Healthy Carrot Muffins made with applesauce, oats, whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Fluffy, light and moist carrot cake muffins!
I have updated these healthy carrot muffins to improve upon texture and lack of sweetness reported by some readers. Now you are getting foolproof carrot cake muffins!
They also freeze and defrost well, plus kids love them with a glass of cold milk for a healthy breakfast or an afternoon snack!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally sweetened: This healthy carrot muffin recipe is sweetened only with carrots, maple syrup and raisins.
- Wholesome: Made with whole grains like oats and whole wheat flour, plus walnuts and raisins.
- One bowl recipe: No need for 2 bowls to mix dry and wet ingredients separately.
- Perfect to make with kids: It’s one of the easiest muffin recipes to involve even the toddlers.
- Simple ingredients: While the list might seem long, they are all truly simple ingredients.
Reader’s Review
The muffins were delicious. I was so happy with the outcome that I made another batch right away so I can freeze some for later. This is my new favorite muffin recipe. Thank you for posting it. Greatly appreciated!
Angela
Ingredients for Healthy Carrot Muffins
- Carrots: You will need approximately 2-3 large carrots or 5-6 small/medium sized carrots. Use the small side of your grater or a vegetable peeler to grate carrots.
- Applesauce: Adds moisture instead of using only oil. I prefer to use unsweetened applesauce to keep them lower in sugar.
- Mild tasting oil: To add a bit of moisture. I used avocado oil but light olive oil, melted butter or coconut oil will work.
- Honey or maple syrup: I like the taste of maple syrup. You can use any other liquid sweetener like agave, honey etc.
- Eggs: Add lift and binding. I think chia eggs and flax eggs will work but muffins will rise less.
- Baking essentials and spices: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Whole wheat flour: I much prefer using whole wheat flour or spelt flour in baking for extra nutrients and fiber. You can also use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Oats or oat bran: Recipe as pictured is made with oats. Note that carrot muffins with oat bran will just rise less.
- Add-ins: I love to use raisins and chopped walnuts for a carrot cake muffins taste, but feel free to use your favorite dried fruits or nuts.
Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Use 1 3/4 cups of white flour instead.
- Gluten-free flour: Baking is a science and all-purpose gluten free flour is more moisture absorbent than wheat flour. You may get away with it but I haven’t tried. Also if you are experienced baker, you can add a bit more applesauce or oil.
- Oat flour: You can use oat flour but by its weight. If 1 cup of wheat flour weighs 120 grams, you will need same weight of oat flour.
- Almond flour or coconut flour do not bake the same, so I do not recommend this substitution.
- Oats: I have not tried steel cut oats. You may try quick cooking steel cut oats but muffins will rise less and will have more hearty chewy texture.
How to Make Healthy Carrot Muffins
Here is a step by step overview with photos. There is full recipe card below. All you need is just one bowl and a box grater!
- Combine liquid ingredients: Whisk the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract.
- Add leavening agents and spices: Now add cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Mix: Whisk very well until you no longer see small white lumps.
- Add shredded carrots: Stir in grated carrots and please don’t squeeze them. The juice will ensure your muffins are moist.
- Add dry ingredients: Add oats and whole wheat flour to the carrot mixture, then gently mix with spatula until combined but not overmixed.
- Fold in raisins and nuts: And give a few stirs.
- Bake the muffins: Place batter evenly into a 12 muffin tin and bake the muffins for 24-25 minutes in 350 F preheated oven. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool: Rest in muffin cups for 5 minutes, then transfer to cool on a wire rack to cool a bit more.
Tips for Best Results
Here are my top tips for the best healthy carrot muffins after perfecting this recipe for over 8 years.
- You can use yogurt instead of applesauce: Plain yogurt or protein-rich Greek yogurt will work. Just keep in mind your muffins will be less sweet, so add extra 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup.
- Do not over bake: Remove muffins from the oven as soon as toothpick comes out clean to avoid dry muffins, even if they look not too browned. Muffins keep cooking with residual heat.
- Let muffin batter sit: If you like very soft oats in muffins, let batter sit for 10 minutes before dividing it into a muffin pan.
- Don’t squeeze shredded carrots: That’s where carrot muffins get their moisture from.
- Mini or jumbo muffins: You can bake mini carrot muffins for about 11 minutes. For jumbo carrot muffins, bake them for 30 minutes or so. Always do a toothpick test.
Variations
- Tropical: Add 1/2 cup of chopped pineapple pieces that have been gently squeezed, if from a can; and 1/4 cup coconut flakes.
- Different warming spices: Use ground cloves, ginger or allspice vs. cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Sweeter muffins: Sprinkle with coarse sugar or brown sugar before baking.
- Topping: After muffins have cooled, use a drizzle from healthy coffee cake to turn them into carrot cake muffins!
- Frosting: Transform your muffins into a dessert with Greek yogurt frosting, healthy cream cheese frosting or healthy buttercream.
How to Store and Reheat
I usually keep muffins on a counter for a few days. At that point, if any are left (happened only once here), I pop them into an airtight container in the fridge to prevent dry and stale muffins.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in the freezer. Then just thaw overnight in refrigerator or on a counter for 3-4 hours.
Storage Tip
Don’t miss my detailed posts how to store muffins and how to freeze muffins to keep your leftover muffins fresh longer.
More Healthy Muffins Recipes
- Banana carrot muffins
- Zucchini carrot muffins
- Healthy morning glory muffins
- Healthy zucchini muffins
More Carrot Recipes to Try
Healthy Carrot Muffins
Healthy Carrot Muffins made with applesauce, oats and maple syrup and loaded with walnuts and raisins. Fluffy, light and moist carrot cake muffins!
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup oil, I use avocado oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots, packed
- 1 cup rolled oats, quick oats or oat bran
- 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line 12 muffin tin with muffin liners and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, applesauce, oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and whisk. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk very well until no lumps are visible.
- Add grated carrots and stir with spatula to mix. Add oats and whole wheat flour, then gently mix until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in raisins and nuts.
- Distribute batter evenly between 12 openings of a tin (I used a regular ice cream scoop) and bake for 24-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Remove carrot muffins from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off more.
🎉 Last step! If you made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know what you think!
Notes
- Store: In an airtight container for 2-3 days. Refrigerate after for a few more days.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw muffins overnight in refrigerator or on counter for 3-4 hours.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 222kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 239mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!
Hi Olena, could you re check your metric measurements at this recipe please? I think it was too much of dry ingredients:240gr of oats+320gr of flour. My dough is way too dry, had to add an extra egg+ soda+ baking powder to let the dough raise while cooking. Muffins are still cooking but I have a doubt they will cook through…
So the metric conversion is done automatically by the recipe card app and it says 240 ml of oats, not grams which would be 2 different things. I am not sure why it calculates oats and flour into mls instead of grams in this recipe, but I will contact their support. Sorry about that!
Hi! I don’t have avocado oil. What would be the next best thing?
Any oil. Better mild tasting oil like light olive oil or grape seed oil. Vegetable oil or canola oil will work too. Melted coconut oil. Extra virgin oil will give a bit of taste but nothing catastrophic.
White whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat flour? Same amount? Any other changes? I’m not a fan of regular whole wheat flour. Omit walnuts! Dislike taste and am also allergic to anything walnut.
Same amount, no other changes.
I used whole wheat flour and oats. Had no applesauce, so used yogurt (without realizing I’d need to compensate and add more sweetness). Chopped up dried apricots instead of raisins and also added pecans. These are very good but, without the applesauce, needed a touch of sweetness. I made a thin glaze from powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. That did the trick.
So happy you made these muffins work. Yes, definitely would need more sweetener with yogurt. I make this mistake all the time haha.
Hello! I’m planning to do these today, can I use regular flour instead of whole-wheat flour?
You will need a bit more of it. You can try but I haven’t tested exactly how much.
I am unfashionably enthusiastic about your website. I am an old woman in Arizona who rides her bicycle everywhere. (I don’t own a car and I am glad.) So I care about the fuel I use in my body. My unrealized dream was to adopt a child from the Ukraine. In retrospect I am glad for the child I was unable to do so. I am not able to speak Ukrainian
decently and I am not a good parent.
Riding bike is very healthy.:)
Can you leave out the raisins/dates? I’m trying to find healthier snacks for my son besides crackers but I think dates/raisins are a little too chewy for him.
Sure.
Delicious! Family loves them!
I used almond flour, maple syrup and oats where there are options.
Super moist, wholesome and filling.
So glad you and the family enjoy the muffins!
Can one add protein powder to these muffins? If so, how many scoops in the muffin recipe?
This recipe has not been tested with protein powder, but banana protein muffins work great with protein powder if you want to try!
Love this recipe! I now use as standard for my muffins I make every few weeks so I can eat one for breakfast & feel good that I’ve already getting in vegetables & good fats. I’m on a no milk or soy diet while nursing & wanted a healthy snack I could eat quickly that wasn’t full of sugar or milk products. The first time I made exactly as is, but since I’ve added in a few things/changes for myself – chocolate chips (love life milk & soy free brand), chia seeds, flaxseed, & brewers yeast(to help with milk production). I also have switched out the carrots for zucchini a few times (1:1 ratio) & it was still great! Great recipe!
So glad you enjoy it and thanks for letting us know how you make it! Congrats on the new baby. 🙂