasn’t been so hard so far, and my goodness is this kid so fun. Her sense of humor totally surprises me, and her maturity blows me away.

Gone are the days of mini muffins…

The little ones grow up, don’t they? They grow so rapidly in these pre-teen and teen years, and the minis just don’t do the trick for these growing appetites. My oldest has been completely enamored with the idea of a muffin that looks like her favorite coffee shop, and it’s actually pretty fun to sit down with a warm mug and an almost 12 year old. The way their minds think at this age will make you think, and will soften your heart.

Breakfast muffins that count

You know that whole “rapidly growing” thing I mentioned above? We can still do a fun breakfast muffin that feels like a coffee shop, but also fill these pre-teen and teen growing needs with ingredients that actually count. Without compromising on texture, I was able to combine all 3 macronutrients in a healthy, balanced way in these carrot oat breakfast muffins. Because Lord knows no one needs a hormonal, hangry pre-teen in the house. {And truth be told, no one needs a hangry, tired toddler on their hands either!} Healthy, well sourced carbohydrates, fats, and protein is where it’s at for happy blood sugars, and a focused morning at school.

The Method :: The Muffin Batter

The carrot oat muffin batter is quite simple. You’ll blend the wet ingredients until smooth and then blend in the dry. This batter comes together so quickly, and I find myself making them up quick the night before I want to serve them so that I can get those few extra winks of sleep! I use the shredder tool on my food processor to make the carrot shredding go fast, but this is also a fun project for any littles in the house that are ready for sharps to shred the carrots on a little shredder. I remember having extra afternoon time when I had napping babies with an extra older preschooler that didn’t nap anymore. It is always nice to have a little project to work on with them to keep their hands busy!

The Method :: Muffin Size and Baking Tips

My household used to *live* for mini muffins, but as my littles have grown (along with their appetites!), the novelty of the minis has sadly worn. If you have toddlers in the house, mini muffins will be so helpful to you. There is less waste because sometimes little ones get halfway through a regular sized muffin and decide they are done! It is also less overwhelming to look at a mini muffin or 2 on your plate versus a very big one. (This is the mini muffin pan that I have) If you have older kids in the house, they will just love the idea of having a big, bakery sized muffin! For the minis, simply use a tablespoon to fill the mini muffin cups and bake for about 15 minutes. If you are going for more of an oversized, bakery style muffin, I’ve found a heaping quarter cup measure works really good. Those larger muffins will need to bake around 35 minutes. Of course a nice regular sized muffin works good too – and packs nicely for lunchboxes. You can use a quarter cup measuring cup to scoop those out and bake around 25 minutes.

Freezer Friendly

Go ahead and double this one up! It bakes up doubled perfectly, and these breakfast muffins can make a regular appearance on your meal plan because they freeze up great. Just cool them off after baking and stash them away in the freezer in gallon freezer bags. You can thaw them out on the counter overnight, or pop them in the oven to warm in the morning while you get ready.

Swaps and Switches

If you are egg free, try 2 flax eggs, and perhaps make some of the liquid for the flax eggs some apple cider vinegar so that it will react with the baking powder and create some rise. The flax eggs will bind, but will need some help to fluff up. If you are nut free, I’m sure you can swap the almond flour for something else. If you fall into either of these categories, please let us know what you try so that others that are egg or nut free can have some options!