Inside-out apple & carrot cake muffins

Makes 15 Muffins

Happy Easter Y’all! Bunnies and carrots go hand in hand (or paw in mouth really), so it was a no-brainer to make a healthier version of these to celebrate. Not only do they look great with an oozey Spirulina cream cheese filling, these incredibly tasty treats are as good for a snack as they are for breakfast on the go. Apart from on special occasions, such as Easter, I normally make these without the cream cheese filling, and they freeze very well, so I constantly have a stock of them for those inevitable crazy days. They are filling and moist and have a great combination of textures, from the soft pieces of apple, to the chewy dried apricot, to the crunch of the walnuts. I always love snacks with hidden veggies to add to your five-a-day. Walnuts are a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and an excellent source of those hard to find omega-3 fatty acids. Due to the wide variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients found in walnuts, some research is now showing measurable anti-cancer benefits.

They say “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”…and for good reason! They are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fibre. I chose red apples for an even greater antioxidant content.

The spelt and oat flour contains complex carbohydrates and are full of vitamins and minerals themselves.

INGREDIENTS

· 1 tsp Baking Powder
· 1 tsp Baking Soda
· 2 tsp Cinnamon
· ½ tsp Salt
· 1 large Egg
· 1 cup cooked Quinoa
· 1/3 cup Coconut Oil
· 1 cup Greek Yogurt
· 1/2 cup, Spelt Flour
· 1/3 cup, Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
· 30g Dried Unsulphured Apricots
· 25g Protein Powder (I use “That Protein” Organic Pumpkin Seed Protein Powder With Chia Seeds”
· 2 Carrots
· 3 Apples
· 1/3 cup Walnuts
· ½ cup Oat Flour

For the middle

· ¾ cup Light Cream Cheese
· 5 tbsp Maple Syrup
· 1 tsp Spirulina (only if you want the inside to be green!)

METHOD

· Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.
· Mix together the cream filling and set aside.
· Peel and cube the apples; and grate the carrots. Set aside.
· Grease the muffin cups or line with cup liners.
· In a medium bowl, add the spelt and oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
· In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, egg, Greek yogurt and cooked quinoa until well combined.
· Add in the dry ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon, just until absorbed.
· Gently fold in the apples, grated carrots, walnuts and dried apricots.
· Half fill each muffin cup with batter.
· Add a spoonful of the filling mixture to the middle of each muffin.
· Cover with the remaining batter.
· Bake for approximately 16–20 minutes, or until the muffins are well golden and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean apart from the cream cheese filling.
· Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tins, then transfer on a cooling rack.
· Can be eaten warm or at room temperature.
· Keep in an airtight container for two days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutritional Information

Calories — 239
Carbohydrates — 31g
Fat — 12g
Protein — 8g
Fibre — 4g