A Delicious Remedy for Ravenousness

Carrot Raisin Bran Muffins … because they taste better than my arm

I’m not one of those people who can eat a big meal and feel full for hours on end. Typically, I eat a small meal and then become ravenous after about two or three hours. If I am forced to go without food for four or more hours, things can get ugly. I might even start gnawing on my own arm. That’s why I take one of these muffins with me wherever I go.

I’ve tried a variety of muffin recipes, and this one has become my snacking staple. As you will see from the ingredient list, these muffins are chock-full of fiber. Fiber lightweights be warned!

Carrot Raisin Bran Muffins (aka Fiber Bombs)
(Modified ever so slightly from a dash of sass)

Ingredients

Dry:

• ½ cup oat bran
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup flax seeds, ground with a mortar and pestle (or use something less primitive if you have it)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt

Wet:

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup honey

Chunky:

• 1 ½ cups carrots, peeled and grated
• ½ cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Using a food processor, grate the carrots. Set them aside with the raisins.
4. Blend the bananas in a food processor until they are creamy. Add the eggs, honey, and vanilla and pulse a couple of times to combine.
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Don’t overmix!
6. Gently fold in the carrots and raisins.
7. Plop the batter into a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. (Sorry, Pam. There’s no need for nonstick spray.) You should have enough batter to fill each cup almost to the top.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool muffins on a wire rack.

Edibility Evaluation

It’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of these muffins. Now, keep in mind that these little “fiber bombs” are not light and fluffy. But I think they have a nice flavor and texture, and they are the perfect remedy for my 3pm blood sugar plunge. I give them a flattering 4.5 on the edibility scale. Bill loves the way these smell in the oven, but he doesn’t get as excited about healthy muffins as I do. He gives them a solid 3.0.

Notes

• Unlike most baked goods, these taste better to me after they have cooled to room temperature. They also come out of their paper wrappers more easily once they’ve cooled.
• These muffins freeze well. I usually freeze most of the batch and take one out in the morning so that it thaws in time for my afternoon snack.