Nutritarian Carrot Cake Muffin Drops

Every so often (quite frequently, actually) I crave desserts. Everyday. I just want it available. Not necessarily to eat it but just to know that I have options and they are as easy to access as a half gallon ice cream container.
I also believed, prior to last night, that any form of baking a dessert required following a recipe TO THE TEE. I know that leaving out an egg or mistaking baking powder from baking soda could have dire consequences.

So believe me when I say what I did last night was a shocker.

On my entire ride home (60 minutes of thinking, mind you), I longed to make Kanani's Oat Bars. Before heading home we stopped at Jamba for a Five Fruit Frenzy with a soy substitute (which led to a long conversation with my favorite Jamba employee about how we were the first to order it and now there's a bunch of people who order it and he couldn't understand why and so he tried it and now he understands. It is GOOD). I was tired. I hadn't eaten since 12 pm. It was already 6:30 pm.  And i gazed longingly at the low fat oat bars. Three for $2.75. But I knew there was sugar in it. And I could make one without sugar once I got home. So I was on a quest.

I pulled up the post to review the recipe so I could start the minute I stepped foot in my kitchen. And then as I started...

I realized I didn't have oats. Argh. And I definitely didn't have zucchini. No bran either! But I was already on a journey of no return. So I thought what the heck!!! I started grabbing things off the shelf. For once in my life I was ready to wing it. No measurements involved. I used Kanani's ingredients as a base but definitely went off course by a whole different ocean.

I am confident in this: try it and add your own. The consistency should end up like muffin mix.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole grain flour (whether it is whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, oat flour, buckwheat, WHATEVER!)
3/4 cup oats (I didn't have rolled oats so I cooked one serving of Coach's oats and added it straight to the mix (still hot!)
1 flax egg mixture (I had just read how to make the perfect flax egg which basically means putting one tablespoon of ground flax in a small bowl, add 3 tablespoons of water, mix and keep in fridge for 15 minutes -- flax egg is a FABULOUS replacement for eggs in baking, just like applesauce is a sub for oil--FEAR NOT!)
1/4 cup ground flax seed
5 small bananas
1-2 cups pineapple chunks (I used can)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup walnuts (or pecans or mac nuts...you get the point)
2-3 grated carrots (it really makes for nice color)
5-8 pitted dates
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

In a food processor mash up the bananas then transfer to a big bowl. Do the same with the pineapple and carrots, dates, and walnuts. I even added figs at one time and it was great. Add the flour, ground flax, flax, egg, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and cinnamon to the big bowl and mix well. Drop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet or fill mini muffins. The mix will NOT raise so you can put them close together. If you use parchment or muffin cups then you do not need to grease the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, more or less. Try the toothpick test. When it comes out clean, it's done!!! Let me know how it goes! And try other ingredients, including zucchini, apple, pears, raisins or cranberries! And try leaving out the baking soda and powder. Kanani didn't use either! It will be denser, I am sure. More oatcake like. Mine is more muffin like.
UPDATE on 11/14/11: I used the rolled oats and it was easier. I also figured out that it is ONE WHOLE CAN of pineapple chunks. Make sure it is packed in its own juices and DRAIN it. Also put it in the food processor to break them up).

The beginning of the flax egg (just mixed it...it's runny) 

And here it is 15 minutes later! Very egg white consistency like.

My little cookie scooper gadget was perfect for this!

Results (not made with cookie gadget)

Love the addition of the carrot. Great color!