I love Halloween. The only other holiday that I love more than Halloween is Christmas, but who is counting really? The leaves are crunchy and colorful, it hasn’t quite snowed just yet, and everyone gets to dress up and eat candy! How fabulous is that?!
Well, my little monsters (or should I say Yoda and Batman) are very excited, obviously. These muffins are the perfect way to start the day before the parades and the plays and the assemblies and the trick or treating.
They’re sweet, yet they pack in some veggies, fruit and nuts in an unidentifiable, delicious, little, sweet-treat package. The pumpkin shaped maple butter is delectable and adorably fun for your little pumpkins. Fun is what Halloween is all about. I hope you enjoy your Halloween!
Carrot Muffins with Maple Butter for Halloween Morning
Carrot Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 pound carrots
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup corn oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Granny Smith apple
Preheat oven to 350°F. and spray eighteen half cup muffin cups.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk in sugar, in a large bowl. Coarsely shred enough carrots to measure 2 cups and chop pecans. Add shredded carrots and pecans to flour mixture with raisins and coconut and toss well.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Peel and core apple and coarsely shred. Stir shredded apple into egg mixture and add to flour mixture, stirring until batter is just combined well. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling them three fourths full, and bake in middle of oven until puffed and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool muffins in cups on racks 5 minutes before turning out onto racks to cool completely. Muffins keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.
Maple Butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup, warm
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- dash of grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 stick softened unsalted butter
- 1/2 stick softened salted butter
- 1 tablespoon softened cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, warm
- red and yellow food coloring, about 3 drops of each
Combine maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and brown sugar in blender and blend for five seconds. Add butters and cream cheese. Pulse in blender, adding milk one tablespoon at a time until butter reaches the consistency of yogurt. Add food coloring and pulse until blended. Spoon into pumpkin molds and place in freezer for ten minutes. Flip mold onto serving tray or cutting board and pop each pumpkin shaped butter out. Refrigerate until use. Serve with warm muffins or other fall breakfast favorites.
Source: Carrot Muffins
Wow, these look so great! I recently re-tried carrot cake and loved it, and ever since then I’ve been bookmarking every sweet carrot recipe I can get my hands on. I’ll definitely be trying these out soon!
They look so tasty and festive – my kids would love them!
Me too I love Halloween because it’s my birthday! Hehee. =) I love the carrot muffins and maple butter makes it even more tasty… I love that mold!
I made these recently and we all liked them. They weren’t as sweet as I expected them to be so they were probably much better for us than the carrot cake cupcakes I usually make
Love these muffins! And the perfect healthy after school snack before all the candy begins!
These sound so good with the coconut in them! Love maple butter & so cute shaped like pumpkins!
Mmmmmm, Kate! These sound amazing…and a nice switch from all the pumpkin (though I love that, too!).
i love carrot desserts but that maple butter may cause a serious addiction!
Kate…these muffins are gorgeous…I can’t wait till Halloween to have these. And that maple butter would be perfect with so many other things! Very clever to put it in a mold! I bet your kids just loved this!
What a perfect Halloween breakfast! My boys will loves these not to mention me
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Ohmigosh I love the pumpking butter! How adorable is that?! These are fabulous muffins too, so yummy
Delicious! Like the use of the coconut! and then that maple butter…. mmmmmm!
These look delicious! Your butter mould is adorable! Tell Batman and Yoda hello from me!
I’m looking forward to trying these, they sound very moist.
Those look beyond amazing! I would love to devour one of these right now!
I love Halloween. I also think I’m going to love these muffins, although I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait another couple of weeks to make them!
Oh yum, that maple butter sounds so good and perfect for these muffins. My kids are all wild about halloween too!
Get out – those are too darn cute! I think my son would love to wake up Halloween morning to these. Love your pics too!
Those are enormous muffins! Love the idea of the maple butter, Kate. Have a super weekend. TTYL
You are talking my language, girlfriend!
I love the addition of coconut & apple that you have made to the carrot muffins…interesting!