8.07.2012

Invisible Veggie Muffins

I'm not going to beat around the bush on this one.

These are the best muffins... period.

And I don't just mean "the best" as in "Mmm, they're really good" or "Yay, it's a muffin."

No.

I mean "the best" as in "This muffin has EVERYTHING," "I could literally eat this muffin for every meal and be satisfied," and "Holy fireballs, there are VEGETABLES in this muffin?!"

Yes. All that, and more.

Are you convinced?

Okay, good. Let's move on.


These magical little guys were born of an extreme need to do something with the half-gallon of fruit/vegetable pulp left over from my mother/daughter juicing day.

...I know what you're thinking:

  1. Mother/daughter juicing day?
  2. ...I'm jealous.


Anyway, I took an old zucchini muffin recipe (the recipe is old... not the zucchini. Just so we're clear) and spiced it up to make these fiber-packed, delicious, moist muffins.

Are we ready?

I thought so!

Invisible Veggie Muffins
[makes ~12 muffins]

Ingredients:

  • 1  2/3 cups 100% Whole Wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1  1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1  1/2 cups shredded fruits/veggies - emphasis on the veggies (this is going into a food processor, so you could just chop them up really small)
    • I used Fuji apple (for sweetness), kale, carrots, and beets
    • Would also be good with zucchini
  • 1/2 cup milk (skim, soy, almond, coconut... your pick!)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (canola, coconut, olive... you know the drill)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (could possibly be replaced with Agave Nectar or real Maple Syrup)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling (yes... REAL SUGAR!)
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit... just in case)
  2. Those first 6 ingredients? The dry ones? Throw them in a bowl and whisk it thoroughly. Or, if you're like me, use a fork.
  3. Ingredients 7-12 (through the applesauce)? Throw them in a food processor or Magic Bullet and pulse, pulse, pulse, until you reach your desired consistency. If you don't mind biting into a muffin and seeing a carrot chunk, pulse less. If you don't want anyone to know there are veggies inside (children, ahem), pulse more.
  4. Make a little hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in.
  5. Using a spatula, fold the dry and wet ingredients together until they mix thoroughly, forming a dough-like consistency.
  6. Grease or line a muffin tin (makes 12) and put about 1/4 cup of dough in each muffin... slot. Muffin slot? Is that a thing?
  7. Sprinkle the muffin tops with sugar and cinnamon for that crisp, shiny finish
  8. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the top looks darker brown
Random Tips:
  • Store these in an airtight plastic container, lined with paper towels to collect the moisture
  • Cut them in half and serve them with honey... or as I like to call it, the Sweet Nectar of the Gods
  • If you don't have one of these ingredients, DO NOT FRET. Are you fretting? Stop. Stop fretting. Do a little yoga, then come back and read this:
    • You can replace oil with more applesauce, or even canned pumpkin
    • You can replace brown sugar with more applesauce or maple syrup
    • When in doubt, replace things with applesauce. Seriously.

I'm not going to lie to you, I ate a thousand of these muffins today.

Okay I lied. I am going to lie to you. I mean... I did lie to you. Whatever.

But I did eat three, and while I'm writing this, I'm craving another one.

What's to stop me?

You know... you're right. That 1/48 cup of brown sugar per muffin MIGHT kill me. Or the 1/16 teaspoon of white sugar on top. Or maybe the 1/6 teaspoon of oil in each one... yep, I can feel my arteries clogging as we speak.

LIES. It's all lies.

Eat your hearts out, darling ones.

Happy Olympics!
Kelsie

**UPDATE: keep these muffins refrigerated or they'll go bad after a couple of days!**

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