Name: Carrot Muffins
Yield: Makes 12
Ingredients: 1 cup raw walnuts or pecans; 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour; ½ cup (70 g) whole wheat flour; 2 tsp. baking powder; ¼ tsp. baking soda; 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon; ¾ tsp. ground ginger; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 large eggs; 1 cup unsweetened applesauce; ⅔ cup (packed; 133 g) light brown sugar; ½ cup vegetable oil; 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest; 2 medium carrots (about 5 oz.), peeled, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1½ cups); ½ cup golden raisins; Hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseed, and/or sesame seeds (for topping; optional); A 12-cup standard muffin pan and 12 muffin liners

Six carrot muffins on a white plate one with butter slathered in the center.

Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano. Prop Styling by Maeve Sheridan and Molly Longwell

This is the wholesome fruit- and veggie-packed carrot muffin you’ll be thankful to have around on busy mornings when you need breakfast to go. It’s inspired by the signature add-ins of a good morning glory muffin, such as nuts, raisins, lots of grated carrots, and warm spices like cinnamon and ginger. The whole wheat flour and unsweetened applesauce keep this carrot muffin recipe squarely in breakfast (and out of dessert) territory—sorry, cream cheese frosting, you’re needed elsewhere. Be sure to use pure applesauce with no added sugar, otherwise the muffins will be too sweet. If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, by all means bust it out to make quick work of shredding the carrots. —Christina Chaey