Cinnamon, Carrot, and Maca Muffins

Got Stress? Try Maca Powder! My tasty Cinnamon, Carrot, and Maca Muffins have a special place in my heart. I especially enjoy eating them sitting on my patio in the morning with a steamy cup of coffee. These potent, gluten-free breakfast muffins get a boost from maca powder to energize you in the morning. You can make them ahead of time or whip up the batter for baking the night before, then pop them in the oven when you get up and enjoy the warming smell of cinnamon spice wafting through the house as you get ready for your day. I like to make a double batch, freeze them, and thaw for a quick breakfast or snack.

Here’s all the ingredients you will need:

– Unrefined coconut oil cooking spray (if not using paper liners)
– 1 cup cup-for-cup replacement gluten-free flour blend, such as Steve’s GF Cake Flour
– 2 teaspoons maca powder
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
– 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
– 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
– 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
– 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
– 2 large eggs, at room temperature
– 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and still warm
– 1⁄2 cup liquid honey
– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
– 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
– 11⁄2 cups (61⁄2 ounces) shredded carrots
– 1⁄2 cup raisins
– 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 10 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease them with cooking spray.
Sift the gluten-free flour blend, maca, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then gradually pour in the warm melted butter and whisk to combine. Add the honey and whisk until the ingredients are blended. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and whisk to combine.
Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon
until just combined. Add the carrots and stir briefly to combine, then add the raisins and walnuts and stir until well blended
and the batter has a loose consistency. (At this point, the batter may be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Allow the batter to come to room temperature before baking fresh in the morning.)

Fill the muffin cups to 1⁄4 inch from the top (these muffins don’t rise very much) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and just firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Release the muffins by running a small metal spatula or knife along the inside edge of each muffin cup, then place the muffins on the rack to cool completely.

The muffins will keep, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Swap It Out!

Substitute coconut oil for the butter to make these muffins dairy-free. Melt the coconut oil and let it cool until just warm before whisking it into the eggs.

The Magic of Maca: Maca is a plant that comes from high in the Andes mountains, where it has been used as a food and medicine for thousands of years. What I like best about this superfood is that it’s an adaptogen, meaning that it helps us naturally adapt to the stressors in our lives. It is mineral- and nutrient-rich and high in antioxidants, and it contains more calcium than milk. It also helps restore hormonal balance and gives us more stamina and energy—who couldn’t use that!** You’ll generally find maca in powder form- liquid and supplements are also available. It has an earthy, nutty, slightly sweet and mild taste, making it easy to add in small amounts to pretty much any recipe without being detected. You can sprinkle it into muffin batter, as we do here, use it in your smoothies, mix it into breakfast cereal and even add it to desserts.

For more delicious healthy recipes from my table to yours, purchase my cookbook Food For Life. I would love to hear what your favorite recipe is – please take a few minutes to add comments and rate my book! #FoodForLifeBook #LailaAliLifestyle #YouPlenish

**Note that physicians do not recommend maca for people with hormone- sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or prostate cancer, and it is recommended that pregnant and nursing mothers avoid it, as there isn’t sufficient evidence as to whether it is safe for them.