Carrot & pecan muffins

Based on the flavours of carrot cake, these have a surprise ingredient – cannellini beans! They add a lovely texture and help provide 1 of your 5 a day

Prep:10 mins
Cook:20 mins

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 209
fat 9g
saturates 1g
carbs 22g
sugars 11g
fibre 5g
protein 7g
salt 0.3g

Ingredients

2 x 400g can cannellini beans in water, drained
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g porridge oats
4 large eggs
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest 1 large orange
170g carrot, coarsely grated
100g raisins
80g pecan halves, 12 reserved, the rest roughly chopped
2 tsp baking powder

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Tip the beans into a bowl and add the cinnamon, oats, eggs, oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and orange zest. Blitz with a hand blender until really smooth – the beans and oats should be ground down as much as possible.
Stir in the carrot, raisins, chopped pecans and baking powder, and mix well. Spoon into the muffin cases – use a large ice cream scoop if you have one, to get nice even muffins.
Top each muffin with a reserved pecan and bake for 20 mins until set and light brown. Cool on a wire rack. Will keep in the fridge for a few days, or freeze for 6 weeks; thaw at room temperature.