Carrot Project, Take 2: Cranberry Carrot Muffins

Midway through making the batter for these muffins, I reach for the box grater and start shredding a pile carrots. My son, Jack looks up at me. “Ewwwww! Carrots! Why are you doing that?”

“Oh! This? Well, um, I’m, um, shredding them.”

“But why? Aren’t you making pumpkin muffins?”

“Well, I am making muffins! That’s right! It’s just that…well..instead of pumpkin, it’s carrot.”

“WHAT?? WHY???”

“So, you were saying, about that game you were playing on the playground….”

“Oh, yeah, well Olly and I were playing Ninja….”

Saved by the magic of distraction once again. I stop and wonder how many years I have left of this magical parenting tool.

By the time the muffins were done, Jack had forgotten about the whole carrot episode and was happily munching away on these babies. These are definitely a close tie with the Lunchbox Muffins. Less sugar, too. And check out those carrots. It’s like he’s eating a salad for breakfast, just without the lettuce, tomato and cucumber. My little health nut.

If he only knew.

Cranberry Carrot Muffins

adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance 

1/2 cup cranberries

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 t salt

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 t vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrot

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin. Soak the cranberries in hot water. Sift together dry ingredients. Add almond milk, oil and vanilla and mix until combined. Fold in the carrots. Drain the cranberries and fold in. Fill the muffin tins and bake for about 20-24 minutes.