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!
And also developed cottage cheese carrot cake muffins recipe for those who are looking to add more protein to their diet.
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
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 Laura. You cannot substitute white flour for whole wheat flour 1:1. They are two different flours, believe it or not. Whole wheat has bran in it. White is refined and clean like sugar. Majority of people do not understand the difference between all flours. That is why these muffins were a flop for you. Baking is a science, for best results it is always recommended to follow a recipe entirely. I learnt that a few years ago.
Good to know. I thought it would be fine as I’ve substituted white for whole wheat 1:1 before in the past in multiple recipes.
Made these just now! They came out yummy!
Hi there. Do you have the nutritional information without the walnuts and or raisins? I’d like to make these this weekend, but they are a little high for my macros, so would like to lower it a bit! Thank you!
Hi Carol-Lynn. Here you go:
Nutrition Facts
12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 108.2
Total Fat 1.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 35.8 mg
Sodium 201.8 mg
Potassium 62.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23.9 g
Dietary Fiber 3.3 g
Sugars 10.0 g
Protein 3.8 g
I completely agree with you about baking being a science! I tried it out because I had no applesauce on hand. Luckily, my first round was a test round. I made a 2nd batch with applesauce for my husbands office party and they turned out much better. The cream cheese frosting did help in the first batch though!
Yay! Yes, I learnt a hard way a few times that baking is so tricky. That is why I don’t bake much haha. Even altitude could yield different results. Whaaaaat? Ain’t nobody got time for that.:) Glad it all worked out for a big crowd!
I used Greek yogurt instead of applesauce and used a little more maple syrup to make up for sweetness. However, it wasn’t enough. Mine turned out okay texture wise, but are very plain tasting. Hoping a little cream cheese frosting will help!
When it comes to baking it is best to follow the recipe exactly as written. I find you can add variations to savoury one pot dishes throwing in ingredients here and there as you cook but baking is a different story. It is more of a science because ingredients have to interact with each other not only chemistry but flavour wise too. Hope you cream cheese frosting helped.:)
Is it fine to leave out the nuts or will it throw everything off? My kids are allergic to nuts.
Totally fine. Add raisins instead if you have any.
I made these last weekend, and they turned out great! I threw the applesauce and carrots into my blender and pureed it all, since my kids don’t like pieces of carrots in their muffins. I also subbed a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips for the raisins. They turned out a little more orange in color b/c of the pureed carrots, but delicious nonetheless– moist and flavorful! Thanks!
Hi Swati. Sounds great. Yes, pureed carrots work as long as you keep all juices and fiber you can use carrots in any form. My kids do not like cooked carrots too but didn’t mind these muffins at all. As a kid I never liked cooked carrots.:)
Just found quick oats in my pantry!!!!
It’s your lucky day haha.
I don’t have oat bran and I already started to mix dry ingredients together…oops! What can I use in its place? Wheat bran?
These were amazing! Such great depth of flavor. Kids loved them too!
Awesome, Tara. Glad to hear.:)
So I love you bran muffins. Keep these coming I do use chia seeds in those because with cannot have flax seeds.
I was wondering do you think instead of nuts in these if a sprinkle of chia seeds would be good?
Trying to add more fiber.
Thank you so much for all your hard work. 😁
Yea sure. And you are welcome!:)