Description

These Wholesome Cinnamon Breakfast Muffins are packed with nutritious ingredients like shredded carrot, Granny Smith apple, walnuts, and raisins, infused with warm cinnamon and ginger spices. Baked to perfection with wholemeal flour and lightly sweetened with brown sugar, they make a delicious and healthy breakfast or snack treat with a moist, tender crumb and a hint of spice.

Ingredients

Scale

Nuts and Fruits

3/4 cup walnuts (or other nuts)
2 cups (lightly packed) shredded carrot (2 – 3 carrots, not peeled)
1 1/4 cups (lightly packed) shredded Granny Smith apple (including juices, about 1 apple, skin on)
3/4 cup raisins (or sultanas, apricots or other dried fruit)

Dry Ingredients

1/2 cup desiccated coconut (finely shredded, unsweetened)
2 cups wholemeal flour (or wholewheat flour, or plain/all-purpose flour)
1 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda)
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
3/4 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)

Wet Ingredients

3 large eggs (room temperature, ~50g/2 oz each)
2/3 cup olive oil (not extra virgin, or canola oil or liquid coconut oil)
1/4 cup orange juice (or any fruit juice or milk)

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) or 170°C (340°F) fan-forced for even baking.
Toast Walnuts: Spread the walnuts on a baking tray and toast in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then roughly chop into 5mm pieces.
Prepare Muffin Tin: Lightly spray a 12-hole standard muffin tin with oil or line with muffin cases for easy removal.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together wholemeal flour, baking soda, cinnamon powder, ground ginger, cooking salt, brown sugar, desiccated coconut, shredded carrot, shredded apple, raisins, and chopped walnuts until evenly combined.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, olive oil, and orange juice until thoroughly combined.
Combine and Stir: Pour the wet ingredients and all the add-ins into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon just until no flour is visible; avoid over-mixing to keep the muffins tender.
Fill Muffin Tin: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin holes; the mixture will mound over the top but will bake into domed muffins.
Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool: Allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool for at least an additional 5 minutes before serving.
Serve: Enjoy warm with softened salted butter if desired for an extra delicious touch.

Notes

Use a box grater for shredding carrots and apple; peeling the carrot is optional.
Baking soda ensures proper rise and light texture.
Ground ginger adds subtle warmth but is not essential.
Use a mild olive oil, canola oil, or liquid coconut oil instead of extra virgin olive oil to avoid strong flavors.
Orange juice can be substituted with any fruit juice or milk for moisture.
Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins.
Using an ice cream scoop helps distribute batter evenly into muffin tins.
Toasting nuts enhances their flavor and crunch.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: cinnamon muffin recipe, healthy breakfast muffins, carrot apple muffins, wholemeal muffins, nutty cinnamon muffins