Healthy Snacks: Carrot/Orange/Ginger/Oats Muffins (aka COGO)

The good thing about the word "muffin" is that you're thinking one of two things.
You are thinking, "That sounds healthy!" or you're like me and looking at that adorable pudge hanging over your waistband and thinking "Yeah sounds like muffin top!"

Either way is acceptable and my muffin top is very visible with my pajama pants and I don't give a crap!

Now, I don't know about you but I have picky eaters for children. V-Man used to only eat Chiquita bananas, M-Girl isn't too bad and A-Man is the worst picky eater ever.  He's not just a picky AF eater but he is also the jerk-wad kid that has to make a HUGE flipping deal over how much the food disgusts him and it's yucky and so on - to the point that nobody else wants to eat it either...
If I could consume the amount of fatty carbs as he does and still maintain a 6-pack like he does - I would be living the dream!
Sadly, I do NOT have a 6-pack - never mind a 4-pack or even a 2-pack...rocking the keg style honestly!

So I whipped these up a couple weeks ago with the assumption that A-Man was going to be disgusted and not eat them because Heaven forbid - they have a vegetable in it.

But you know what totally worked?!

I told him that a muffin is just a naked cupcake.  A muffin is the same thing as a cupcake but without the frosting and decorations.
He believed me.  Of course I believe it too and the fact that they're "muffins" means they're healthier and I can totally trick myself into thinking it's socially acceptable to devour three of them in one sitting as opposed to just one and calling it quits...

But anyway - to the muffin making!
*I apologize that the measurements are very "wing it" because that's how I really cook and bake.
** 1 cup is a Moomin coffee mug - so 0,4dl size if you want to be specific

What you need:

• 2 cups of grated/shredded carrots
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup each of: (make sure you sift the flours!)
• All-purpose flour
• oat flour
• oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp of baking soda
• ½ cup of melted butter
• ~1 cup of orange juice
• Lots of cinnamon
• Grated fresh ginger (to taste)
• Lots of honey
• Less than 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• Optional: raisins and shredded coconut
• I added the shredded coconut but didn't have raisins at home.
• Other option could be nuts
• Muffin pan
• Muffin liners (silicone or paper)
• Mixer (hand mixer or stand one)
• ************ It is also possible to do this with a silicone spatula or spoon instead!

What to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200*C (400*F) and line your muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
2. Mix together the eggs and melted butter.
3. Add the brown sugar, flours and oats.
4. Mix in the cinnamon, baking powder and soda and then add the carrots, orange juice and honey.  
5. Grate some ginger into the mix (and any other optional ingredients you might want to add!) and scoop mixture (it should be goopy and wet) into muffin tin.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes - be sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn and a tooth pick (or chopstick) should come out clean when inserted into the center.
7. Enjoy responsibly. :D
1. Some do so with tea, coffee or a glass of milk and some have them buttered too!
2. Some enjoy after a work-out.
3. Some have them for breakfast or as part of their packed lunch.
4. Some just stuff their faces with them and pop their kids mouths with them too for some peace and quiet for 5-minutes.

These were gone within a day! I was floored!  I will try to make them on the weekends and maybe do something bad ass like use zucchini too!

Just remember one thing out of all of this:

"A muffin is just a naked cupcake..."

Enjoy!
XO,
Dominique