We have been happily juicing since August (more on that soon) but I hate it that all of the pulp goes to feed the chickens or the compost pile. Better than the trash can, yes, but I keep thinking that we should be using it. The past few weeks, I have been segregating my carrot pulp from the rest and have been experimenting with muffins. It took a few batches to get it right, but I think we have finally achieved a winner! Since I am worried that I am going to loose the sheet of paper that my notes are written on, I thought I would share on the blog.
Carrot Pulp, Cranberry Muffins
- 1 large banana, well mashed
- 2 c. carrot pulp, any large chunks removed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp olive or melted coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup cranberries (we use frozen)
Mix wet ingredients well. Add in dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Batter will be very thick. Stir in cranberries and fill muffin pan. Be sure to grease pan if you do not use paper liners. Fill muffin cups nearly full. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
And now a few notes and the picture how to:
- I wanted a recipe that mixed the grain free "flour" options. I do not love coconut flour only baked goods and almond flour is so expensive not to mention extremely nutrient dense. The carrot pulp is also quite dry and functions somewhat like a flour in this mix. The cranberries add moisture as the muffins bake.
- Grain free recipes tend to be more dense and do not rise much. Because we are starch free, we cannot use baking powder.
- I think that some sunflower seeds, walnuts or pecans would be a lovely addition. However, I am met with resistance from a few children.
- Ginger would likely be a nice addition, however, it contains starch. We will test this soon and hopefully ginger can migrate into the safe category.
- Of note for anyone strictly starch free, the banana is also to be avoided in a strict non-starch diet. We eliminated them for a while, but it seems that they are not problematic. The riper the banana, the less starch it will contain.
Batter:
Before baking:
Finished baking. They do rise a little and might even pass for a grain filled muffin, but so much better for you!
My favorite baking cups! These brands of unbleached liners are much like using parchment paper. Baked goods do not stick much, if all to the paper. I can't decide which brand I like better. Beyond Gourmet fit in the pan better, but if you attempt to pull a hot muffin out, they stick a bit, much like normal paper liners. The If You Care brand is amazing at how it does not stick to the muffin AT ALL! However, they are oddly shaped, almost as if they are stretched out and then bunch up in the muffin pan and create a gap in an otherwise perfect muffin. I thought it was just a bad box that I bought on clearance but it has been quite consistent of every box used since.
The flours mix nicely to create a very palatable texture.
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