Home > Desserts > Muffins & Quick Breads > Healthy Carrot Muffins Healthy Carrot Muffins April 14, 2022 | 4 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. These Healthy Carrot Muffins are loaded to the brim with flavor while being made with good-for-you ingredients. No dairy, no gluten, and no refined sugars! Additionally, these muffins are vegan and vegetarian. Try some of our other nutritious treats like these Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins, Healthy Ice Cream (no bananas!), or Healthy Brownies! Healthy Carrot Muffins These are seriously the best healthy muffins ever! They are ridiculously flavorful, deeply spiced, and have a wonderfully moist texture. My three kids ate the entire batch in one day the first time I made them and begged for more. We’ve gone through about eight bags of carrots the last few weeks making more of these muffins and I think it’s safe to say this recipe is going to get made a lot throughout the years! Are Carrot Muffins Healthy? While there are certainly different definitions of “healthy” that can differ from person to person, I would consider these to be very nutritious muffins. For starters, Healthy Carrot Muffins use no refined sugar; instead, we’re using natural sugars derived from plant sources. Pure maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees and dates are fruit from a type of palm. Foods with natural sugars (like fruits, milk, and cheese) are different from those with refined sugars. Refined sugar typically starts with sugar cane or sugar beets which are then processed to extract the sugar. Next, instead of using any type of flour, we use plain old-fashioned oats as the base. We blend up the oats to form a consistency similar to flour. That’s followed by protein-packed eggs and coconut oil which is filled with fatty acids the body needs (and is linked to improving cognitive function, metabolism, hair and skin health [source]), health-promoting spices, and of course, loads of carrots! And if you want to really feel like you’re getting a ton of benefits, you’ve got to read this article which shares some of the ways carrots aid our bodies. How To Make Healthy Carrot Muffins You won’t believe how easy Healthy Carrot Muffins are to make! We literally add everything to a blender and blend it — no other bowls or mixing utensils required! While quick and simple to make, you do need a good, powerful blender (think Blendtec® or Vitamix®) to break down the oats, dates, and carrots. If you don’t have a powerful blender, I’d recommend a powerful food processor; just be sure to scrape down the sides often. Let’s Chat Carrots Use whole carrots and grate them yourself on the large holes of a grater. Avoid packaged pre-shredded carrots; they are hard, dry, and far less flavorful. When you grate your own carrots you’ll notice how much more moisture they have– which is a must for the recipe to properly work (we’re relying on that moisture!). Use a grating attachment on a food processor to grate carrots quickly! And, after you’ve made these healthy moist muffins, use leftover carrots to prepare this Carrot Smoothie (it tastes like a milkshake!), Carrot Soup, or Carrot Cake Cupcakes. Working With Dates The softer and fresher the dates, the better these muffins work out! Soften dates if needed. Here’s a quick way to revive stale or hard dates. If the dates are too hard, they won’t blend up very well or integrate nicely into the muffins. Before blending, make sure to remove any pits from the dates to avoid damaging your blender. Healthy Carrot Muffins Recipe Tips Ensure all ingredients are in fact gluten-free: While the ingredients in these muffins are naturally gluten-free, make sure to check all your ingredient labels to verify they weren’t processed in a facility with gluten. Scrape the sides of the blender often. Stop the blending and scrape down the edges of the blender with a spatula or table knife frequently. We want to ensure everything is getting blended in well. Generously grease the muffin tin. I don’t recommend muffin liners; the batter sticks to the liners. Measure the coconut oil when melted. Measure 1/2 cup of melted (not hardened) coconut oil and pour it over the dates. The oil will help the dates blend easier. Scrape everything out of the blender. The finished batter is very thick and quite sticky, so take your time scraping it all out into the muffin tins. For the best, high-rise muffins we need to use every bit of the batter! STORAGE Storing Healthy Carrot Muffins Once cooled, store the muffins in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature. These muffins are best eaten within 2-3 days. Honestly, we like them the best on day 2; the flavors from the spices have intensified nicely. To freeze*/thaw: Cool muffins completely before storing. To freeze: Wrap Healthy Carrot Muffins individually in plastic wrap and then place all the wrapped muffins in large freezer bags. To thaw: Set out at room temperature or heat frozen muffins in the microwave. *There is some loss of texture and flavor when freezing and thawing these muffins. More nutritious snack recipes Healthy Chocolate Cookies with peanut butter Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes with oats and chocolate chips Healthy Banana Muffins with Greek yogurt Cookies and Cream Energy Bites with Oreo-inspired crumbs throughout Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake with chocolate chips QUICK TIPUse a good nonstick muffin tin for easy muffin removal. I can’t say enough good things about this muffin pan; these Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins always come out perfectly! FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Healthy Carrot Muffins 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe These Healthy Carrot Muffins are loaded to the brim with flavor while being made with good-for-you ingredients. No dairy, no gluten, and no refined sugars! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Healthy Carrot Muffins 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe These Healthy Carrot Muffins are loaded to the brim with flavor while being made with good-for-you ingredients. No dairy, no gluten, and no refined sugars! Course Breakfast, Snack Cuisine American, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian Keyword healthy carrot cake muffins, healthy carrot muffins Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Cook Time 22 minutes minutes Total Time 42 minutes minutes Servings 12 muffins Chelsea Lords Calories 166kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.52 EquipmentA good muffin tin and nonstick sprayPowerful blender (think Blendtec or Vitamix) Ingredients▢ 2 cups old-fashioned oats▢ 7-8 whole fresh/soft Medjool dates (Note 1)▢ 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (measured when melted)▢ 1/4 cup pure maple syrup▢ 2 large eggs▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg▢ 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract▢ 2 cups grated carrots (Note 2)US - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease 12 cavities of a muffin pan with nonstick spray (muffin liners won't work well).BLEND OATS: Add 2 leveled cups of oats to a large and powerful blender or food processor. Blend until the oats resemble flour -- a fine powder, about 60-90 seconds. If needed, stir and continue blending to break up larger chunks of oats. BLEND OTHER INGREDIENTS: Remove the pits and coarsely chop the dates. Measure to get 3/4 cup and then add into the blender on top of the oats. Pour the melted coconut oil on top of the dates. Blend for 60 seconds, stopping the blender to scrape down sides as needed. Add in all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the carrots. Blend until smooth, about 60-90 seconds. Finally, add in the grated carrots and stir through. Then blend once more, about 30 seconds or until broken down and integrated. (Continue to stop the blender and scrape down sides as needed.)FINISH BATTER: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups -- the batter should fill exactly 12 cavities about 3/4 the way full. The batter is thick and sticky (and hard to work with), but scrape every bit of batter out into the pan. Smooth the tops of the muffins with a clean finger.BAKE: Bake for 21-25 minutes or until no longer gooey/wet looking on top and the sides are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 3-4 minutes before gently removing (use the tines of a fork to gently coax out the muffins). Set muffins on a cooling rack to finish cooling.ENJOY: Enjoy muffins warm; they are even better on the second day! Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. Best enjoyed within 2-3 days. Freeze leftover muffins. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Medjool dates: Remove pits and coarsely chop before adding to the blender. Once chopped, you should get 3/4 cup (117g) of dates. The softer and fresher the dates, the better these muffins work out! (Here’s a quick way to revive stale or hard dates if needed.) If the dates are too hard, they won’t blend up very well or integrate nicely into the muffins. Note 2: Carrots: Use whole carrots and grate them yourself on the large holes of a grater. Measure to ensure you have a full 2 cups. Avoid packaged pre-shredded carrots; they are hard, dry, and far less flavorful. When you grate your own carrots you’ll notice how much more moisture the carrots have-- which is a must for the recipe to properly work (we're relying on that moisture!). Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2983IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I ran out of Ezekiel bread this morning and decided to try your Healthy Carrot Muffins recipe for breakfast. The muffins came out delicious. I followed your recipe by making one little change since I didn’t have coconut oil. I used olive oil and like I said: “I loved the results!” Thank you so much for sharing Reply
I don’t think it would be the perfect substitute here just because baking can be so finicky–especially with gluten-free goods! That said, I haven’t ever baked with prunes, so this is just me guessing! Wish I could be of more help. Reply
