• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Celebrating Sweets
  • All Recipes
  • Dessert
    • Brownies & Bars
    • Cake & Cupcakes
    • Cookies
    • Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts
    • Pies & Tarts
  • Drinks & Cocktails
  • Main Dishes
  • Breakfast
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Fall Favorites
  • Holiday Recipes
  • Drinks & Cocktails
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Healthier Recipes » Healthy Pumpkin Carrot Apple Muffins

Healthy Pumpkin Carrot Apple Muffins

Published: Nov 22, 2015 · Modified: Oct 27, 2021 by Allison · 24 Comments

  • Share
  • Email
Jump to Recipe

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins – Tender, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins filled with shredded apples and carrots. Similar to pumpkin bread and carrot cake – but healthier!

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins ona white plate with a pumpkin in the background.

Hello, friends! I originally shared this recipe 2 years ago, and I decided to update the pictures and make a few minor tweaks to the recipe itself. As we approach the holiday season and the over indulgence that goes along with it, these healthy muffins are great for those times that you want to make a healthier choice. Thanksgiving breakfast, anyone?

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

  • Healthy Pumpkin Bread
  • Healthy Apple Crisp
  • Pumpkin Cupcakes
  • Pumpkin Coffee Creamer
  • Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Two pumpkin muffins stacked on top of each other.

I have Pumpkin Muffins, Apple Muffins, and Carrot Muffins, but this recipe combines the flavors of all three! Check out all the good (and good for you!) ingredients going on inside these Healthy Pumpkin Muffins.

How to make pumpkin muffins step by step.

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

  • Pumpkin puree adds moisture, flavor and nutrients.
  • Grated carrots blend right in with the pumpkin and make these muffins taste similar to carrot cake.
  • Grated apple adds sweetness and fiber.
  • Pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon add the warm cozy flavors of fall.
  • Unsweetened applesauce keeps the muffins moist and allows us to reduce the oil without sacrificing texture.
  • Wheat bran, ground flaxseed or oats bump up the nutritional value.
  • A combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour makes these muffins tender yet sturdy enough to hold the apple and carrots.

Shredded carrots and grated apples in pumpkin muffin batter.

If you’re a fan of pumpkin bread or carrot cake, you will love. I found they have similar flavors to both – with a lot less guilt!

These muffins are just barely sweet, but not so sweet that you’ll need to clock extra time at the gym after eating a couple. I give the option of drizzling the muffins with a little cream cheese frosting. My kids love them this way, and let’s be honest….I do too! Choose to add the frosting, or leave it off.

Plate of pumpkin muffins topped with white icing.

Nibble these Healthy Pumpkin Muffins for breakfast, snack on them throughout the day, or enjoy them as a healthy dessert.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! SUBSCRIBE to our free EMAIL LIST – LIKE us on FACEBOOK – Follow on INSTAGRAM

Recipe

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins ona white plate with a pumpkin in the background.

Healthy Pumpkin Carrot Apple Muffins

Tender, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins filled with shredded apples and carrots. Similar to pumpkin bread and carrot cake - but healthier!
4.67 from 12 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 15 -18
Calories: 187kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Muffins:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup wheat bran, ground flaxseed or old fashioned oats
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil or canola oil
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 ½ cups grated carrots, (see note)
  • 1 ½ cups grated apple, (see note)
  • ½ cup raisins or chopped walnuts, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional):

  • 2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons skim milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 15-18 muffin cups. Set aside
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, wheat bran/flaxseed/oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
  • In a large bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, and applesauce until combined.
  • Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add carrots, apple, and raisins and stir until evenly distributed, being careful not to over mix.
  • Evenly divide the batter between muffin cups, filling about ⅔ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out without raw batter on it. Cool in muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from the pan to continue cooling.

Frosting:

  • With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of milk. Beat for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add more milk of necessary. Drizzle frosting over the top of cooled muffins (I placed the frosting in a plastic bag, snipped the corner, and squeezed it onto the muffins).

Notes

I grate the apples on the medium holes of a box grater, and the carrots on the fine holes of a box grater.
Recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4765IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
« Creamy Cheesy Slow Cooker Potatoes
Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Another Random

    September 10, 2022 at 11:33 am

    4 stars
    Yum! Great way to use up apples, carrots and pumpkin purée. I used all purpose white flour instead of the two different kinds. Substituted applesauce for (sweetened) apricot jam, used less brown sugar, and added chocolate chips. Turned out good.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

About

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....

Dessert Recipes

Slice of cinnamon roll cake on a white plate.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Donuts covered in chocolate glaze and colored sprinkles.

Baked Vanilla Donuts with Vanilla and Chocolate Glaze

Blueberry Pie Filling in a glass jar with a gold spoon.

Blueberry Pie Filling

Butterfinger pie in a white pie plate topped with swirls of whipped cream.

Butterfinger Pie

A close up of a piece of chocolate cake on a plate.

Mocha Poke Cake

Closeup of brown butter cookie with a drizzle of icing.

Brown Butter Cookies

More Dessert Recipes...

Popular Recipes:

Carrot cake cupcake topped with swirled brown sugar frosting on a grey plate.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Stack of three peanut butter bars.

Peanut Butter Bars

A sandwich sitting on top of a wood cutting board.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Stack of three brownies on parchment paper

Fudgy Homemade Brownies

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Jam Filled Oatmeal Bars

Loaf of banana nut bread cut open on a piece of parchment paper.

Banana Nut Bread

More Popular Recipes...

Logo for country living, food network, buzzfeed, msn, delish, good housekeeping

FREE BAKING GUIDE

Tips & Tricks for the Home Baker

Thank you!

Check your email to confirm your subscription.

.

Footer

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright 2013-2023 Celebrating Sweets

All images and content are copyright protected. Please contact me for permission to use my original images. If you want to republish a recipe, please re-write it in your own words, or link back to my post for the recipe.