This easy carrot muffins recipe creates a delicious, moist muffin with loads of flavor! Make a batch for a quick grab-n-go breakfast or healthy snack.
Enjoy these delicious spiced Carrot Muffins for breakfast or a quick snack!
Fresh carrots are in season just in time to make this recipe for Easter or Mother's Day. But, the carrot muffins are tasty any time of the year! Enjoy them at a brunch with your girlfriends or at a holiday party.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super moist and fluffy. By using room temperature ingredients, the carrot muffins will be incredibly moist - almost like a carrot cake!
- Easy to make and clean up! This is a one-bowl recipe, and no mixer is needed.
- Great way to sneak in veggies - When your kiddos taste this sweet breakfast treat, they won't even notice the carrots inside!
If you're looking for the same flavors, but in a smaller sized treat, make a batch of mini carrot cake muffins!
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make this carrot muffins recipe, you'll need:
Dry Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon
- baking soda, salt
Wet Ingredients
- shredded fresh carrots
- olive oil, eggs
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
📖 Time-Saving Tip - Testing Baking Soda or Baking Powder for Freshness
This simple little test can save you time and money, because if your leavener is expired, whatever you're baking wont rise in the oven! This test works for baking soda and baking powder:
- Add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda or powder to a small bowl. Stir in an equal amount of an acidic ingredient, like vinegar or citrus juice.
- If the solution doesn't start to bubble immediately, it's time to replace your leavener.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- all-purpose flour: If you'd like to make the gingerbread cake recipe gluten-free, substitute with a cup-for-cup brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- baking soda: Do not substitute baking powder for baking soda in this recipe - your muffins won't rise properly.
- olive oil: If you need a substitute, canola, vegetable, and avocado oil are all great options. Coconut oil may also work.
- white granulated sugar: To reduce the calories in your carrot muffins, feel free to use any cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option. Light brown sugar can be used instead, but your breakfast muffins will have a strong molasses flavor.
- milk: Feel free to substitute with half and half, low-fat milk, or a dairy-free alternative like almond milk.
- egg: Egg yolks are important for creating moist muffins, so I haven't tested any egg substitutes with this recipe. A flax egg might work. If you want to do some testing on your own, feel free! For tips and suggestions, read my article, Egg Substitutions for Baking.
- vanilla extract: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence.
- additions - check out these Banana Carrot Muffins if you'd like to add banana!
Carrot Muffin Recipe Variations
- Add nuts - For a bit of crunch, add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before pouring it into the muffin pan.
- Stir in fresh or dried fruit. Some golden raisins, pineapple chunks, or chopped dates would really compliment the flavor of the olive oil in the muffins.
- Use additional spices. In addition to ground cinnamon, include some ground ginger and/or ground nutmeg for a spicier carrot cake flavor.
- Make filled or stuffed muffins! Hollow out the center of each muffin and fill it with tangy cream cheese icing. There's a recipe for cream cheese icing in my carrot cake cupcakes post.
- Icings for muffins: Instead of filling the inside, top your muffins with cream cheese frosting! Alternatively, whipping up a quick vanilla or powdered sugar glaze to dip the muffins in will be just as delicious. Feeling ambitious? Make homemade buttercream frosting!
Another healthy and delicious way to sneak veggies into your breakfast is to make zucchini muffins.
How to Make Carrot Muffins
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
NOTE: Before you begin making this recipe, bring all of the ingredients, including eggs and milk, to room temperature.
- Combine the wet ingredients and shredded carrots together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir gently to combine. The correct order for combining ingredients is to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Fill each well of the muffin tin ¾ full with batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. To know for sure if the carrot muffins are ready to come out of the oven, place a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, they're ready!
Liz's Tips for Ultra Moist Muffins
- Have all ingredients at room temperature. Having everything at room temp makes it easier to combine the wet and dry ingredients without over mixing.
- A quick way to bring eggs to room temperature is to place them in a dish covered with warm water (should be warm to the touch, but not hot or boiling) for about 5 minutes.
How To Shred Carrots for Muffins
You have a few options for shredding. I find it easiest to use a food processor, but if you don't own one, it's okay... there are other ways to get the job done.
Vegetable peeler: Using a vegetable peeler will give you thin but wide carrot shavings. Depending on how fine you like them, running a knife through the shavings will make them smaller.
Box grater: Peel and trim the ends from the carrots, then use the largest holes on the box grater to shred. This should be a perfect size of freshly grated carrots for this carrot muffin recipe.
Food Processor: Peel and trim the ends from the carrots, then cut them into pieces 2 to 3 inches long. Attach the grating plate to your food processor. Feed the carrot pieces into the tube and pulse until they are grated. This is the fastest option!
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Store carrot cake muffins in an airtight container for 4-5 days at room temperature.
Store muffins in the refrigerator for 2-7 days in an airtight container.
To freeze carrot muffins, first allow them to cool completely before prepping for the freezer. Then, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer Ziploc bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
Allow them to thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Easy Carrot Muffin Recipe FAQ
No one likes a flat muffin! For fluffy and tall muffins, use room temperature ingredients. Secondly, start baking the muffins at a higher temperature for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature.
Traditionally carrot cake is an oil-based cake. The oil keeps the cake moist for days, while cakes made with butter tend to dry out sooner.
Other Sweet Breakfast Ideas
Quick and Easy Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup shredded carrots about 3 large carrots
- 2 large eggs room temperature - *see Notes
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin and/or line with paper liners.
- To a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Add shredded carrots and whisk again to combine.
- Stir in flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- Fill each muffin tin well ¾ full with muffin batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove pan from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Allow carrot muffins to cool in pan for 5-7 minutes before removing from the pan.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- The key to creating ultra moist muffins is to have all ingredients at room temperature before you start making this recipe. This makes it easier to combine the wet and dry ingredients without over mixing.
- A quick way to bring eggs to room temperature is to place them in a dish of warm water (should be warm to the touch, but not hot or boiling) for about 5 minutes.
Abi
I have never had success with muffins no matter what I do what recipe I try. But finally I’ve had success with this recipe and it will be my new go too!