Get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious Carrot Muffins recipe. These muffins are the perfect spring recipe for breakfast on the go!
This recipe makes twelve muffins and costs about $7.96 to make. That’s just $0.66 per muffin.
Once Springtime hits, I am all about the carrot recipes. This Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake Copycat, Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies, Easy Carrot Cake, and these Carrot Muffins are at the top of my baking list every Spring.
Healthy Carrot Muffins
I LOVE CARROT CAKE, and I 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!
Of course, 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.
I came up with this healthy muffin recipe to satisfy my constant carrot cake craving. My family loves these so much; I’ve made them every week this month!
These Carrot Muffins are packed full of flavor and nutrients. They have the perfect amount of spice and crunch without being too sweet.
Muffins make a fabulous breakfast on the go or an afternoon snack. The moist, light, fluffy, and cake-like texture of each Carrot Muffin is tough to resist.
INGREDIENTS AND COST
Per Serving Cost: $0.66
Recipe Cost: $7.96
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour – $1.50
- ¼ cup cornstarch – $0.01
- 2 teaspoons baking powder – $0.08
- 1 teaspoon baking soda – $0.01
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – $0.52
- ½ teaspoon salt – $0.01
- 2 large eggs – $0.20
- ⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar – $0.29
- ⅓ cup canola oil – $0.16
- 1 ⅓ cup buttermilk – $0.77
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract – $1.36
- 1 ½ cups carrots – $0.21
- ½ cup golden raisins – $0.59
- ⅔ cup pecans – $2.16
NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.
HOW TO MAKE CARROT MUFFINS
- First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line the muffin tin with paper liners.
- Next, using a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, ⅓ cup of sugar, canola oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- After making a well in the middle of the flour mixture, pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk just until combined.
- Next, fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans.
- Fill the muffin tin with the batter, filling them ⅘ of the way full. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining raw sugar.
- Finally, bake for 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
***For full recipe details see the recipe card below.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
- My recipe uses pecans, but you can either leave them out or use walnuts instead–whatever your preference.
- Please make sure you use nothing but whole wheat pastry flour. Any other type of flour will weigh the muffins down and the texture will be off.
STORAGE TIPS
SERVE: You can serve these plain, with a little bit of cream cheese, or with some of my whipped butter.
STORE: These muffins will keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
FREEZE: Once the muffins are cooled, place them in a freezer safe container. Freeze for 4-5 months.
DEFROST: Defrost at room temperature for 2-4 hours.
COOK’S TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS
- box grater
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- muffin tin
- paper liners
- wire rack
- whole wheat pastry flour
- sugar in the raw
- golden raisins
RECIPE FAQ’S
First, do not overbeat the batter when mixing the dry and wet ingredients. Doing so will make the muffins tough. It can also help to use room temperature ingredients, as they tend to create a smoother batter that traps air and expands while baking, thus making a lighter and fluffier muffin.
Using this recipe has about 279 calories per muffin.
Recipes typically call for butter to add more taste to the recipe. We know that butter makes most things taste better! However, it is also a less healthy option than oil. For example, using oil in a muffin recipe typically results in a lighter muffin that stays tender and moist longer than a muffin made with butter.
MORE BREADS
- Banana Cinnamon Muffins
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Best Bran Muffins
- Apple Muffins
- Almond Coffee Cake Ring
- Pumpkin Honey Muffins
- Mom’s Zucchini Bread
- Cranberry Bread
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 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup peeled and grated carrots grated on small holes of box grater
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
PREP OVEN AND MUFFIN TIN:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the oven rack in the middle position. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
MIX MUFFIN BATTER:
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl or large measuring cup, add the eggs, ⅓ cup of 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 overbeat (that will make the muffins tough!).
- Next, fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans.
FILL MUFFIN TINS AND BAKE:
- Distribute the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about ⅘ 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 of moist crumbs.
COOL AND SERVE:
- Cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Video
Notes
- Over-mixing will make these muffins tough. Just mix until no more flour streaks remain, a few little lumps are okay.
Nutrition
Do you love Carrot Cake? Then, 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
Dorothy Boucher says
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 says
That sounds like a great idea. Enjoy!
Nicole says
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 says
Hi Nicole,
The calorie information is clearly wrong. There must be a glitch in the program. Sorry. 🙁
Dayna says
YUM! I love carrot cake muffins!
Hannah Healy says
Yum! I love carrot cake! Love the convenience of a muffin!
Jillian says
Me, too!
Renee Gardner says
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 says
I use low-fat buttermilk.
Diana says
Love how you added raisins to this healthier version of carrot cake muffins, I must try your recipe YUM!
Ginny says
What a great way to serve carrot cake – as a muffin! I love it.
Traci says
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 says
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 says
These look amazing. Can’t wait to try making them over the holidays!
Jillian says
Thanks you, enjoy!
Claudia Lamascolo says
Does it count being healthy if you eat the whole batch OMG These are so delicious we are addicted great recipe~
Andrea says
These healthy carrot muffins sound Marvelous. I really like that you used pecans as I prefer them to walnuts. Can’t wait to make these.
Tara says
These muffins definitely do look perfect for a light spring breakfast! That texture sounds amazing too. Yum!
Sharon says
So yummy! I promptly froze half the batch so I wouldn’t eat them all. Perfect for snacks or an on-the-go breakfast. Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂
Tavo says
Absolutely delicious; thank you for this fantastic muffins recipe! I will make it again!!