This Winnie the Pooh-inspired recipe comes from “Once Upon a Cookbook: A Treasury of Recipes Inspired by Timeless Children’s Books,” including the A.A. Milne classic stories.
Cookbook author Bryton Taylor suggests that Rabbit serve Pooh something healthy, like savory muffins, instead of sweets, to avoid him getting stuck on his way out of the burrow.
Rabbitap Savory Carrot Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups grated carrots
- Butter, for greasing
TIPS FOR CHEFS IN THE MAKING
Ages 5-10: Both the cheese and carrots need to be grated. You can help by using a box grater with supervision. The butter helps the flour stick to the tin, but the flour keeps the muffins from sticking so they slide out easily after baking. Help by making sure the pan is evenly buttered, then dusted.
Ages 10-plus: Watch the oven to see how the high temperature at the beginning of baking helps the centers of the muffins rise quickly. Help keep the muffins from burning by making sure the temperature is turned down after 10 minutes.
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and baking powder.
Stir in the sugar and salt. Toss the grated Parmesan, sage and parsley into the dry mixture to coat evenly.
In another large bowl, whisk together the egg, olive oil, whole milk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the grated carrots to this wet mixture and stir until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
Butter and flour a 12-cup muffin tin to prevent the muffins from sticking before evenly spooning in the batter.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. To store, let cool completely before placing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
From “Once Upon a Cookbook: A Treasury of Recipes Inspired by Timeless Children’s Books” by Bryton Taylor. Illustrated by Emma Adams. Copyright © 2026 by Bryton Taylor. Reprinted courtesy of Insight Editions.
