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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins made with less sugar than most muffin recipes! These are also loaded with tons of shredded carrots, coconut, and juicy raisins. So easy, healthy, and delicious!
HEALTHY carrot cake muffins!
The perfect sweet treat when you need breakfast dessert or a afternoon snack.
I absolutely love the smell of something warm and cinnamon-y wafting from the kitchen in the morning. The sweet scent of bread, muffins, or pancakes just puts a spring in my step. The way the heat radiates out of the muffin liners from a warm banana nut or carrot muffin just makes my whole day better.
The grated carrots are the star of the show but we also have a ton of supporting actors – enter raisins, crunchy walnuts, and shredded coconut to add lots of flavor and texture.
One thing I love doing is sprinkling a handful of rolled oats on the bottom of my muffin cups before pouring in the batter and then topping them with another pinch of oats. This provides a nice added crunch to the muffin tops plus it makes them look so much prettier.
And let’s face it, this is practically carrot cake in muffin form, minus the cream cheese frosting.
I absolutely love this recipe. I have made it three times in the past six weeks and shared the muffins with friends. They love them also. This will be a staple at our house. The oatmeal on top adds to the taste and the look. Super good!!!
Ingredients for homemade carrot cake muffins
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipe. You can replace some with whole wheat flour as well. I haven’t tested the recipe with all whole wheat but I do think the muffins may be too dense
- Baking Soda: I don’t use baking powder, just baking soda
- Spices: You’ll need kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger to add warmth. You’ll also need two heaping teaspoons of cinnamon.
- Oil: I love using coconut oil for these muffins because it enhances the coconut flavor and makes the muffins much lighter than if you were to use butter. You can also use canola oil or vegetable oil
- Brown Sugar: is partially responsible for adding sweetness to the recipe as well as moisture
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Apple sauce provides a deeper flavor and cuts down on the refined sugars
- Greek yogurt: adds protein and reacts with the baking soda to help the muffins rise a bit. To make these dairy-free I suggest using coconut yogurt or something similar.
- Large Eggs: Adds structure and stability to baked goods
- Vanilla: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract is the perfect amount of vanilla. It shines beautifully in the recipe.
- Shredded carrots: You’ll need two cups of shredded carrots. Carrots and moisture and fiber to the muffins. Simply shred them on a box grater once peeled
- Mix-ins: I use shredded sweetened coconut, raisins, and walnuts. These add, color, and texture to the muffins. They pair beautifully with the cinnamon and ginger in the recipe. The other ingredient that you won’t find in other carrot cake muffin recipes – oats! The rolled oats – not oat flour. I sprinkle them in the muffin tin and on top of the muffins to add a nutty taste and some texture.
FAQs about this recipe
I know a lot of recipes call for honey or maple syrup. The truth is, I’ve never tested this recipe with a liquid sweetener to I’m unsure if that will work.
Some people like using ground cloves or a little grating of nutmeg, feel free to spruce these as you’d like!
I keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. If it’s particularly warm where you live, I’d store them in the refrigerator and then reheat a muffin for a few seconds in the microwave or just bring it to room temperature on the counter before enjoying! For longer storage, placed cooled muffins into a freezer-safe bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other muffin recipes to try:
- Outrageous Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free or Not!)
- Warm Lemon Zucchini Muffins
- Spiced Chai Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
- Lighter Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
- French Toast Cups with Coconut Almond Streusel
Super Moist and Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour I use 50:50 whole wheat and all purpose
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup melted coconut oil see notes
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups carrots finely shredded
- ½ cup shredded coconut sweetened
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- ¼ cup rolled oats divided
Instructions
- PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. If you want, you can line your cupcake pan with paper liners. Or spray the insides with cooking spray. Sprinkle half the oats on the liners, set aside.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour(s), baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, set aside.
- WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl with a whisk, hand mixer, or stand mixer, on medium speed, combine the brown sugar and oil. Beat in the yogurt and apple sauce until fully combined – about 1 minute. Mixture will be gritty and thin. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- BATTER: With a spatula, manually stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined and all flour pockets are gone – do not overmix. Fold in the finely shredded carrots, shredded coconut, raisins, and walnuts. The muffin mixture will be thick. Pour into prepared cupcake pans. Sprinkle the remaining oats on top and shaved coconut too if you'd like.
- BAKE: for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Let cool for several minutes before devouring!
Notes
- After making these muffins more than a dozen times after originally posting the recipe back in 2014, i've found that I prefer them with ⅔ cup of oil rather than the originally stated amount of '¾ cup'. However either amount will work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Greetings from Sydney Australia, I’m so looking forward to making your recipe in the next day or two and was just wondering may I please have the gram measurements for the flower and the oil? Here in Australia our cup measurements are different to yours the US. Thank you so much. I look forward to your response
Pretty good but unless you like them really sweet I think a packed one third of a cup of brown sugar and one third cup of raisins is more enough
HI MARZIA: This recipe sounds amazing and I plan to make the muffins this weekend. Since we just got back from Hawaii last week I intend to try the Macadamia Nuts substitute that someone else suggested; that sounds really good.
Just a quick question; is there a light sugar glaze I can make to top the muffins right after baking??
THANK YOU
JIM
Hi Jim! So glad to hear you plan on giving these a try! If you wanted to add a light glaze, I’d mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk in a bowl and then dip or drizzle this on top! Hope you enjoy the muffins 🙂
Awesome recipe. Excellent muffins that baked up perfectly and tasted even better than they looked. I had to substitute/improvise on a few ingredients, but they tender and tasty. Definitely a new family favorite!
Absolutely the best muffins I’ve ever made. I am now putting probably my 30th batch in the oven. Moist and nutritious. Almost an impossible combination but this recipe does it! Takes a bit longer to make but totally worth every second. I added a ripe banana instead of applesauce( didn’t have any)
and it worked out great.
If I don’t have applesauce could I use extra Greek yogurt instead? Or would you recommend grated apple instead? Or is there no good swap out for apple sauce?
Great recipe. I topped them with a light cream cheese glaze and *chef’s kiss*
I have made this so many times and they are the best muffin recipe!
These muffins are delicious!! I made a few slight changes but I feel like I still staid true to the recipe. I used butter instead of coconut oil bc I didnt have any. Also, I used Bobs GF 1:1 Baking Flour, and I omitted the coconut (my kids dont like it). I also forgot to add the oats. The flavor of these muffins is so warm and delicious. They smell so good in the house. I made these because I like to have something to eat as soon as I wake up – and I wanted something that felt nutritious and would keep me satiated. Thank you!
I made your carrot muffin recipe yesterday and they were very good however I did find that they had a metallic taste which I believe may be due to the 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Next time I will reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon and also add 1 teaspoon baking powder to help them rise. I also found the 2/3 cup of coconut oil to produce a greasy muffin. I would reduce this to 1/2 cup coconut oil next time (perhaps even less). That is usually the amount I try to stick to when using coconut oil in my baked goods and results are consistently good and moist. Your recipe produced 14 muffins of which only 5 are left so that’s a very good sign!! Everyone gobbled them up! Thank you!
These muffins look so tasty. I’m adding this to my favorites.
I absolutely love this recipe. I have made it three times in the past six weeks and shared the muffins with friends. They love them also. This will be a staple at our house. The oatmeal on top adds to the taste and the look. Super good!!! I took a picture but don’t do Instagram. Email me and I will send it to you and I will send it to you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal on top, Elizabeth – that’s my favorite part! Thank you for taking the time to circle back and leave a comment 🙂