Juicy Carrot Cake Treats (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups flour (try mixing equal parts whole wheat and all-purpose for a nicer bite)
02 - 2 teaspoons baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 cup oats, divided (part for lining bottoms, rest for sprinkling on top)

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
08 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 1/2 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
10 - 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
11 - 3 large eggs, brought to room temperature
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins

13 - 2 cups carrots, finely shredded
14 - 1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
15 - 1/2 cup plump raisins
16 - 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

# Instructions:

01 - Warm your oven to 350°F and put a rack in the middle. Get your muffin tin ready with paper liners or a light coat of cooking spray. Scatter some oats at the bottom of each liner to make the muffins extra special.
02 - Take a medium bowl and stir the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together. Put it aside for later.
03 - In a big bowl, mix the brown sugar and coconut oil. Throw in the yogurt and apple sauce, then beat for a minute till it's all mixed up. Don't worry if it looks a bit runny and grainy. Add eggs one by one, making sure each one's fully mixed in before adding another. Stir in the vanilla.
04 - Now comes the tricky part. Use a spatula to fold the dry stuff into the wet stuff gently. Don't mix too much or your muffins will end up tough. Once the flour's mixed in, add your carrots, coconut, raisins, and walnuts. Your batter should be pretty thick.
05 - Share the batter evenly between all the muffin cups. Sprinkle the leftover oats on top of each muffin for a homemade look. If you want, throw some extra coconut on top too.
06 - Put your muffin tin in the hot oven and bake for around 20-23 minutes. They're done when you stick a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean or just a bit moist. Let them sit in the pan for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

# Notes:

01 - These muffins stay super moist because of the yogurt and applesauce combo, which also cuts down on how much oil you need.
02 - After lots of testing, I've found 2/3 cup of coconut oil works best, but you can bump it up to 3/4 cup if you want them even softer.
03 - You can easily freeze these treats! Just cool them down completely, wrap each one on its own, and they'll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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