Sweet pineapple and carrot give these muffins plenty of flavour, while a touch of spice adds warmth. Soft, fruity and easy to bake, they're perfect with a cup of tea, tucked into lunchboxes or enjoyed as an afternoon treat through the week.
Adjust servings before adding ingredients to your shopping list. Cooking times are a guide and may need to be adjusted if you change the serving size.
12
servings
200gcarrots, peeled and chopped
120gself-raising flour
½tspbicarbonate of soda
2tspground cinnamon
105gwholemeal self-raising flour
50gsunflower seeds
150mlsunflower oil
100gcaster sugar
180gcanned pineapple pieces, drained (reserve the juice) and diced
2tbspreserved pineapple juice
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
Method
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Prepare the carrots and allow to cool. Boil the carrots for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain well, mash until smooth and leave to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 190°C / 170° Fan / Gas 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Make the muffinsIn a large bowl, sift together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Stir in the wholemeal flour and sunflower seeds.
In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the sunflower oil and sugar. Add the cooled mashed carrot, pineapple pieces, reserved pineapple juice, egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together gently until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
SMART notes & tips
Don't have sunflower seeds? Chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds work well too.
We've given this recipe a healthier twist, but it will still contribute a fair amount of sugar and saturated fat. Enjoy every mouthful, stick to the recommended portion size and save it for occasional treats or special occasions.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrient
Amount
% RI
Energy
1,119 kJ / 268 kcal
13%
Total Fat
15.0 g
21%
Saturated Fat
2.0 g
10%
Sugars
12.0 g
13%
Fibre
1.9 g
6%
Protein
7.1 g
14%
Salt
0.3 g
4%
%RI: Recommended Intake (RI) values are based on the daily needs of an average adult consuming 8400kJ/2000kcal. Fibre recommendations are based on the UK guideline intake of 30g fibre per day.
180gcanned pineapple pieces, drained (reserve the juice) and diced
2tbspreserved pineapple juice
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
200gcarrots, peeled and chopped
1
Prepare the carrots and allow to cool. Boil the carrots for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain well, mash until smooth and leave to cool slightly.
2
Preheat oven to 190°C / 170° Fan / Gas 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
120gself-raising flour
½tspbicarbonate of soda
2tspground cinnamon
105gwholemeal self-raising flour
50gsunflower seeds
3
Make the muffinsIn a large bowl, sift together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Stir in the wholemeal flour and sunflower seeds.
150mlsunflower oil
100gcaster sugar
180gcanned pineapple pieces, drained (reserve the juice) and diced
2tbspreserved pineapple juice
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
4
In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the sunflower oil and sugar. Add the cooled mashed carrot, pineapple pieces, reserved pineapple juice, egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
5
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together gently until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases.
6
Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
