Healthy Oatmeal Carrot Muffins made with whole grain oats instead of flour, and sweetened with fruit! This wholesome muffin recipe is marvelous for eating with breakfast or as a healthy snack.
These flourless carrot muffins are loaded with fresh ingredients for a healthier muffin recipe that you’ll want to keep on constant rotation for weekday snacks or grab-and-go breakfasts.
While I confess I do love muffins that taste like actual cake, I try to keep my baked goods mindful in spite of temptation.
Which is what we’re getting into with these healthy carrot muffins.
All of the classic ingredients for carrot cake are included in these whole grain muffins, but we’re keeping it lower in sugar and fat.
Ideal for those who enjoy cooking and baking with whole foods, these muffins are not designed to taste like actual cake, but they do make a lovely wholesome treat.
The sweetness of the muffins comes entirely from fruit, although I have included an added sweetener option for those who enjoy sweeter muffins.
If you follow a grain-free diet, make my Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins, which are made with almond flour.
Also be sure to check out my Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Banana Muffins if you enjoy health-conscious baked goods made with oats.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this healthy carrot cake muffin recipe.
Ingredients for Healthy Carrot Muffins:
Quick Oats: Rather than using regular all purpose flour, we infuse these healthier muffins with complex carbs from oats. Use quick cooking oats, instant oats or old fashioned rolled oats. They get pulverized in a blender to make flour.
Unsweetened Applesauce or Ripe Bananas: Used to add natural sweetness and moisture to the muffins, we need either unsweetened applesauce or ripe bananas.
I have a slight preference for the banana version because the muffins turn out sweeter. If you use apple sauce, I recommend also adding some sweetener.
Carrots: The all star ingredient! Fresh carrots get grated up and mixed into these muffins for added texture, sweetness, and fiber.
Because we need two cups of grated carrots, I recommend buying a bag of pre-shredded carrots if you want to save time.
Eggs: We need a couple chicken eggs to help the muffins rise for a fluffy texture.
I haven’t tested the recipe using an egg replacer like flax eggs but I suspect the muffins would turn out very dense unless other changes are made.
If possible, bring the eggs to room temperature prior to starting the recipe.
Avocado Oil: A little avocado oil gives these muffins a moist crumb. You can replace it with melted butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil if you’d prefer.
Brown Sugar (Optional): Used to sweeten the muffins a touch. Use your favorite granulated sugar, including regular white sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar, brown sugar, or sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit sweetener.
I make the muffins without any added sweetener, but I have included a sweetener option in the recipe card because I believe most people prefer their muffins sweeter than I do.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent here. Baking powder helps the muffin batter rise and ensures the muffins bake evenly.
Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Sea Salt: Cinnamon and ginger are warming spices that bring lovely flavor to the muffins. Sea salt enhances all of the flavors. Be sure to include it!
Shredded Coconut, Chopped Walnuts, Raisins: Additional carrot cake goodies that make this treat lots of fun!
If you aren’t into one of these ingredients, feel free to skip it. You won’t need to make any other changes to the recipe. I love the sweet and nutty flavor these three ingredients bring.
Note that leaving out the juicy raisins will decrease the sweetness of the muffins so I’d recommend adding the optional sweetener if you omit the raisins.
Recipe Customizations:
- For sweeter muffins, use 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of avocado oil.
- Frost the muffins with your favorite store bought or homemade cream cheese frosting. Make my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting for a plant-based option. As an alternative, you can make a powdered sugar glaze.
- Use 1 3/4 cups of a gluten-free flour blend or regular oat flour rather than using oats.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for this healthy muffin recipe, let’s make it!
How to Make Healthy Oatmeal Carrot Muffins:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with paper liners. You can also spray the muffin holes with cooking spray.
Transfer the oats to a high powered blender and blend for 60 seconds, or until a flour forms.
Add the applesauce (or mashed bananas) to a large bowl along with the eggs, oil, brown sugar (if adding), and vanilla extract. Mix until the wet ingredients are completely combined.
Stir the oat flour, baking powder, sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger (dry ingredients) into the batter.
Transfer the remaining ingredients (grated carrot, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and raisins to the mixing bowl and stir everything together.
Transfer the muffin batter to the muffin pan, filling the holes all the way up. If desired, sprinkle the top of the muffins with extra shredded coconut or chopped nuts.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 22 to 28 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown on top and test clean.
A great way of telling whether or not muffins are fully cooked is by taking the internal temperature.
To do so, insert a digital thermometer into the center of a muffin and wait until the numbers stop moving. The muffin is fully cooked if it has reached 190 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Allow the muffins to cool completely before attempting to peel off a muffin paper to eat for the best results. If you try peeling off the muffin papers before the muffins have cooled, you’ll lose a decent amount of muffin to the paper.
Store muffins in a large zip lock bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
You can freeze muffins in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
The muffin form of traditional carrot cake? Let’s go!
These healthy muffins are a great source of whole grains, fruit, and dietary fiber.
This carrot muffin recipe is the perfect healthy breakfast alongside some form of protein like Greek yogurt, or afternoon snack. It is one of those great recipes you’ll want to put on repeat due to its lovely taste and healthier ingredients.
The next time you’re craving a tasty treat without refined sugars, bake a batch of these gluten-free carrot muffins!
If you enjoy healthy muffin recipes, also try out these favorites.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes:
- Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
- Sweet Potato Oatmeal Muffin Cups
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
- Spiced Apple Carrot Muffins
- Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Blueberry Almond Flour Muffins
- Oatmeal Banana Zucchini Muffins
Have your carrot cake muffins and eat them too!
Healthy Oatmeal Carrot Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or two large ripe bananas, mashed*
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar or pure maple syrup, optional**
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger optional
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots
- 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut optional
- 2/3 cup raw walnuts or pecans chopped
- 2/3 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with paper liners. You can also spray the muffin holes with cooking spray.
- Transfer the oats to a high powered blender and blend for 60 seconds, or until a flour forms.
- Add the applesauce (or mashed bananas) to a large bowl along with the eggs, oil, brown sugar (if adding), and vanilla extract. Mix until the wet ingredients are completely combined.
- Stir the oat flour, baking powder, sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger (dry ingredients) into the batter.
- Transfer the remaining ingredients (grated carrot, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and raisins to the mixing bowl and stir everything together.
- Transfer the muffin batter to the muffin pan, filling the holes all the way up. If desired, sprinkle the top of the muffins with extra shredded coconut or chopped nuts.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 22 to 28 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown on top and test clean.
- A great way of telling whether or not muffins are fully cooked is by taking the internal temperature. To do so, insert a digital thermometer into the center of a muffin and wait until the numbers stop moving. The muffin is fully cooked if it has reached 190 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
- Allow the muffins to cool completely before attempting to peel off a muffin paper to eat for the best results. If you try peeling off the muffin papers before the muffins have cooled, you’ll lose a decent amount of muffin to the paper.
Notes
Nutrition
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These are so yummy! I have made them a few times now. Pretty much exactly as directed except I use chopped prunes instead of raisins and allulose instead of brown sugar but I do add a tbsp of maple syrup. I have also cut the shredded coconut to half a cup. I also add 1 tbsp of psyllium husk. I’m prediabetic and dealing with high cholesterol so my adjustments work for reducing blood glucose spikes and increasing fiber.
Ooh, your version sounds amazing, Kim! Thanks so much for sharing. I’ll have to try these changes myself 😉
Super yummy! Lightly sweet and deliciously spiced. My one comment is that I feel like I can taste a bit of bitterness from the baking powder. Would it be okay to reduce it?
Hi Miriam! You can reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon 🙂 The muffins may not be quite as fluffy but they will still have a lovely texture. I would also recommend increasing the sweetener if you’re okay with it – Just a couple tablespoons of brown sugar will help liven up the flavor and cover the bitterness. xo
Could you please send me the receipt. Thank you
Hi Karra! The recipe is just above this comments section. For easy access, you can click the “Jump To Recipe” button at the top of the page, and you’ll be taken right there. Let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Could I use coconut oil instead of avocado?
@Bug, I googled this and it looks like you can use them interchangeably in baking 🙂
Smoke point and taste are the differences. (Smoke point more important when frying/cooking).
Hi there! Yes, melted coconut oil works great! You can also use melted butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil. I mentioned this in the post because I assumed some folks would want replacement options 🙂 Happy baking! xo