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Home » Muffins & Bread » Carrot Muffins

Carrot Muffins

Published: Mar 23, 2022 by Allison · 63 Comments

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Tender and moist Carrot Muffins are the perfect way to start the day. They are filled with grated carrots, applesauce, and cinnamon, and they can be topped with a smear of cream cheese frosting or served plain – either way, they’re delicious!

Our carrot cake obsession continues. We’ve shared Carrot Cake Cookies, Pumpkin Carrot Cake, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and Healthy Carrot Cake. But, it’s time we have carrot cake for breakfast. Don’t you agree? Carrot Muffins it is!

Carrot muffin topped with frosting and chopped walnuts.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Ease: The muffin batter comes together in under 20 minutes without an electric mixer.

Flavor: The classic flavors of carrot cake! Sweet muffins with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Options to add walnuts or orange zest.

Texture: Grated carrots and applesauce help to make these muffins soft and moist.

Versatility: Looking for a slightly healthier muffin? Try the ingredient swaps mentioned below. Want them a bit more indulgent? Top wit our small batch of cream cheese frosting.

Carrot muffin in a brown cupcake wrapper.

Recipe overview

Muffins:

Combine the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, leavening, and salt.

Whisk the wet ingredients: oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and applesauce.

Sugar, eggs, applesauce in a glass bowl

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Flour, cinnamon, eggs, sugar, in a glass bowl.

Add grated carrots and stir until combined.

Carrot muffin batter in a glass bowl.

Scoop the batter into muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Carrot muffin batter in a muffin tin

Cream cheese frosting (optional):

This small batch of frosting makes just enough for a smear of frosting on top of each muffin. If you’d prefer a more generous amount of frosting, feel free to double the frosting portion of the recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Cream cheese
  • Butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Flavorings: vanilla, cinnamon, or orange zest

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and the flavoring of your choice and beat until smooth and combined. Spread the frosting onto the tops of each muffin using a butter knife or small offset spatula.

Carrot muffin with a large bite taken out of it.

Recipe tips

  • Grate the carrots using the small holes of a box grater. Grating the carrots fine allows them to soften and almost melt into the cake while it’s baking.
  • To properly measure flour: Fluff the flour with your measuring cup, scoop a heaping portion, and level it off with the back of a knife.
  • For a more prominent cinnamon flavor, add extra cinnamon (up to 2 teaspoons total) or use cinnamon flavored applesauce in the muffin batter.
  • Flavor your cream cheese frosting with either vanilla, cinnamon, or orange zest. All three flavors pair great with the muffins.

Healthier options

If you’d like to make a few ingredient swaps to make these muffins “healthier” you can do any of the following:

  • Reduce the sugar to ½ cup
  • Use a heart healthy oil (like olive oil)
  • Swap half of the all purpose flour for white whole wheat flour
  • Omit the frosting
  • Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts into the muffin batter

More muffin recipes

  • Pumpkin Muffins
  • Lemon Blueberry Muffins
  • Banana Nut Muffins
  • Raspberry Muffins

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Carrot muffin in a brown wrapper on a wire rack

Carrot Muffins

These tender and moist Carrot Muffins are the perfect way to start the day. Top them with cream cheese frosting or enjoy them plain – either way, they're delicious!
4.95 from 35 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 10 – 12
Calories: 214kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Muffins:

  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour , see note*
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon , increase to 2 teaspoons, if desired
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1-½ cups FINELY grated carrots, loosely measured, not packed (about 2 medium-large carrots)

Frosting:

  • 2 ounces cream cheese , softened to cool room temp
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened to cool room temp
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more, if needed
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or finely grated zest of ½ a small orange
  • ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts, optional garnish

Instructions

Cupcakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 10-12 paper liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside.
  • Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until almost fully combined. Stir in carrots.
  • Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full (depending on how large your muffin cups are you will fill between 10 and 12 muffin cups). Bake for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt until combined. Add powdered sugar and flavoring of choice and beat until well combined (starting the mixer slow then increasing the speed). Add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken, if necessary. This frosting can also be placed in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to thicken up.
    Use a butter knife or small offset spatula to frost the top of each muffin. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if desired.

Notes

*To properly measure flour: Fluff the flour with your measuring cup, then scoop a heaping cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
Nutrition facts include frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 2834IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Kasia

    August 14, 2020 at 3:48 am

    I am wondering is the nutritional facts are for 1 single muffin or 100 g of it ??

    Reply
    • Allison

      August 14, 2020 at 9:42 am

      It’s per muffin.

      Reply
  2. Nicole

    September 03, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    Can I substitute Greek yoghurt for the apple sauce? I don’t have apple sauce at hand but I do have yoghurt.

    Reply
    • Allison

      September 08, 2020 at 11:06 am

      That should work. The muffins might be a bit less sweet though. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • alexandra dream suckow

        November 03, 2020 at 12:32 pm

        5 stars
        It does work and it is a bit tasteless

  3. Cheryl Evans

    September 07, 2020 at 11:21 am

    5 stars
    Can these be frozen

    Reply
    • Allison

      September 08, 2020 at 10:49 am

      Yes they can. I typically recommend 2-3 months max for muffins. Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Ellen

    September 13, 2020 at 7:34 am

    Thes look delicious! Can brown sugar be used in place of granulated sugar?

    Reply
    • Allison

      September 15, 2020 at 1:47 pm

      Yes, that should be fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Ellin

    December 06, 2020 at 6:51 am

    5 stars
    Oh my, this is the healthiest and most delicious carrot muffin recipe!
    My dad hates overly sweet stuff but he loved the muffins. He even took some to work.
    It was so moist on the inside and right amount of sweetness.

    Thank you so much for this recipe:)

    Reply
    • Allison

      December 07, 2020 at 3:34 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Pris

    January 03, 2021 at 11:05 am

    3 stars
    Not sure what happened with these, but I’m not too impressed. The muffins turned out rather dense and dry. Not a very nice crumb at all. Flavour-wise they’re alright.

    Reply
    • Allison

      January 04, 2021 at 11:17 am

      I’m sorry to hear that. Did you make any changes to the recipe?

      Reply
    • Miss

      April 10, 2021 at 8:04 am

      Perhaps you over mixed the recipe and/or possibly over baked it, aswel. Maybe, try again🙂

      Reply
  7. Julie

    February 05, 2021 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    My kid’s loved these. Made a few changes,
    Coconut oil instead of canola oil
    1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar (oops it was to be 2/3 cup but it totally worked out)
    A pinch of nutmeg and clove.
    This will be a regular item for us. I didn’t make the frosting but will make some to try.

    Reply
    • Allison

      February 05, 2021 at 12:36 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing your changes. 🙂

      Reply
    • Miss

      April 10, 2021 at 8:08 am

      👍😃😀 I did the same with a little ginger aswel and they turned out so good!! (Brown sugar makes any muffin/loaf taste better, lol. Unless they are light muffin/loaf, such as lemon etc.)
      Happy bakes❤️😃😉

      Reply
  8. Pat

    March 11, 2021 at 11:39 am

    5 stars
    Excellent! I made this just as printed and they were perfect. My family enjoyed them and want more. This will be a weekly treat. Thank you for sharing your delicious treat

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 12, 2021 at 2:36 pm

      You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Xiomara

    March 13, 2021 at 7:11 pm

    Would not adding apple sauce make a big difference?

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 16, 2021 at 9:59 am

      I’d recommend adding another “wet” ingredient in place of the applesauce. Mashed banana, pumpkin puree, vanilla yogurt, or drained crushed pineapple should work.

      Reply
  10. Karen

    April 05, 2021 at 5:50 am

    5 stars
    These muffins were delicious. I would definitely make these again and I did not change a thing in the recipe. Made 12 muffins.

    Reply
    • Allison

      April 07, 2021 at 12:29 pm

      Thanks, Karen! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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