Banana Carrot Muffins for #ImprovCookingChallenge

For this month's #ImprovCookingChallenge we were given the ingredients of  Carrots and Cinnamon combine in a recipe. As usual, the options were endless but I've had a lot of bananas to use up and found these muffins and thought they would be a great treat to try out in our kitchen! 

Find our group on Facebook if you're interested in joining in the fun; Nicole from Cookaholic Wife hosts our group! 

These had a little bit of a chewy texture, but I loved the spices in them, and they get tons of moisture from the mix of bananas and shredded carrots. There's definitely a hint of carrot cake to them, but they are definitely a hybrid! You could bring that out more with a cream cheese glaze on top to add a little extra sweetness. 

Let's see what everyone else is sharing today!

El Salvadorian Pollo en Chicha by Pandemonium Noshery

Banana Carrot Muffins by Making Miracles

Curry Roasted Carrots by Palatable Pastime

Glazed Carrots With Cinnamon & Honey by Sneha’s Recipe

Candied Carrot Coffee Cake by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats by Cookaholic Wife

Want some other Banana or Carrot ideas? Here are a few more ideas you'll find on the blog:

• Banana Cream Cheesecake
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Breakfast Casserole
• Surprise Inside Carrot Bundt Cake
• Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
• Five Banana Bread
• Parmesan Roasted Carrots
• Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Banana Carrot Muffins

Ingredients
1 ¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder 
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs             
1 cup mashed banana 
⅓ cup olive oil
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups freshly grated carrots     
old-fashioned rolled oats, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, or line with cupcake liners.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend your bananas until well combined and mashed, add in the eggs on medium speed, then the oil and maple syrup. Add in the vanilla extract last and stir in the grated carrots by hand.
4. Gently mix the wet ingredients into your dry ingredients, just until combined.
5. Divide batter into the prepared tin, sprinkle the tops with oats (if desired).
6. Bake for about 20 - 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
7. Move to a cooling rack and cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before turning out and completing cooling. Serve warm with a little butter or a smear of cream cheese!

Recipe from Cook Nourish Bliss