Healthy carrot muffins contain less sugar than regular muffins, and they’re softer than any muffin you’ve ever had! They also contain grated carrots, coconut, and sultanas. easy, healthy, and delicious!
Healthy carrot muffins!?
If I ever had to choose between a bagel and a muffin, first, it would be a major life decision, and second, I would choose the muffin. Can you tell I’ve given this a lot of thought? Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against bagels. In fact, I love them to bits. Especially the sesame ones with the veggie spread on top when they’re toasted. Oh, yeah, baby. Wait, aren’t we supposed to be talking about muffins? Give me all the carbs, okay?
But muffins like these healthy carrot muffins hold a special place in my heart. Especially for breakfast. Am I the only one who gets out of bed and wants something sweet to wake up my taste buds? My husband is the exact opposite. He doesn’t think about anything sweet until he eats his “real” breakfast, also known as a salty breakfast and coffee. Then he moves on to “dessert for breakfast,” as he calls it. It’s so extravagant, and I love it.
There’s something about a warm muffin. the sweet smell of bread. how the warmth radiates from the paper liner. It’s easy for me to please; I’ll take any flavor. Whether it’s chocolate, lemon, blueberry, or banana
Thank goodness I’ve never had to make such crazy decisions.
It’s been 3 years since I posted this recipe and it was time to update the pictures. It turned out well since I always make these muffins in the spring for Easter.
I call them “healthy carrot muffins” because they use half whole-wheat flour and less sugar than traditional muffins. And friends, when I say these muffins turn out SUPER moist, I mean exactly that. I know, I know that word. But really, wait until you open one up and take your first bite. They’re soft and chewy and don’t have a single dry crumb.
These carrot cake muffins are great. simple and straightforward. Much better than the stale bar version, perfect! And I don’t often say it’s perfect. —too wrong. Needless to say, at the time of writing this article, I had a muffin (no, really, I did). I wouldn’t be surprised to find a few crumbs lying around the keyboard later.
What I like most about these muffins is that you don’t need any mixer equipment to make them. Sometimes you just want to grab a whisk and make it the old-fashioned way while standing there lost in thought, or, as in my case, listening to podcasts. Is that kind of thing – listening in the rapture?
As you know, carrots are the star of the show, but we use raisins, crunchy walnuts, and shredded coconut to add even more flavor. One thing I like to do is sprinkle a handful of oatmeal on the bottom of the muffin tin before we pour in the muffin batter, and then sprinkle another pinch of oatmeal on top of the batter. This gives the muffins a nice crispy crust and makes the tops much prettier, don’t you think?
As with most of my muffin recipes, I prefer to use coconut oil for these carrot muffins. Vegetable or canola oil will also work, but I find that the natural sweetness of coconut oil adds a special flavor to the muffins. Have you ever tried using coconut oil in baking? I swear you have.
You can serve them to your family and friends without hesitation because we use ingredients like unsweetened applesauce and Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream or even mayonnaise if you want them to have a nice buttery richness, but I always use 0% fat Greek yogurt to make them healthier. Using applesauce reduces the amount of sugar we add to these muffins, which is always a good thing
These muffins contain 2 cups of grated carrots and tons of crunchy ingredients, and let me tell you, they go great with a cup of coffee in the morning. They also freeze really well, so if you and the cat (or in my case, just me on weekdays) put them in zip-top bags in the freezer and just reheat them in the microwave when it’s hunger time at 3 o’clock. Or when you get out of bed two minutes before you have to get ready for work. They work really well in all kinds of situations.
I bet you can’t eat just one of them, the good news is they are good for you.
These super moist and healthy carrot cake muffins are my favorite!
YIELD: 14-16 MUFFINS
Super Moist and Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
prep time 15 MINUTES cook time 20 MINUTES total time 35 MINUTES
Ingredients
2 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 AP)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt and g went for each type of water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
⅔ cup melted coconut oil (see notes).
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 of the y of ya of the Greek
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, raisins, and Grenoble nuts
1/4 cup d av div div div div div div
Instructions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. If you like, line your muffin tray with paper liners. Or spray the inside with baking spray. Sprinkle half of the rolled oats on the ramekins and set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, using a whisk, hand mixer, or immersion blender, combine brown sugar and oil on medium speed. Stir in the yogurt and applesauce until everything is well blended, about 1 minute. The mixture will be grainy and fine. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
Using a spatula, mix the dry ingredients by hand with the wet ingredients until just combined and no lumps of flour remain – do not over-stir. Add the finely chopped carrots, shredded coconut, raisins, and walnuts. The muffin mixture will be thick. Pour it into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining rolled oats and coconut flakes on top, if using any.
Bake the muffins for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or there are just a few crumbs left. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before eating!
Notes
Having baked these muffins more than a dozen times since the recipe was published in 2014, I’ve found that I prefer to make them with ⅔ cup of oil rather than the ¾ cup originally specified. However, any other amount will do.
The original recipe also called for half a tablespoon of cinnamon, rather than the two teaspoons I use now.
