Over the years, many studies have touted the vegan diet for diabetes prevention and treatment. But there’s more to it than simply cutting out dairy, eggs, and meat. According to Brenda Davis, RD, you must truly embrace a plant-based diet. This means packing in nutrients, and leaving out sweeteners, refined flours, and oil. She believes whole food recipes like this one, for Healthy Carrot Spice Muffins, are the key to stabilizing blood sugar levels, reversing diabetes, and maintaining wellness.
Healthy Carrot Spice Muffins Free of Dairy, Eggs, Gluten, Oil, and Sugar
This recipe is a sample from The Kick Diabetes Cookbook by Brenda Davis andVesanto Melina, MS, RD. It’s made purely with simple, wholesome foods, and is void of added sugars, sweeteners, oil, or any other refined ingredients.
Brenda actually has two books out, The Kick Diabetes Cookbook, which she co-authored, and Kick Diabetes Essentials, which she wrote on her own. The former contains 100 quick-and-easy recipes that fall in line with Brenda’s dietary recommendations. The latter is a complete diabetes diet and lifestyle guide. It empowers readers with more knowledge and an action plan that covers diet, exercise, rest, and stress management.
Special Diet Notes: Healthy Carrot Spice Muffins
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, oil-free, and added sugar-free.
- 2 cups (500 ml) old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed
- ¼ cup (60 ml) ground flaxseeds
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) salt
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup (60 ml) hemp seeds
- 1½ cups (375 ml) fortified unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage
- 3 medium or 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 apple, diced
- ½ cup (125 ml) pitted soft dates
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped walnuts (omit for nut-free)
- ⅓ cup (85 ml) raisins
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190 C). and grease a standard twelve cup muffin pan. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan.
- Put the oats, flaxseeds, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a blender and process until the consistency of flour.
- Transfer to a large bowl.
- Put the hemp seeds and milk in the blender and process until creamy.
- Add the carrots, apple, dates, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Pulse just until well combined but not smooth (there should be some texture).
- Pour into the oat mixture and stir just until combined.
- Fold in the walnuts and raisins.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack, then remove from the muffin cups using a table knife.
More Plant-Based Recipes to Kick Diabetes
Kale Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing
Hummus in Cheesy, Beet, Black Bean, Lime or Goddess
Tropical Fruit Parfaits with Vanilla Nut Whip
