Apple Carrot Muffins

Apple Carrot Muffins

1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 lovely tart green apple, peeled, cored, shredded

2 large carrots, peeled, shredded

2/3 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in apple, carrots and coconut. In another bowl, combine sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients, stirring sparingly. Spray 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Divide batter among the 12 cups (about 1/3 cup batter in each cup). Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Delicious served warm or cold.

These are wonderful muffins and are tasty and delicious just like this. However....you can make them a bit more spectacular by topping with a bit of Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. Maybe with the frosting it's a cupcake. Who can really tell the difference anyway. =)

This is possibly a crazy question for some, but perhaps not for others of you. Are 12 muffins too many for you? We all know that baked goods are the very best the day they are baked. So soft, warm and fabulous. The next day they are good, but not as good as day one. If you want to make these muffins but can't use them all right away, FREEZE THEM!! 

To freeze these muffins, first of all don't frost them. After they are mostly cool, put each still slightly warm muffin in a separate sandwich bag. These don't have to be the zip kind, the fold over kind work just fine. Or you could wrap each with a piece of plastic wrap. I just think the fold over sandwich bags are so handy for this. Then place the individually wrapped muffins together in a gallon freezer bag, preferably in a single layer. Freeze until you desire a lovely warm muffin. (But eat them within 3 or 4 weeks.)

Just pull one (or as many as you like), let thaw and then warm for a few seconds in the microwave! Mmmmm...almost as good as day one. And definitely better than day two. =D

Oh! And if you want yours frosted....the frosting will keep in the refrigerator for 
about 2 weeks. Be sure to let it soften up before you try to spread it.


I froze some of these muffins and then pulled them from my freezer along with a frozen pan of Baked Chicken in Gravy from Dinner is Ready. I put this in the oven and then served it with Tortellini Spinach Salad from On the Side. Baked Chicken in Gravy with Tortellini Spinach Salad and topped off with Apple Carrot Muffins. What a lovely dinner!


Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter
4 ounces cream cheese (half of an 8 ounce block)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 tablespoons cream (or milk)

Allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix into butter and cream cheese. Add cream a little at a time, until frosting is smooth and fluffy. Frost muffins or cupcakes, or something else yummy! 

Dinner is Ready