Jessica’s Carrot Blueberry Muffins
For many with IC, desserts or sweeter foods become one of the first things to “go” due to the nature of their ingredients. That doesn’t mean however that there aren’t fantastic options and recipes available. A lot of IC patients find that the acid in many fruits, especially citrus is too bothersome (painful) for them to handle. This leaves very few options as most fruits are naturally high in various forms of acid. Two options that many are able to handle with relative ease are pears and blueberries. In the recipe I created below I have used blueberry yoghurt, but fresh or frozen blueberries could easily be added and the yoghurt switched to plain or another flavour. If dairy is a concern this can be made with soy yoghurt, or goat’s milk yoghurt.
I have recommended unbleached flour (organic if you can find it), but regular flour is okay too. As I find egg yolks bother my IBS (irritable Bowel Syndrome) this recipe uses egg whites instead, if eggs aren’t a problem for you them replace the whites with 2 smaller sized eggs. The carrot gives it extra vitamins and flavour, as well as being tolerated by most ICers. The ginger really kicks this recipe up, but is not too over powering, plus it is helpful for IBS.
This quick recipe is great for breakfast, desserts or snacks any time of the day.
Jessica’s Carrot Blueberry Muffins
1 cup grated, peeled carrots
1 small (175 gram) “cup” of blueberry yoghurt
¼ cup olive oil
5 tbsp liquid egg white
1 ½ cup unbleached, all purpose flour
¾ cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp ground ginger powder
¼ tsp salt (can be omitted)
Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl and mix well; coating the carrots thoroughly. Combine and sift all the dry ingredients together, stir into the wet ingredients. Mix well, but do not over stir as this can result in chewy muffins.
Bake at 350º for about 13-18 minutes, in paper cup lined muffin tins. The muffins are done when a tooth pick inserted into the centre comes out clean, and the tops are slightly golden. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or alternatively they can be frozen and keep for about 2 months. Enjoy!
Makes 12-15 muffins