My man and I just celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary last month.
Nine! Where did time go?
I am utterly surprised that my husband still looks at me with amazingly bright eyes and is still in love with me. For some reason he likes being married to a neurotic woman with an obsession for ketchup and oatmeal. Not together…separate. Anyways I digress, I really think I got the better end of the deal. He is definitely the best thing that has ever happened to me. Well, except at 5am when he sings random songs like “Highway to Hell” or “Baby Got Back”. (Really…we should have no singing rules until well after 8am, right? Right? or at LEAST after coffee!)
But honestly, anniversaries like this remind me that time is passing so quickly. I hope that I can breathe in as many details of my life and not take things for granted. I want to laugh more and not take things so seriously. (Except the singing before 8am…I take that very seriously.)
For our anniversary, my husband got me a Vitamix (the ridiculously amazing and over-the-top blender that does everything that you ever imagined, including make creamy nut butter, process ice cream, puree smooooooth soups, grind fine flours, clean your house, complement your hair, and check your email). This blender is sheer madness!!!! She’s like a personal assistant…that is also your best friend and doesn’t annoy you…ever.
What was one of the first things I did with my Vitamix? No smoothies. I made oat flour and then made carrot and apple muffins. Ya, you heard me…muffins. Real muffins, not smoothie muffins. Well…I didn’t bake the muffins in the Vitamix. C’mon! Ridiculous. That’s the next version…the easy bake Vitamix.
I created these quick gluten-free carrot and apple muffins by placing chunks of carrots and apples in the bottom of the high-speed blender and slowly processing them until they were finely shredded. It took 15 seconds! SECONDS! And you save your fingers! This step could also be done in a food processor, or with a grater. But it won’t take 15 seconds….maybe 1 minute more. Not bad at all.
The resulting muffins are moist and delicate. They are perfect for breakfast. You could even top them with a cream cheese frosting and serve them as cupcakes for dessert. I will definitely be turning this recipe into a cake soon. Especially since I can cut down the prep time with my blender!
Needless to say, although I thought that these high-speed blenders were a bit over the top, I’m not complaining that this beauty is now sitting on my counter waiting for me to make my next magical concoction.
Gluten Free Carrot-Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 medium apples, cored and cut into eighths
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter), melted
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup oat flour (from ground gluten-free rolled oats)
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup walnut pieces
Instruction
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place muffin liners in 9 cups of a muffin tin. Set aside.
- Place carrots and apples in the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender. Process on low until carrot and apple are diced into fine pieces. Add eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, greek yogurt, and vanilla to food processor or blender. Process or pulse until everything is well mixed.
- Place all dry ingredients (except walnuts) in a separate large bowl and whisk together. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients in the large bowl. Stir all together until just mixed and no dry ingredients remain. Stir in walnuts.
- Spoon about 1/4-cup portions into each muffin tin liner. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350F, or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the center of a muffin. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 days. May be frozen for up to 3 months.
Note – Recipe adapted from Edible Perspectives.
BIG EATS tiny kitchen 
Love your recipes and so does everyone I make them for. I got a vitamix last year.. Love it! So glad you got one! Can’t wait for your new vitamix recipes!!
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Awe! Thanks. Haha. Me too. It’s like a new toy!!!
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Happy anniversary, and what a great, all-purpose present! I didn’t want the vitamix because I’m not fond of smoothies, but knowing it can handle muffin mixes may make me reconsider. 🙂 The muffins look great.
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Thanks, Ngan! It’s a pretty crazy blender. I also LOVE my pro food processor. It handles nearly everything I need. The Vitamix is a champ, though, for grinding flours, nut butters, and smooth soups. Much better than a food processor. It’s going to be fun experimenting with it.
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