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My healthy carrot muffins highlight the natural sweetness of carrots using whole foods. They’re gluten-free and made in one bowl!
I consider my healthy carrot cake to be the pinnacle of my career, that is, until I came up with my healthy carrot muffins!
Okay, maybe that was an overstatement, but I promise these muffins are that good! They’re light and fluffy like any good muffin, but the carrots add moisture and a sweet flavor that takes them to another level.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- They’re actually healthy. They are naturally sweetened, lower in fat, and packed with whole grains. They are also accidentally gluten-free, too.
- Made in one bowl. So, clean-up is quick.
- Fun to customize. I added walnuts and raisins to mine, but you can do what you please.
- Kid-approved. I know plenty of kids and adult picky-eaters who say they don’t like carrots, but they always come back for seconds.
If you love healthy muffins like these ones, try my healthy blueberry muffins, healthy zucchini muffins, and healthy oatmeal muffins next.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This is a great recipe, lots of flavor. I have exchanged the walnuts with pumpkin seeds and added 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut to the recipe. I love the maple syrup flavor, too. Delicious and have been a hit with my workmates.” – Jane
Ingredients needed
- Almond flour. I tested blanched almond flour and almond meal, and I preferred the flour texture. The almond meal is too coarse and makes for crumbly muffins.
- Baking soda. Gives the muffins some rise and fluffiness. If you don’t have baking soda, you can add half the amount of baking powder.
- Cinnamon and allspice. Essential spices for any good carrot recipe!
- Coconut oil OR butter. I used melted coconut oil to keep it dairy-free, but unsalted butter or vegetable oil can be used.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs.
- Maple syrup. Adds essential sweetness and moisture. You can also use honey or agave nectar.
- Grated carrots. You’ll use a full cup for these muffins, which is much more than other muffins (some call for just one tablespoon. Seriously).
- Walnuts. Optional, but I love walnuts with my carrot cake.
- Raisins. Also optional, but I like the taste and texture of half-baked raisins.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good muffin.
- Cream cheese frosting. A simple combination of light cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and sweetened with maple syrup.
How to make healthy carrot muffins
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Mix. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Whisk in the wet ingredients, except the carrots and mix-ins. Fold in the shredded carrots and mix-ins.
Step 2- Assemble. Pour the batter into the muffin tin.
Step 3- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Step 4- Frost. Beat the cream cheese, yogurt, and maple syrup until fluffy, then frost the cooled cupcakes.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make them oil-free. Use equal portions of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. The texture of the muffins will be a little dense but still delicious.
- Add more spices. Try nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or one teaspoon ground ginger for a subtle heat.
- Enhance the flavor. Fold in one teaspoon vanilla extract and a dash of sea salt.
- Make a thinner glaze. Whisk unsweetened almond milk into the frosting until it thins out, then drizzle it over the muffins.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover muffins should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
To freeze: Transfer muffins to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
Frequently asked questions
I tested this muffin batter using a flax egg and a formulated egg substitute (En-er-G egg replacer). While the muffins did turn out okay, they didn’t have the gorgeous domes and were a little too soft in the middle.
Yes! Simply swap out the cream cheese for vegan cream cheese and replace the Greek yogurt with soy or coconut yogurt.
More healthy treats with carrots
If you tried this Healthy Carrot Muffins recipe or any other recipe on my website, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
Healthy Carrot Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 4 tablespoon coconut oil softened (can use butter)
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1/4 cup walnuts optional
Cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 12-count muffin tin and fill with muffin liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Next, add the maple syrup, eggs, and coconut oil. Fold through your carrots and walnuts.
- Distribute the batter amongst the 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan completely, before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, yogurt and maple syrup until fluffy.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated April 2023, updated and republished March 2025
You mention raisins in the blog but they are not listed in the ingredients or recipe. How much do you use?
Sorry, will fix! 1/4 cup
Outstanding recipe! Delicious and nutritious.
Wow! So delicious! Perfect recepie for me! Thank you so much!!!
Very easy recipe. I doubled the anount of egg and tripled the amount of cinnamon. The muffins were much smoother and muffin’like with 6 eggs.
These are great! I replaced the almond flour with coconut flour (1/2, the amount), I was afraid these would turn out dry but they didn’t. I probably could have used a smidge more bicarb to make them a smidge lighter, but I wouldn’t say they were dense at all!