How to make healthy carrot and apple muffins

These fruity bakes are about as healthy as sweet treats get, says Katie Wright

These muffins will leave you feeling full without a blood sugar spike (Luke Albert/PA)

These muffins are naturally sweetened by the grated carrot, apple and cinnamon,” says functional nutritionist Pauline Cox.

“This fibre fest will keep you feeling full and satisfied without a blood-sugar spike.”

Carrot and apple muffins

Makes: 12

Ingredients:

90g coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing

5 eggs

375g ground almonds

150g sultanas

90g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped, plus a few extra to serve

3 tsp baking powder

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

375g carrots, grated

375g apples, grated (green apples for a lower carb content)

Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

Coconut or natural yoghurt, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan and grease a 12-hole muffin tin.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and combine with the melted coconut oil.

3. Add the ground almonds, sultanas, walnuts or pecans, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to the liquid egg mix, along with the grated carrots and apples and mix together to form a thick batter. Add in a quarter of the lemon juice (use the rest in drinking water) and half of the lemon zest.

4. Spoon the thick mixture into your greased muffin tray. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

5. Serve with a dollop of coconut or natural yoghurt, a pecan or a walnut and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest.

‘Hungry Woman’ by Pauline Cox (Ebury Press, £27).