MuffinsNorth AfricanEasy

Spiced Carrot Sesame Muffins with Ras el Hanout and Golden Raisins

Name: Spiced Carrot Sesame Muffins with Ras el Hanout and Golden Raisins
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (3 g) baking soda; ¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt; 2 tsp (5 g) ras el hanout; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ½ cup (80 g) golden raisins, soaked in hot water 10 minutes, then drained and patted dry; ½ cup (120 ml) hot water, just boiled, for soaking the raisins; 2 tbsp (18 g) sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet and cooled; 2 cups (250 g) carrots, peeled and finely grated (about 3 medium carrots), lightly packed; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed; ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil such as sunflower or canola; ¾ cup (180 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature; 2 tbsp (42 g) honey; 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1 tbsp (6 g) orange zest, finely grated from 1 orange; 1 tbsp (9 g) sesame seeds, raw (untoasted); 1 tbsp (12 g) turbinado or coarse sugar (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, moist muffins packed with grated carrot, plumped golden raisins and nutty toasted sesame, warmed with fragrant ras el hanout and a little orange zest. Lightly sweet and just savory enough for breakfast or a snack with tea.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: 12 standard muffins

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the muffins
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
½ tsp (3 g) baking soda
¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt
2 tsp (5 g) ras el hanout
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
½ cup (80 g) golden raisins, soaked in hot water 10 minutes, then drained and patted dry
½ cup (120 ml) hot water, just boiled, for soaking the raisins
2 tbsp (18 g) sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet and cooled
2 cups (250 g) carrots, peeled and finely grated (about 3 medium carrots), lightly packed
2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil such as sunflower or canola
¾ cup (180 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature
2 tbsp (42 g) honey
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 tbsp (6 g) orange zest, finely grated from 1 orange
For the topping
1 tbsp (9 g) sesame seeds, raw (untoasted)
1 tbsp (12 g) turbinado or coarse sugar (optional)

Equipment (8)

12-cup standard muffin tin (each cup about ½ cup / 120 ml)
12 paper or silicone muffin liners
Small skillet for toasting seeds
Box grater
Large mixing bowl and medium mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Ice cream scoop or ¼-cup (60 ml) measure, plus a spoon
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs and yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly into the batter.
Check that your ras el hanout is fresh and smells fragrant; blends vary in saltiness and heat, so choose one without added salt if you can.
Grate the carrots on the small holes of a box grater, not the large ones, so they melt into the crumb.
Read the timing: raisins soak for 10 minutes while you toast the sesame seeds and grate the carrots.

1
Heat oven, line tinOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
- Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C) and the tin is lined.
Tip: Let the oven preheat fully; a hot start gives the muffins taller domes.
2
Toast the sesame
- Add the 2 tbsp (18 g) sesame seeds for the batter to a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour onto a plate right away and let cool.
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Ready when: Seeds turn light golden and smell nutty; a few may start to pop.
Tip: Seeds go from golden to bitter in seconds, so never walk away and always tip them out of the hot pan.
3
Soak the raisins
- Place the golden raisins in a small bowl and cover with ½ cup (120 ml) just-boiled water.
- Leave for 10 minutes while you grate the carrots.
- Drain well, then pat dry with a paper towel.
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Ready when: Raisins look swollen and soft.
Tip: Dry raisins well; leftover water can make the batter gummy around them.
4
Grate carrots and zest
- Peel the carrots and grate on the small holes of a box grater until you have 2 lightly packed cups (250 g).
- Finely grate the zest of 1 orange (about 1 tbsp / 6 g) over the carrots and toss together.
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Ready when: Carrot shreds are fine and fluffy, not chunky.
Tip: Weigh the carrots if you can; too much carrot makes the muffins wet in the center.
5
Whisk the dry mix
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ras el hanout and cinnamon for 30 seconds until the spices are evenly distributed and no streaks remain.
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Ready when: Flour is evenly tan-flecked with no clumps of spice.
6
Whisk the wet mix
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar for 1 minute until smooth and slightly lighter.
- Whisk in the oil, yogurt, honey and vanilla until fully combined and glossy.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth with no visible streaks of yogurt or egg.
Tip: Cold eggs or yogurt can make the oil clump; use room-temperature ones.
7
Fold batter together
- Add the dry mix to the wet mix and fold with a rubber spatula about 10 strokes, until just a few streaks of flour remain.
- Add the carrot and zest, drained raisins and toasted sesame seeds.
- Fold 5 to 6 more strokes, until evenly distributed.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets remain; batter is thick and scoopable.
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears; overmixing makes muffins tough and tunneled.
8
Fill and top
- Divide the batter among the 12 lined cups using a scoop or about ¼ cup (60 ml) each, filling them about three-quarters full.
- Sprinkle the raw sesame seeds evenly over the tops, then the turbinado sugar if using.
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Ready when: Cups are about three-quarters full with an even layer of seeds on top.
Tip: Fill all cups equally so they bake in the same time.
9
Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 23 minutes, rotating the tin front to back after 15 minutes.
- Remove when tops are domed and golden.
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Ready when: A toothpick in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, and the tops spring back when pressed.
Tip: Avoid opening the oven in the first 15 minutes, or the domes may sink.
10
Cool and serve
- Let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack.
- Cool for at least 10 more minutes before eating; they are best warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Muffins are warm, not hot, and release cleanly from the tin.
Tip: Leaving them in the tin longer than 5 minutes traps steam and makes the bottoms soggy.

Good to know

Tips

Finely grated carrot distributes moisture evenly; coarse shreds leave wet streaks.
Toasting the sesame seeds brings out the nutty flavor and is worth the extra 3 minutes.
If your ras el hanout contains salt, taste a pinch; if it is very salty, reduce the salt to ½ tsp (3 g).
For taller domes, fill the cups generously and bake at 425°F (220°C) for the first 5 minutes, then lower to 375°F (190°C) for the rest.

Make ahead

Mix the dry ingredients and grate the carrots up to 1 day ahead; store the carrots covered in the fridge. Toast the sesame seeds up to 3 days ahead and keep in an airtight jar. Combine and bake just before serving for the best rise.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature in an airtight container: up to 2 days. Fridge: up to 5 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat room-temperature or thawed muffins at 325°F (160°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or microwave a thawed muffin for 20 to 30 seconds.

Substitutions

ras el hanout → 1 tsp ground cumin + ½ tsp ground ginger + ½ tsp ground coriander + ¼ tsp ground turmeric + pinch of black pepper. Approximates the warm, floral profile; the flavor will be slightly simpler.
golden raisins → chopped dried apricots or dates. Use the same weight (80 g) and soak the same way.
plain whole-milk yogurt → buttermilk or sour cream. Use the same amount; sour cream gives a richer, denser crumb.
honey → maple syrup. Use the same amount; flavor is slightly milder.

baking breakfast carrot muffins north african ras el hanout sesame vegetarian

Steps

Heat oven, line tinOven 375°F / 190°C

Toast the sesame

Soak the raisins

Grate carrots and zest

Whisk the dry mix

Whisk the wet mix

Fold batter together

Fill and top

Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C

Cool and serve

Good to know

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