Packed with carrots, whole grains, and protein, these Carrot Cake Muffins are a delicious way to start the day. They mix up in one bowl, can be made ahead, and are a nutritious snack or breakfast. Plus: You can be eating them in about 25 minutes from when you start the process!
Carrot Cake Muffins
When I’m looking for a fun way to serve up vegetables to kids, I tend to think of muffins. And these carrot muffins are a delicious—and super easy—snack, side dish, or breakfast option to share with the kids. I actually love this recipe so much that I make them regularly for myself.
These muffins are low in added sugars and contain whole grains from rolled oats and whole wheat flour. They also have a nice amount of carrots for fiber, vitamin A, and flavor. And unlike many traditional muffin recipes, these don’t rely on oil alone for moisture; applesauce adds moisture and nutrients, too.
These store really well in the fridge or freezer, so they’re a nice recipe to make and serve for days (or weeks) to come.
(Find more of my favorite muffins for kids here.)
Ingredients You Need
You don’t need anything fancy to make these muffins. Here’s a look at the ingredients.
- Whole wheat flour
- Rolled oats: These are sometimes called “old-fashioned” oats.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda: Make sure your baking soda is fresh before you start baking as it’s key to these baking through properly.
- Cinnamon: Adds that classic carrot cake flavor.
- Eggs
- Applesauce: I use smooth, unsweetened applesauce here.
- Brown sugar
- Canola or melted coconut oil
- Grated carrots: I prefer the texture of carrots grated on a box grater as they tend to be a little finer and bake softer than grated carrots from the store.
- Raisins: I prefer golden raisins for their pretty color and delicate sweetness, but any kind will work.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you want to make these without refined sugar, you can omit the brown sugar and use 2 tablespoons maple syrup.
Gluten-free: Use a cup-for-cup style of gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free rolled oats.
Egg-free: Use a store-bought egg replacer like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making these carrot muffins so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Stir together the dry ingredients.
- Grate the carrot and add with the remaining wet ingredients to the bowl.
- Mix gently, but thoroughly.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin. I use a measuring spoon, which helps divide the batter evenly.
- Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out cleanly.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
TIP: You can use store-bought grated carrots, but you’ll need ones that are finely grated and not in super long pieces. If the pieces of your carrots are longer than an inch, cut them up smaller with kitchen shears.
Can I turn these muffins into cupcakes?
Yes! You can do a lightly sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting made from cream cheese, vanilla, and maple syrup or honey. Use a hand-held mixer to beat all ingredients together and top the cooled muffins.
What should I serve with these mini muffins?
We like them with milk and a side of fruit for breakfast or a snack, or you can serve them with a favorite soup as dinner or as part of a toddler lunch. (They’re shown above in a lunchbox with Roasted Carrot Fries, cottage cheese, and grapes.)
I personally love them with coffee or tea as an afternoon snack.
Can I make these vegan?
To make these without eggs or dairy, omit the eggs and add ground flaxseed meal. You may need to bake them for about 2 minutes longer, but use a cake tester to be sure. See the note at the end of the recipe for specifics. (Or you can use a store bought egg replacer like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.)
How to Store
To store, place in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat slightly to serve if desired. Or, place cooled muffins into a zip top freezer bag, remove as much air as possible and seal. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or in the microwave in 10-15 second increments.
Best Tips for Success
- I like to use golden raisins because the flavor and color is nice here, but regular ones work just fine.
- For best results, grate the carrots yourself. OR use kitchen shears to roughly chop store-bought grated carrots into slightly smaller pieces. (Right out of the bag, the grated carrots are often in long pieces that will be hard to fit in mini muffin cups.)
- Dice into smaller pieces for babies or 1-year-olds.
- Be sure to grease the pan well and use a paring knife around the edges as needed to prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan.
- These work best as mini muffins. (They take forever to bake through as full-size.)
- When checking for doneness, look for the edges to be golden brown, the tops of the muffins to be firm to the touch, and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin to come out clean—not with wet batter stuck to it.
- You can omit the brown sugar and use 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey instead.
- You may also like Zucchini Carrot Muffins, ABC Muffins, Yogurt Muffins, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and Strawberry Muffins.
I’d love to hear what your family thinks of this recipe so please chime in below with feedback in the comments!
This post was originally published spring 2017.
Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup raisins (I prefer golden raisins, but any kind will work)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir together to combine thoroughly but gently.
- Add a heaping 1 tablespoon of the batter to each prepared muffin cup and bake 18-22 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out cleanly.
- Remove from oven, cool in the pan for 2 minutes, and use a paring knife to loosen the edges as needed. Tilt in the pan to allow air to circulate underneath or transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve warm, at room temp, or chilled.
Video
Notes
- To store, place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 3-5 days. Reheat slightly to serve if desired. Or, place cooled muffins into a zip-top freezer bag, remove as much air as possible and seal. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or in the microwave in 10- to 15-second increments.
- I like to use golden raisins because the flavor and color is nice here, but regular ones work just fine.
- Add ¼ teaspoon ground ginger to add even more flavor.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs and add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal and use ½ teaspoon baking soda (up from ¼ teaspoon in the recipe). Let mixed batter sit for 5 minutes before adding to the pan. Bake for about 2 additional minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out cleanly. (Or you can use a store bought egg replacer like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.)
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free cup-for-cup flour and certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- For best results with the texture, grate the carrots yourself. OR use kitchen shears to roughly chop store-bought grated carrots into slightly smaller pieces. (Right out of the bag, the grated carrots are often in long pieces that will be hard to fit in mini muffin cups.)
- These work best as mini muffins. To bake as standard-size muffins, increase the oven temp to 375 degrees F and bake for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Be sure to grease the pan well and use a paring knife around the edges as needed to prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan.
- When checking for doneness, look for the edges to be golden brown, the tops of the muffins to be firm to the touch, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin to come out clean—not with wet batter stuck to it.
Could I use crushed pineapple instead of the applesauce (I have some leftover that I need to use)? Should I make any other substitutions to account for added liquid?
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure, but I’d think you’d need to drain off any extra liquid if you try it
Question: Mine are really moist! They seemed undercooked so I put them back in the oven. Not sure how long in total they will take? The only sub I used was coconut sugar instead of brown. Anyone else have this problem?
Mine turned out too moist as well. I did sub the whole wheat flour for spelt/coconut flour mix (75/25).
I can’t guarantee that the recipe will work the same with different flours. I’m sorry to hear that happened though.
These are amazing! Both my 14 month old and myself enjoy them. Thanks for the great recipe!
No where in this recipe does it say mini muffins until greasing. I was hoping to make reg sized muffins. Maybe this can be corrected in the title
The serving info does specify how many mini muffins it makes and I mention that they’re minis in the Best Tips section. I will try to clarify it elsewhere though to avoid confusion. Thank you for the feedback!
Has anyone substituted oat flour or almond flour for the wheat flour? What ratios? Trying to use what I have in the pantry!
Hi- Almond flour is not a good substitute for wheat flour. Oat flour may work, but the final texture may veer more similar to a cross between a muffin and baked oatmeal. Of the two, I’d do oat flour though
Thank you! I ended up using oat flour 1:1 because the consistency looked fine. I added about 1/2 tsp of vanilla too. My 20 mo loves them!
Oh great!
I used almond flour as a 1:1 sub for the whole wheat flour and mashed banana instead of applesauce. Works great! The texture will be slightly grittier but because of the carrots it’s not very noticeable. I add a bit of pumpkin pie spice too. My kids devour these. I always try to make two dozen for easy breakfasts but they do not last long in our family.
What does this mean “use gluten free cup for cup flour “?
A Gf flour labeled “cup for cup” is a great 1:1 sub for wheat flour (as opposed to something like all brown rice flour or all almond flour). King Arthur makes a good one.
This was super moist and yummy! Thank you! I also added 1/4 cup of walnuts, but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I made it into 12 regular sized muffins and put it on the full time, about 22 minutes.
Loved this recipe – thank you! Lately I’ve been looking for wholesome snacks and more vegetables for my 1.5 yr old, she’s started to choose less vegetables on her own and she is at a stage where she’s wary of certain textures so I wasn’t sure how it would go. She loved them!! I followed another commenter’s suggestion and used 1 apple shredded instead of applesauce and I love how they turned out. She was right, I did need to add more moisture; 1/4 cup whole milk was perfect. Will definitely make again!
We just made these and all enjoyed them – toddlers and adults. My almost 3 year old loved mixing – easy recipe to do with her. A big hit for breakfast and would also be great for a snack!
So delicious and easy to make! My son (he’s one) absolutely loves them…and so do we! Great meal for the whole family.
I’m so glad to hear that!
What would you use instead if you don’t have applesauce on hand?
Typically mashed ripe banana, pumpkin, or mashed roasted sweet potato work similarly in baked goods. I haven’t made these any other way but let me know if you try any of those options!
Hi, I use an actual apple! and they taste delicious, I made them several times already. I add a bit more oil though to compensate for the applesauce vs apple.
Awesome!
Is there any other substitute for roller oats? My toddler is allergic to oats.
I can’t say this for sure since I haven’t tested it, but I think you could use all purpose flour instead of the oats with good results. Let me know if you try it!
I love these, though my toddler apparently will eat nothing but grilled cheese for the rest of his life. Sigh. Will keep trying. These are delicious plain and also with a little cream cheese.
These are super moist and, like all Yummy Toddler Food recipes we love the healthier ingredients. Great texture, my 2 year old keeps asking for more. However, next time I make these I will add some vanilla and cinnamon as another reviewer suggested for some extra flavor. Another great one!
I also made these as regular size muffins and baked them for around 24 min, they were very moist still as regular muffins
I’m about to help everyone out, no offense to the author of this recipe, but I was shocked not seeing any vanilla, salt, or spices! So here are some tips of my personal altered recipe. All you have to do is add 1/8 tsp of ginger, 1/8 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tsp of cinnamon, a 1/8 tsp salt(on the lesser side), 1 tsp vanilla extract, and I added and 1/8 tsp almond extract. With these changes, the flavor profile resembles a delicious carrot cake like taste, with all the same health benefits! I used all dried spices, and I hope this will help people after reading previous comments of the muffins having no taste! Which makes sense when you don’t have those crucial ingredients. Happy Baking!
Also I baked them in big muffin tins for 22 minutes at 350 and they were splendid!
Thanks for your feedback and I’m glad you like the spices you added. They actually DO have a lot of flavor as the recipe is written—the carrots, applesauce, and raisins (especially golden ones!) add a lot of really nice flavor.
I made 24 mini muffins. Recipe was perfect amount for the mini tray. I should have read the comments before trying to make these, I was also baffled as to why there were no spices. I will make again using your spice list, I found these extremely bland. Came out looking great but not so great on the flavor profile. Thanks for your spice suggestions.
I just made these and came to comment what a great fresh flavor they have and saw this terribly rude feedback! Why in the world would you say your changes are ‘crucial’ when this is NOT your recipe? Just say you added some additional flavor that made it more to your taste! Obviously many people have enjoyed the recipe as written.
Thank you, Amy, for another terrific experience making delicious food for my family!