"We have a bag of matchstick carrots in the refrigerator that is about to go bad. Please do something with them," said The Mister after purchasing said carrots because The Inconsistent Toddler ate some of them one day, once.

I make a killer carrot cake, but why bake a whole cake when I can do the easy portioning of mini-muffins? The Inconsistent Toddler liked them so much, they ate four mini-muffins on the spot. Which is great, because they are otherwise against carrots.

Ingredients

• 108 g all purpose flour [aka 14 TBSP]
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 4 TBSP dried mixed fruit [sub raisins and skip step 2]
• 4 TBSP brown sugar [aka 1/4 cup; make from pantry staples]
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3 g baking soda [aka 2/3 tsp]
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 bananas
• 3 TBSP canola oil [substitute butter]
• 1 bag matchstick carrots [substitute grated carrots]
• 2/3 tsp vinegar [substitute lemon juice]

Materials

• oven
• mini-muffin tin
• portion scoop [substitute spoon]
• danish dough whisk [substitute stirring spoon]
• measuring spoons: 1 TBSP, 1 tsp, 1/4 tsp
• measuring cups: 1/2 cup
• knife & cutting board
• mixing bowl
• kitchen scale [unless using volume, in which case a 1/4 cup measure]
• small saucer
• Struggle Masher 4000 [aka fork]
• cooling rack

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Using the knife and cutting board, chop the dried mixed fruit (4 TBSP) into the size of a small dice.
3. To the mixing bowl, add the dried mixed fruit (chopped), all purpose flour (108 g), rolled oats (1/2 cup), baking soda (3 g), cinnamon (1 tsp), and kosher salt (1/4 tsp).
4. Using the danish dough whisk, stir the contents of the bowl in order to make an even mixture of all the dry ingredients.
5. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients to which will be added the wet ingredients.
6. Into this well, crack 2 eggs, add the brown sugar (4 TBSP), canola oil (3 TBSP), vanilla extract (1 tsp), and matchstick carrots (1 bag).
7. Peel the bananas (3), and using the saucer and the Struggle Masher 4000, working in small sections, mash them and add them to the liquids in the well at the center of the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
8. Using the danish dough whisk, mix gently, but thoroughly.
9. Is your oven preheated? If not, pause here until it is. If so, proceed to the next step.
10. To the mixing bowl, add the vinegar (2/3 tsp) and mix thoroughly with the danish dough whisk.
11. Using the portion scoop, portion the batter into the mini-muffin tin.
12. Place the mini-muffin tin into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
13. At the end of 25 minutes, test the muffins for doneness by lightly pressing your finger in the middle of the muffin; if it springs back up, proceed to next step. If not done, bake for additional 5 minute increments until done.
14. Place the entire mini-muffin tin atop the cooling rack for 5 minutes.
15. At the end of the 5 minutes, take the mini-muffins out of the mini-muffin tin and continue to cool them on the cooling rack. The tin can then be reused if any batter remains.

Notes

These mini-muffins freeze well and can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days without going stale. They contain 1.5g protein each (assuming you made 24) thanks to the egg, so four served together makes a 6g protein meal, nothing to sneeze at while being so delicious. If you happen to be like me with a can of candied ginger lying around from your pie baking adventure, measuring out an amount with your heart and adding it to the batter makes for a greater complexity of flavor which is still quite yummy.

Bibliography. This recipe was developed from a recipe I'd long been cooking by Yummy Toddler Food which I adapted to fit my capsule kitchen. Her recipe uses applesauce, which is what I'm used to from a lifetime of cooking muffins, but my current capsule kitchen just doesn't keep applesauce around and bananas are cheaper and easier to buy exactly the portion one needs.

CookLang

---
title: Carrot Cake Mini-Muffins
tags:
- baking
- dessert
- frugal
- vegetarian
prep time: 20minutes
cook time: 25minutes
author: TheInfamousJ via Amy Palanjian
source: https://theinfamousj.github.io/ExecutiveDysfunctionRecipes/baking-carrot-cake-mini-muffins.html
cuisine: American
course: Breakfast
servings: 24
description: Healthy mini-muffins that taste like carrot cake while having low added sugar and 6g protein if one consumes 4.
---
Preheat the #oven to 350°F.

Using the #knife and #cutting board{}, chop the @dried mixed fruit{4%TBSP} into the size of a small dice.

To the #mixing bowl{}, add the dried mixed fruit (chopped), @all purpose flour{108%g}, @rolled oats{1/2%cup}, @baking soda{3%g}, @cinnamon{1%tsp}, and @kosher salt {1/4%tsp}.

Using the #danish dough whisk{}, stir the contents of the bowl in order to make an even mixture of all the dry ingredients.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients to which will be added the wet ingredients.

Into this well, crack 2 @eggs{2}, add the @brown sugar{4%TBSP}, @canola oil{3%TBSP}, @vanilla extract{1%tsp}, and @matchstick carrots{1%bag}.

Peel the @bananas{3}, and using the #small saucer{} and the #fork, working in small sections, mash them and add them to the liquids in the well at the center of the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Using the danish dough whisk, mix gently, but thoroughly.

Is your oven preheated? If not, pause here until it is. If so, proceed to the next step.

To the mixing bowl, add the @vinegar{2/3%tsp} and mix thoroughly with the danish dough whisk.

Using the #portion scoop{}, portion the batter into the #mini-muffin tin{}.

Place the mini-muffin tin into the oven and bake for ~{25 minutes}.

At the end of 25 minutes, test the muffins for doneness by lightly pressing your finger in the middle of the muffin; if it springs back up, proceed to next step. If not done, bake for additional 5 minute increments until done.

Place the entire mini-muffin tin atop the #cooling rack{} for ~{5 minutes}.

At the end of the 5 minutes, take the mini-muffins out of the mini-muffin tin and continue to cool them on the cooling rack. The tin can then be reused if any batter remains.

>These mini-muffins freeze well and can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days without going stale. They contain 1.5g protein each (assuming you made 24) thanks to the egg, so four served together makes a 6g protein meal, nothing to sneeze at while being so delicious. If you happen to be like me with a can of candied ginger lying around from your pie baking adventure, measuring out an amount with your heart and adding it to the batter makes for a greater complexity of flavor which is still quite yummy.