Healthy Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Remember that carrot cake I made last week? And how much I enjoyed shoving carrots down the shoot of the food processor? Well, I went overboard on both the purchase of carrots and the shredding of carrots. The carrots I didn’t shred were perfect for the Chicken in Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots, and Jalapeños. But I needed something to use up the nearly two extra cups of shredded carrots that I ended up with. I saw a recipe somewhere for carrot zucchini muffins and decided that was the perfect way to at least use some of them up. I finally got around to getting some zucchini last night, but then I couldn’t find the recipe. I searched through my cookbooks, but finally gave up and went to my friend, the interwebs. I found a healthy (you know, as healthy as they can be when they have a cup and a half of sugar…) recipe that was reviewed well and I had all the ingredients, so I went with it.

Let me just say that this is not a dessert muffin. I know there are plenty of people that generally don’t eat muffins for dessert, but I think many muffins, especially right out of the oven, make a wonderful dessert. These muffins are fine for breakfast or a snack. But they are NOT a dessert muffin. So when your husband has just made you a delicious dinner and then wants some dessert, don’t tell him to hold off on dessert because you are going to make these muffins because everyone involved will be disappointed. No, it’s probably better that he go for the Ben & Jerry’s fro yo in the freezer.

I still have another 3/4 cup or so of shredded carrots, so let me know if you have any great ideas!

Carrot Zucchini Muffins
Adapted fromNicole’s Winter Carrot Zucchini Bread

Makes 12

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites*
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup grated unpeeled zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)**

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease muffin tin.
2. Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a large bowl until well blended.
3. Beat egg whites with a mixer until light and frothy. Stir in applesauce, brown sugar, zucchini, carrots, and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the raisins and pecans, if using. Add the flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes or so. Pop the muffins out and let cool on a wire rack.

• I didn’t feel like wasting 6 egg yolks and didn’t have time to make ice cream or a custard and I was lazy and didn’t feel like doing the whole beating and folding with the egg whites, so I just used 3 eggs. It might work with just 2 eggs. And it would certainly be healthier with all egg whites, but oh well.

** I didn’t use em. And I’ll hide it in the footnote that you can also add raisins if you want. If I were ever going to put raisins in a muffin, this is probably the muffin I would do it in.