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.
My grandson is 10 months old and doesn’t have any teeth yet. I plan to omit the raisins. Will that take away from the flavor of these muffins?
It does lower the sweetness. Babies don’t actually chew with their teeth at that age, they use their gums, so you could also just cut the raisins in half with kitchen scissors and know that they soften as they’re baked.
I love these muffins!! And so does my kiddo! I’m a novice baker and they seem to still be very moist even after cooking them 5-10 min longer. Are these just really moist muffins and are indeed fully cooked?
They should be moist, but not raw if that helps?
these were super easy we all loved them. really great low sugar, low calorie, fibery snacks
These were so easy and tasty to make! I had alittle left over the batter and deciding to make them into waffles and they turned out just as good as the muffins ! Thanks for a delicious recipe for our kiddos! 😋
Oats causes my son’s eczema to flare up (it’s a mystery) but I LOVE baked goods with oats – especially oatmeal cookies 😢. Any substitution recommendations for the same texture? I’ve read quinoa flakes or almond meal ( but need to stay away from nuts for school). Maybe flax seed meal?
Thanks for the suggestions!
Hi- quinoa flakes would be the best option since they’re the most similar in how they work in recipes if you can try those. It’s also possible you could just use additional flour.
Very moist muffin and flavorful! My son loves these the most out of any kind of muffin I’ve made!
Amy, I hope that all is well!
Thank you for another great hit. Made this yesterday evening and while they were still warmed my picky eater wanted some, which was very surprised. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I will keep making them as long as you keep doing your thing 😉
I have to give it 5* as I really enjoyed them which I did not think I would once I had them out of the oven…
I have to mention that we live in Australia and spend time in Europe too. We are not used to some of the American tastes.. Why I mention that is because a lot of things are just too sweet for us. And I found these muffins very sweet but it could also be the different products I used.
However the next day they tasted so much better and they were soft and fluffy too.
I did not have a mini muffins tray so used just the normal one but filled each only with about 2 tablespoons of batter.. I had to bake them about 30 min.
I will make these again but will cut haöf the sugar and maybe a bit less raisins as well and add some walnuts instead..
Thanks for the recipe Amy! I love that you have sooo many recipes accessible for free! ❤
These are so easy, so good, and have minimal sugar. My toddler loved these. Another super recipe from this site.
These were a lovely taste and texture but I found them much too sweet, even after halving the amount of applesauce! (I used unsweetened apple purée) I would omit the brown sugar altogether next time, the applesauce and raisins were plenty sweet enough for my little ones. And then you can feel even more virtuous about how healthy they are! 🙂
These look yummy. I love to bake
Perfectly moist, perfect amount of sweetness, and my 18 month old loves them. Thanks for the great recipes!
I made these this week for the first time so that my kindergartener could have them in his lunch. I thought he might like them, but he LOVED them. So much so that today he saved one so that he could make sure his Grandmother got to taste one when she picked him up from school! 😊
That being said, I put everything in the bowl and then realized I didn’t have any eggs! I had chia seeds instead of flax, so I made a quick chia egg substitute and it worked well! I’ll make them again with eggs just so I can see the difference, but I just wanted to share that the substitute worked. Thanks for a yummy muffin my kids love (2 year old approved too)!
There is not measurements listed
They are at the end of the post in the recipe card. There’s a teal “JUMP TO RECIPE” right at the top of the post to help you go right there. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Could I use a round cake pan instead of muffin pan? Muffin pans are so hard to clean
I would think so, though the baking time would depend on the size of your pan and you’d want to watch the middle of the pan for doneness as that would be the last part of the batter to cook through.