Lunchbox Harvest Muffins

Lunchbox Harvest Muffins

These diminutive muffins make the rotation at least twice a week in my daughter's lunchbox. Although they are filled with plenty of good-for-you ingredients (whole-wheat flour, olive oil, apple and grated vegetables), they are moist and just sweet enough to ensure that they don’t end up coming back home, which is the sad fate of many a salami sandwich.

Yield: About 2½ dozen mini-muffins (or 1 dozen regular muffins)

140 grams (1⅛ cups) whole-wheat pastry flour

5 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

½ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

70 grams (⅓ cup) packed dark brown sugar

1 small apple, grated, and juices reserved (½ cup)

½ cup grated carrots or butternut squash or parsnips

½ cup grated zucchini or beets

55 grams (⅓ cup) raisins

40 grams (½ cup) unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini-muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, honey, brown sugar, grated apple and juices and grated vegetables.

Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the raisins and coconut.

Fill each muffin cup ¾ of the way up, and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes for mini-muffins and about 20 to 22 minutes for regular muffins. The muffins are finished baking when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

TIP: I make these about once a week now. Very forgiving recipe -- I've messed with it all kinds of ways: Used regular flour instead of whole wheat, all carrots for the veg (and all zucchini too), accidentally doubled the amount of veggies, on-purpose doubled the amount of raisins, and skipped the coconut. It's always come out fine. And my kids vacuum them up.

I took the olive oil down to 1/3 cup and the brown sugar down to 1/4 cup and they were delicious and moist. Thank you!

Added 2 overripe bananas, vanilla, omitted the sugar and halved the oil, and baked in a loaf pan. Totally delicious!!!

Delicious and moist muffins! To add some warmth and spice, I also added 1/2 a teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon of cloves. I also substituted the raisins for walnuts and crystallized ginger!