These carrot and flaxseed muffins are a simple, nourishing snack made with wholesome ingredients including fresh carrot, banana, rolled oats, flaxseed meal, collagen powder and sultanas. Naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup, they’re soft, lightly spiced and perfect for morning tea alongside a cup of tea, an afternoon snack or something to take on the go.
With just under 8 g of protein and around 5 g of fibre per muffin, they’re a great way to add more fibre and plant-based ingredients into your day.
Why you'll love these muffins
Around 8 g protein per muffin
Around 5 g fibre per muffin
Made with rolled oats and flaxseed
Naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup
A simple way to add more fibre to your diet
Great for breakfast or a nourishing snack
Easy to prepare and meal-prep friendly
Carrot & Flaxseed for Gut Health
These muffins contain two great sources of dietary fibre: carrots and flaxseed.
Flaxseed meal contains both soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre can help support healthy bowel function, while the fibre in flaxseed can contribute to regularity and provide a source of fermentable fibre for beneficial gut bacteria.
Carrots also contribute fibre and contain a range of naturally occurring plant compounds, including carotenoids. Including a variety of colourful plant foods throughout the week is an important part of supporting a diverse and healthy gut microbiome.
The oats provide additional fibre, including beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre that can contribute to overall digestive and metabolic health.
Tip: If you're increasing your fibre intake, make sure you're also drinking enough water throughout the day.
Flaxseed & Women's Hormonal Health
Flaxseed is particularly interesting from a women's health and hormonal health perspective because it is one of the richest dietary sources of lignans, a group of plant compounds with phytoestrogenic activity.
Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant compounds that can interact with oestrogen receptors in the body. Flaxseed lignans are metabolised by gut bacteria into compounds called enterolignans, which have weak oestrogen-like and anti-oestrogenic effects.
Importantly, this doesn't mean that eating flaxseed simply "increases oestrogen". Rather, flaxseed lignans may modulate oestrogen activity, which is one reason flaxseed is often discussed in relation to women's hormonal health.
Flaxseed also provides fibre, healthy fats and other plant nutrients, making it a nutritious addition to a varied and balanced diet.
Why use ground flaxseed?
Using ground flaxseed meal in this recipe makes it easy to incorporate into your diet and allows the nutrients within the seed to be more readily accessed than with whole flaxseeds. It's also ideal for baking as it blends easily into the muffin mixture.
Ingredients
Makes approximately 6 muffins
1 medium carrot, grated and strained in a nut milk bag or clean Chux cloth
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 banana, mashed
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup soy milk or almond milk
2 serves unflavoured collagen powder
⅓ cup flaxseed meal
1 cup rolled oats, blended into flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp baking soda
50 g sultanas
Method
1. Prepare the carrot
Grate the carrot and squeeze out any excess moisture using a nut milk bag or clean Chux cloth. This helps prevent the muffins from becoming too wet.
2. Make the oat flour
Add the rolled oats to a blender or food processor and blend until they reach a fine, flour-like consistency.
3. Combine the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, mash the banana. Add the maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, milk and vanilla essence. Mix until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients
Add the oat flour, flaxseed meal, collagen powder and baking soda. Stir until just combined.
Fold through the grated carrot and sultanas.
5. Bake
Divide the mixture evenly between muffin cases or a greased muffin tin.
Bake at 190°C for 20–25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool before enjoying.
Storage
Store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy throughout the week. They can also be frozen, making them an easy option for meal prep.
Nutrition Focus
These carrot and flaxseed muffins are a great example of creating a nourishing snack from simple ingredients. Flaxseed, oats and carrot contribute fibre, while the collagen powder and other ingredients help boost the protein content.
With just under 8 g of protein and approximately 5 g of fibre per muffin, they can be a more satisfying alternative to many traditional sweet baked snacks.
For an even more balanced snack, enjoy a muffin alongside Greek-style yoghurt, a handful of nuts or another source of protein.