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Get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious Carrot Cake Muffins recipe. These carrot muffins are the perfect spring recipe for breakfast on the go!
I LOVE CARROT CAKE! I just can’t get enough of it, I love everything about it carrot cake: the spice cake, the bits of delicious carrot, the nuts, and of course, the cream cheese frosting! Carrot cake isn’t the healthiest choice, but it’s just so good! And this is where my Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe comes in.
To satisfy my constant carrot cake craving, I came up with this healthy muffin recipe. My family loves these so much; I’ve made them every week this month!
Cook’s Note – Healthy Carrot Muffins Recipe
- Over-mixing will make these muffins tough. Just mix until no more flour streaks remain, a few little lumps are okay.
- My recipe uses pecans, but you can either leave them out or use walnuts instead–whatever your preference.
- These muffins will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links.
Cook’s Tools & Ingredients – Carrot Muffins:
- box grater
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- muffin tin
- paper liners
- wire rack
- whole wheat pastry flour
- sugar in the raw
- golden raisins
Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons raw brown sugar turbinado sugar divided
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups peeled and grated carrots grated on small holes of box grater
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the oven rack in the middle position. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, add the eggs, 1/3 cup of the sugar, canola oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk until combined, but don't over beat (that will make the muffins tough!). Fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans.
- Distribute the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about 4/5 of the way full. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining raw brown sugar. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out with just a couple moist crumbs.
Video
Nutrition
This Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins recipe was first published on March 28, 2015. Here are some of the original pictures:
Do you love Carrot Cake? Check out more of my Carrot Cake recipes!
- Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies with Toasted Coconut
- Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake – a Cheesecake Factory Copycat
- Emergency Carrot Cake
- Carrot Cake Cookie Bars
Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
Dorothy Boucher
These are all looking so yummy! to me, I love my carrot cake and by the faces of the little ones they do to 🙂 I will have to give those carrot cake whoopie pie a try 🙂 something to take camping 🙂
Jillian
That sounds like a great idea. Enjoy!
Nicole
The ingredients look pretty healthy, so I was confused as to why the calorie information says each serving (a muffin?) Is 840 calories, which is about 1.5 big macs. I think there must be a mistake unless the information is for about 4 muffins!
Jillian
Hi Nicole,
The calorie information is clearly wrong. There must be a glitch in the program. Sorry. 🙁
Dayna
YUM! I love carrot cake muffins!
Hannah Healy
Yum! I love carrot cake! Love the convenience of a muffin!
Jillian
Me, too!
Renee Gardner
I suddenly have a craving for carrot cake, but first I want to thank you for not drowning these in icing and calling them cupcakes! Vegetables always have a hidden spot in muffins in my kitchen. Your recipe calls for buttermilk – did you use full fat, low fat, or reconstituted? I have been playing around with different types lately and getting markedly different results.
Jillian
I use low-fat buttermilk.
Diana
Love how you added raisins to this healthier version of carrot cake muffins, I must try your recipe YUM!
Ginny
What a great way to serve carrot cake – as a muffin! I love it.
Traci
I love using WW pastry flour in baking…and these muffins look sooooo good! Wish I had a couple right now. I’m always up for healthy carrot cake. Pinning now!
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
Oh these are just perfect for kids.
When my boys get home from school they are always starving, but I don’t want them to fill up on junk. Usually I cut them some apple chunks, cheese cubes and a slice of toast. But these will be such a great alternative!
Thank you for sharing!
Jack Smith | BBQRecipez.com
These look amazing. Can’t wait to try making them over the holidays!
Jillian
Thanks you, enjoy!