Turmeric-Carrot Muffins

Despite my obsession with carrots, carrot cake and carrot muffins have never really done it for me. I’ve always placed them in the “oatmeal raisin” camp, which to me translates as not my jam. Maybe I’m just biased against desserts with raisins? But something about your run-of-the-mill carrot muffin is just not that appealing to me. Yet when the polar vortex hit the other day, so did the baking bug. And I’m now completely sold on carrot muffins.

But – big caveat – these are definitely not your ordinary carrot muffins. There’s no cinnamon and no raisins: instead, I went with fresh turmeric and ginger, a generous dose of sour cream, a hint of cardamom, and a subtle kick from some ground black pepper. They are also less sweet than a typical carrot muffin, making them a fantastic (and not so sugary) breakfast or snack that is delicious warm or cold. So let me rephrase my previous statement: I’m now completely sold on carrots in muffins – as long as there’s turmeric and sour cream in there too. These are definitely going into my muffin rotation!

In addition to the flavor profile, I’m also excited about these muffins because they are completely nut-free. While I normally depend on a small amount of almond flour to add moisture and tenderness to my baked goods, I wanted to create some muffin recipes that don’t use this somewhat polarizing (because of its cost and because not everyone can eat nuts) ingredient. Since it’s the high protein and fat content that makes almond flour such a great ingredient in gluten-free baked goods, those elements are taken care of by the sour cream, eggs, and butter in this recipe. High protein oat and sorghum flour seal the deal, and – along with a teaspoon of binding psyllium – help to create the perfect texture.

So – whether you are offended by or sympathetic to my stance on the “typical” carrot muffin, I do urge you to try this remix. You can even add in some raisins – if you must. (Just make sure to soak them first.)

A couple notes about the recipe:

-The best way to store fresh turmeric and fresh ginger is in the freezer. Cut the ginger into pieces (turmeric roots are usually so small I just freeze them whole) place in an airtight freezer bag, and your roots are ready to use in all manner of applications – straight from the freezer – and they’ll keep for ages! Just rinse, peel with a knife, and then chop/grate depending on your recipe.

-After the first day (when they can stand out at room temperature), I recommend storing these muffins in a ziplock bag or airtight container in the fridge. To warm them up, simply pop them in a toaster oven, set the temperature to 350°F, and set the timer for 10 minutes. Of course, you can also enjoy them cold from the fridge – they aren’t as decadent but they’ll pick up a lovely cakey texture and the sour cream flavor becomes even more pronounced. I highly recommend trying them both ways!

-If you’re lucky enough to have any muffins left, you can also freeze these lovelies in a freezer bag and reheat them in the toaster oven until heated through – 15-20 minutes.

-I used salted butter for these, because that’s what I had on hand. If you use unsalted, just add a pinch of salt to the batter.

-This recipe is Low FODMAP is you use lactose-free sour cream.

Turmeric-Carrot Muffins

Dry ingredients:

• ½ cup oat flour
• ½ cup sorghum flour
• ½ cup arrowroot starch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon whole husk psyllium fiber
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Wet ingredients:

• ¾ cup packed grated carrots
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh turmeric root*
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root*
• 1 stick butter, melted (mine was salted)
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup sour cream (lactose-free for Low FODMAP)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tray with muffin liners.

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Pour dry into wet and mix well. Ladle into lined muffined tins, filling each about ¾ of the way to the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, until muffins are dry on top. (They won’t brown or rise very much.)

Yield: Makes 12 muffins

*Grate your turmeric and ginger root using a microplane or the smallest holes in a box grater.