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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!
What can I substitute for maple syrup? I use sugar free syrup because I am diabetic.
You can try that!
This is a great recipe, lots of flavour. I have exchanged the walnuts with pumpkin seeds and added 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut to the recipe. I love the maple syrup flavour too. Delicious and have been a hit with my work mates.
Delicious! I made six muffins instead of twelve and cooked them a bit longer. I’m telling ya these are so good and don’t taste gluten free at all! We had them with frosting and the next day made them and just ate with butter. Either way we love them! We get our “bread” craving eased by eating these!
Absolutely the best muffin recipe I’ve ever made! Soooo good!! From The muffin to the frosting! My whole family loved them!
Just made these exactly as written and like all your other recipes, it was delicious and so very moist!! Thank you!!
Excellent easy recipe, thanks a lot.
Best Carrot muffins I’ve ever made and I new at this almond flour stuff.
If I use the butter instead of coconut oil, should it be melted?
Yes 🙂
Carrot cake for breakfast? COUNT ME IN! This was super delicious and easy to make – and hey, another excuse to eat more carrot cake? yes please!
Great to hear it!
Thank you for an awesome recipe. I tweaked it a little as I was looking for a recipe to use the leftover pulp from making Oat milk and needed just the blender. Added about 1/4 Buck Wheat Flour as the batter looked a little too runny and had to bake for an extra 10 minutes. But the result was super good, fluffy muffins with just the right amount of moistness. Got the ‚Best muffin ever‘ rating from hubby :). Will be a regular at our home.
How many are carrots in grams please, makes one cup of cooker pureed carrots?
I haven’t calculated in grams, unfortunately!
I made thesense muffins. They are dryer than I expected. In the list for the paleo version u don’t have milk in the ingrediet list. Should I have added the milk mentioned in the first version?
I used 1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup of rice flour. I use these flours weekly for the muffins I regularly. And those muffins are moist unlike the ones I made today.
They don’t generally need milk, unless your particular brand of coconut flour is considerably thicker. Perhaps they were cooked too long?
I’ll try again and let you no how it goes
Hello, I want to start trying some of your recipes, but I had a question for the protein powder. The one you link to is always the vanilla flavor. Do you use that flavor in everything or do you use the chocolate flavor for say…your flourless brownie recipe (link on page is to the vanilla)? I’d like to try both this recipe and the flourless brownies so I’m not sure if I should buy 1 protein powder flavor or two. This is for the growing naturals rice protein powder that is vegan. Thank you.
Hi there! Definitely use chocolate for chocolate-esque recipes 🙂
Do you not recommend doing the grain free version?
I prefer the flourless version 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. I make these all the time! Was wondering about nutrition info: does it include the frosting or no? I wanted to know about the protein content per muffin without the frosting. Thanks again!
Can you do all coconut flour? I’m starting a low oxalate diet for health reasons and can’t have nut products, but I can’t have oats either!
I haven’t tried that, sorry!
I am not finding a link to the protein powder frosting – only to the protein powder itself.
Hi Sandy- Here is where the frosting recipe is- https://thebigmansworld.com/2016/02/25/healthy-flourless-cinnamon-bun-breakfast-cake/
I don’t understand what needs to be done for the grain free option
Angela, the grain free option is directly under the flourless option.
Carrot cake is my favourite. I’m definitely going to make these!
Carrot cake is Riley’s favorite! I just eat it for the cream cheese frosting. I think you know how I roll when it comes to brunch. Give me eggs, home fries, and a mimosa and the rest is optional!
This is like the reverse version of my birthday plans. Because I’ll first eat carrot cake at home and then go out for a savory brunch later 🙂
P.S. if your chest is still not ripped in a month we shall consider plan b 😉
Hmmm…savory or sweet for brunch? That’s a good question, mate. We don’t brunch all that often (mainly since we’re up at the crack of dawn with Robbie…and I couldn’t make it all the way to brunch!), but I usually do sweet over savory. Check that, I do sweet at home and savory when we go out. I guess it’s because I don’t do savory breakfast at home all that often. And I’m not likely to start anytime soon now that you’ve posted these muffins! Carrot cake is one of my favorite things about Easter…watch out breakfast, carrot cake is coming!!
These make me think of spring!
May I have a copy of the coconut butter frosting or protein frosting please?
Hi Susan! For sure, it has been linked in the recipe, simply click on them 🙂