Outrageously Delicious and Healthy Muffins Sprouted From Tyler Florence’s Baby Food

Think muffins are a healthy way to start your morning? Think again. Muffins are just dense pieces of cake with cute tops. So I decided to cook up a better muffin recipe using some very creative ingredients, including baby food and soda. I know it sounds strange, but trust me these muffins are so tasty and healthy they’re worth digging out your muffin tin.

I came up with the idea when I found out that celebrity chef Tyler Florence will be speaking at a free event on Tuesday, December 22nd, at the UWS Whole Foods Market about his new line of organic baby food called Sprout.

Unlike a lot of store-bought baby foods that are highly processed, Tyler’s recipe is simply mashed up organic fruits and vegetables.

So, I thought if it’s so healthy, why not use it in baking.

And I didn’t stop there. A friend told me that you can actually replace all of the wet ingredients in cake/muffin mix with soda. So, I decided to use all-natural, organic Steaz soda as a replacement for the oil and eggs. I noticed that the soda makes the muffins incredibly moist!

Believe me, once you taste these muffins, baby food and soda won’t even cross your mind. See the recipe below and let me know what you think after you whip up a batch….

Butternut Squash Oatmeal Muffins Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
(Note: If you don’t want to cheat with the baby food, feel free to pick up a butternut squash, roast it in the oven, and process in a food processor until smooth)

1 Package Carrot Cake Mix (note: I used Simply Organic Carrot Cake Mix, but any mix will do)
2 packages of Sprout Organic Baby Food Roasted Butternut Squash ($1.39 at WFM)
1/2 cup zero calorie Steaz Orange Soda
1 cup dried oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon, optional
1 teaspoon powdered sugar, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Put paper liners in the muffin tin cups.
3. Empty the carrot cake mix into a mixing bowl.
4. Add the oats, baby food and soda and stir just until the mixture is evenly moist.
5. Spoon the batter into lined muffin cups.
6. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes (may take longer). Use the toothpick test: bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool, loosen edges, and sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar (optional).