Healthy Pumpkin Apple Muffins – Tender, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins filled with shredded apples and carrots. Similar to pumpkin bread and carrot cake – but healthier!
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?
Healthy Pumpkin Apple Muffins
I hesitated using the word “healthy” in the title of this recipe because I don’t want you to think for a second that any flavor or texture was sacrificed in order to make these good for you. I’m usually not a fan of healthy baked goods. They tend to be dry and rubbery and somewhat flavorless. But these muffins are none of those.
Pumpkin Carrot Apple Muffins
They are moist and light and perfectly spiced. They’re just barely sweet, but not so sweet that you’ll need to clock extra time at the gym after eating a couple. If you’re a fan of pumpkin bread or carrot cake, these are right up your alley. I found they have similar flavors to both – with a lot less guilt! I even drizzled a few of them with a little cream cheese frosting. Nibble them for breakfast, snack on them throughout the day, or enjoy them as a healthy dessert.
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Healthy Pumpkin Carrot Apple Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup wheat bran or ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or canola oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (see note)
- 1 1/2 cups grated apple (see note)
- 1/2 cup raisins optional
Cream Cheese Frosting (optional):
- 2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 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, 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 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 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).
Recipe 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
Sounds like a perfect breakfast for me! Yum!
Can you post original pumpkin, carrot, apple muffin recipe? Thanks
Hi Dalia. I just made a few small changes (the biggest being that I doubled the recipe) Below are the ingredients for the original recipe:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons wheat bran or ground flax
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons canola oil, vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup grated carrots
3/4 cup grated apples
1/4 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease 9 muffin cups.
Combine the first 8 ingredients in one bowl. Whisk the brown sugar, egg, pumpkin, oil and milk in another bowl. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, then fold in the carrots, apples, and raisins. Divide evenly between 9 muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. See recipe card for notes and more detailed instructions.
Hi I was wondering if you could post how to make the pumpkin puree.
Do you bake the pumpkin? Or cut it up and saute? Or maybe it’s boiled? Lol its my first time cooking a pumpkin.
Thanks
Hi Amira. I use canned pumpkin puree. I have never made this recipe with fresh pumpkin so I’m not sure if it would change the consistency.
Ok,
I found a recipe for pumpkin puree from “the pioneer woman” I will test it out with this recipe and tell you how it goes ^_^