Beet, Carrot & Date Blender Muffins

If you are looking to incorporate more beets and carrots into your little ones diet in the form of a portable muffin, I’ve got you covered! Not only are these delicious, but the bright pink color makes them feel extra special and my little toddler absolutely loves these! They are naturally sweetened with dates and we use sprouted oat flour to hold these muffins together. If you can’t find sprouted oat flour, regular oat flour will work just fine. The main reason I choose sprouted flour is because it’s easier to digest and contains more bioavailable nutrients. But like I said, the texture and flavor of the muffins will turn out the same with un-sprouted flour.

If you’re worried that your little one won’t like the earthy flavor of the beets don’t fret! The flavor is really subtle here and this could be a great way to slowly introduce them. The sweet carrots are a lovely addition along with dates and applesauce. I hope you and your family love these as much as we do! The muffins are easy to whip up because everything gets tossed into a high speed blender and you just whirl away! Can’t be that!

Before I jump to the recipe I’ll break down some of the awesome nutrients these muffins have!

Beets are chock full of antioxidants which help the body ward of disease. They also have anit-inflamatory properties and can help promote blood flow. They have potassium and are a great source of fiber!

Carrots are also extremely high in antioxidants and offer a variety of vitamins and minerals. One serving of carrots offers 73% of your daily value of vitamin A!

Apples are one of natures best medicines. They are a good source of fiber and vitamin C. They contain polyphenols which are plant compounds that help boost digestion, brain health, as well as protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers.

Dates provide a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants along with plenty of fiber. They are a whole food which means they can be substituted for white sugar in recipes due to their sweet taste but they’ll offer more nutrients, fiber and antioxidants.

Almond Butter is high in monounsaturated fats which help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. It also contains omega 3 fatty acids and a bit of protein.

Oat Flour contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s also loaded with plenty of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, and phosphorus to name a few.

Eggs are pretty much the perfect whole food in my opinion. They are loaded with protein and contain more vitamins, minerals and amino acids than any other food calorie per calorie.

Alright- now that we’ve covered some of the nutrients in these muffins let’s get cooking!

CARROT, BEET & DATE Blender Muffins

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES    COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES    SERVES: 10 MUFFINS

• 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about 4 or 5 dates)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt

• 1/4 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup oat flour (sprouted if possible)

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup shredded carrots (raw) plus additional for topping

• 1/2 cup shredded beets (raw) plus additional for topping

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with parchment liners (or grease your muffin tin)

2. Soak the dates in a bowl of boiling water for 5 minutes to really soften them up.

3. Add the soaked dates to a high speed blender or food processor along with the applesauce, yogurt, almond butter, egg and vanilla extract. Blend on high until the mixture comes together and the dates blend up a bit. Add the remainder of the ingredients and blend on high until well combined.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins and top each muffin with additional carrots/beets and bake in the oven until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin. About 20-25 minutes.

5. Serve with a smear of good quality butter or drizzle the tops with more nut butter if desired.

6. Store muffins in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Gently reheat in the oven or let them come to room temperature before enjoying.

Notes

*Cooking times will vary from kitchen to kitchen. Sprouted oat flour can be found at some grocery stores or online.