Berry delicious breakfast muffins

Get a load of these goodness-packed breakfast muffins, perfect to start your day - these delicious, light raspberry and coconut muffins, with the hidden goodness of carrot and a crunchy, chocolate granola topping, are the answer. 

And the granola is so good, you could make extra and sprinkle it on yoghurt or ice cream for a quick dessert!

Benefits of these nutritious ingredients

Bowel and blood sugar

• With a well-balanced nutrient profile and full of fibre (with beta-glucans), oats help keep you regular, as well as being good for cholesterol and heart health.
• As a good source of fibre, electrolytes and minerals, such as manganese and selenium, coconut is low in carbs and high in soluble fibre and fat, so it can help stabilise your blood sugar as well as help with healthy bowel function.
• Raspberries are a great source of fibre, packing 8 g per cup.
• Known for their high amounts of betacarotene, carrots are also a great source of fibre with pectin being their main form of soluble fibre.
• Soluble fibres can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down your digestion of sugar and starch. They also feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, which promotes regular bowel movements and improved health.

Free radicals and fats

• Antioxidants neutralise free radicals, which are unstable and damaging chemicals in our bodies. These breakfast muffins are packed full of protective antioxidants from the raspberries, coconut and carrots.
• While the coconut flesh is also high in essential fats in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are useful because the body converts them more easily into energy, that it can use quickly, compared with other sources of fat that we then tend to store.

Ingredients

For the muffins:

• 1⅓ cups (160 g) oat flour 
• ¾ cup (95 g) coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ⅓ cup (70 g) coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup (100 g) grated carrot (approx. 1 medium/large carrot)
• ⅓ cup (25 g) shredded coconut
• 1 cup (120 g) frozen raspberries

For the chocolate granola topping:

• ⅓ cup (30 g) rolled oats
• ⅓ cup (20 g) coconut flakes
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder 
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 15 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped 
• 1 teaspoon cacao nibs (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced), and line a muffin tray with 9 muffin papers. 
2. In a small bowl, make the chocolate granola topping by stirring all the granola ingredients together until well combined. Set aside. 
3. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the oat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined. 
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and maple syrup. Then stir into the dry mixture, along with the coconut oil, until no dry lumps remain. 
5. Stir through the grated carrot and shredded coconut, and then fold through ⅔ of the raspberries, keeping ⅓ of the raspberries for topping the muffins. 
6. Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, divide the mixture amongst the 9 muffin papers, filling each paper to around ¾ full. 
7. Divide the remaining raspberries amongst the muffins, placing them gently on top, and sprinkle the top of each muffin with a scant tablespoon of chocolate granola topping. 
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 28-30 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. 
9. Cool and eat! Muffins keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and the granola will keep in an airtight jar for up to a week.

Makes 9.