Carrot And Walnut Loaf {Clean Eating}

The kitchen work top is the perfect place for this Carrot and Walnut loaf to sit looking beautiful and delicious and asking to be eaten. It's full of the good stuff: Fresh carrots and walnuts, and less of the bad stuff, and is totally free of all refined sugars.

Carrot And Walnut Loaf

This carrot and walnut loaf is perfect to pack for lunches on the go. It travels well and makes a pretty awesome mid morning snack.

It's a carrot cake type loaf kinda thing, but if you're a Walnut lover I think you're gonna love this!

Think of this as a healthier version of a regular carrot and walnut loaf.

Whereas' a regular loaf often uses refined brown sugar we use 100% pure Maple syrup, yes it's still sugar but there's added benefits to Maple syrup rather than the empty calories of refined sugars.

More Clean Eating Snacks

• Date and banana loaf
• Carrot cake muffins
• Gingerbread muffins
• No bake date slice
• Fresh cherry loaf cake
• Orange loaf cake recipe
• Lemon curd loaf with a lemony glaze

It doesn't have any raisins or sultanas in it, simply because I prefer it without. If you're a raisin lover, feel free to add ¼ cup into the mixture before it goes in the oven.

I also don't use orange rind in this recipe, although many do.

If you have kids, it's entirely possible that you've noticed that some of them don't like too many lumps or irregular textures in their food.

You can put this down to picky eating and try and force this issue, but I have found that they grow out of this in time.

So instead of orange rind I add orange juice. This seems to do the trick nicely to keep the loaf moist and sweet. You've got to pick your battles with kids and this, for me, isn't one of them :)

This is a seriously great versatile recipe that can be used as a cake (just bake in  a round pan and top with a cream cheese icing) or as a loaf (serve in thick slices) or as lunch box sized muffins (divide into 12 hole muffin tray and reduce cooking time to 12 -15 min).

Should You Toast Walnuts Before Baking?

I don't toast my Walnuts before I use them in this loaf. I've made this loaf both ways and I don't think toasting the nuts adds anything much.

I know some people like to do this and if you do then go right ahead, you get a 'smokier' flavor I find, but I also find the nuts are a little harder, this might just be me, but I prefer them softer, certainly for this loaf.

If you fancy trying toasted Walnuts in this recipe you can dry pan fry them on a medium heat until they start to release a little of their oil, but keep them moving around the pan as nuts can burn quite quickly!

Can You Frost This Loaf?

You can frost this loaf if you like, if you're using it for a fancier occasion than an afternoon treat! I'd recommend using a simple cream cheese frosting to add a little sweetness and texture. I generally don't frost these type of loafs though as the kids eat them happily without the frosting :)

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Substitutions

I've kept this fairly simple as I do with most of my baking, but you can absolutely add in some other things.

You could try using Pecans (same quantity) if you prefer those or any other nuts for that matter, or you could add in some Nutmeg or Ginger in place of the Cinnamon, it's totally up to you.

The quantities remain the same if you're making substitutions.

If you want to you can try making this recipe into cupcakes, muffins or layer cakes (although you'd need some frosting to do this!). It's an easy recipe that can be adapted to suit your family.

How To Store This Carrot And Walnut Loaf

Once your loaf is cooked and cooled, it'll keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

If you should find yourself in the unlikely position of having any left over, it also freezes beautifully. You can leave it in the freezer for up to a month and when you want to eat it, leave to to defrost thoroughly.

If you want to warm it slightly, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

 Walnut And Carrot Loaf Ingredients

Carrots - One whole cup of grated carrots go into his recipe. I grate these on a very fine grater setting.

Walnuts - This recipe is full of crunchy chopped walnuts. I often buy them pre chopped if they happen to be on offer. And when they are, I stock up. Nuts if any type are quite pricy where I am, so if they're discounted, grab them!

Wholewheat flour - I use this wholemeal flour. Bob's Red Mill flour's really good quality and easy to get hold of. Feel free to use any Wholewheat flour you have though!

Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is one of my go to unrefined sugars I've been using since we've been Clean eating. As an unrefined sugar, its adds a natural sweetness and works amazingly well in baking.

Vanilla Extract - I've been using this organic vanilla paste recently and I LOVE it! The flavor's really intense and I use less. If you've not tried it, I highly recommend it!

How To Make A Healthy Carrot Walnut Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 cup Grated Carrots (medium carrots)
• ½ cup Chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup Orange Juice
• 1 ½ cups Whole wheat flour
• 1 ¼ tsp Baking powder
• ¼ cup Maple Syrup
• ¼ cup Butter
• 2 Eggs slightly beaten
• ¼ cup warm Water
• 1 tsp Cinnamon (or other spices if using)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste Extract is fine if you don't have the paste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 370F / 170C. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl add your dry ingredients: Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, walnuts
• On the stove: slightly melt butter, maple syrup, orange juice, vanilla. Not too hot.
• Mix all ingredients together and fold until just combined. You can use an electric mixer if you have one. Add water if needed to soften mix.
• Pour your batter into your loaf tin using a spatula to get it all out and bake 40 - 45 min in your prepared pan until golden and springs back to the touch. Cool your loaf cake on wire rack at room temperature and serve.
• Refrigerate or freeze.

Carrot and Walnut Loaf Recipe