These incredible carrot muffins are tender, perfectly moist, warmly spiced, and filled with shredded carrots + rolled oats. It’s an easy, wholesome carrot muffin recipe ready in just 25 minutes!
With warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, this carrot muffin recipe smells SO good while they bake. And they’re tasty too – tender yet hearty, with oats and carrots and deliciousness all tucked up in there.
The Story Behind the Recipe
I originally shared this carrot muffin recipe back in 2013, and it was really popular with readers for a couple of years.
But for some reason, it slowly faded into the background, and you know what? These carrot muffins don’t deserve that! They’re one of my all-time favorite muffin recipes, and they deserve to be seen. And made. And devoured (sorry, muffins).
Back in 2013, I threw this recipe together on a whim. It became an instant favorite, and I’ve made these spiced carrot oatmeal muffins dozens of times since then. Maybe even hundreds. They’re such a delightful, wholesome, comforting muffin. Love.
(I also created these carrot pineapple muffins – sort of a fully loaded variation that’s carrot-cake-esque – and they’re so good! What can I say? We’re huge carrot muffin fans around here!)
Why You’ll Love These Carrot Muffins
Well, we’ve covered that they’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious and are guaranteed to make your morning cozy. They also mix up fast, make exactly 12 muffins, and are ready in 25 minutes. Plus, you get the added nutrition of veggies for breakfast!
- Warmly spiced: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves bring plenty of flavor.
- Tender and hearty: Rolled oats add texture, while applesauce helps keep the crumb moist.
- Easy to make: Simple to whip up and about 25 minutes from start to finish.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a batch ahead, freeze, then pull out one or two to thaw for easy breakfasts and snacks.
Here are what more readers have said about them:
- “They are perfect! And oh man, do they smell amazing when they’re baking! We love them. Thank you for the recipe!”
- “Awesome muffins, packed full of flavour, reminds me of pumpkin pie. Muffins weren’t overly sweet which I liked. I made a double batch and subbed butter for the oil and added in raisins.”
- “Delicious! They are moist and wonderful. I make these all the time for my little guy who doesn’t like to eat his veggies.”
Carrot Muffin Recipe Ingredients
So what’ve we got for ingredients?
- Flour – I like to use all-purpose for these carrot muffins. If you want a bit more fiber, you can swap in half whole wheat or white whole wheat flour. Some oat flour (oats whipped in a blender until they resemble flour) swapped in would work great, too.
- Rolled oats – For a hearty, toothsome muffin.
- Baking powder and baking soda for lift
- Salt
- Spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Carrots – Finely shredded so they just sort of melt into your carrot muffins.
- Milk – Whichever kind you like (feel free to use plant-based milk if you prefer)
- Applesauce – For premium moistness. I tend to buy unsweetened.
- Oil – A neutral tasting oil like vegetable or canola help keep these carrot muffins moist and perfect.
- Egg
How to Make Them
- First mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the carrots and the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix just until incorporated.
- Divide the mixture between 12 standard-size muffin cups. Sprinkle a few more oats on top because it looks nice.
- Bake just until the muffin tops spring back when lightly poked.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and devour!
Jump to the full, printable recipe
Tips for Success
- Use the fine side of your grater for the carrots. Finely shredded carrots sort of “melt” into the cupcake. They’re still obviously there, but it’s just a much nicer texture.
- Don’t overmix your batter! Blend just until combined. Otherwise, you risk over-developing the gluten in the flour which can make your muffins less tender.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into your muffin tins. This is the most amazing hack for muffins and cupcakes!
I hope you find these carrot muffins as satisfying to bake (and eat) as we do!
Can I Freeze Carrot Muffins?
Yes! Carrot muffins freeze beautifully. Just place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just let them sit on your kitchen counter at room temperature for about an hour.
Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (can sub 1 cup for whole wheat flour or all for white whole wheat flour)
- 1 cup rolled oats (plus a couple extra tablespoons for topping)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup milk*
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce**
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 medium carrots (finely grated [about 2 cups])
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or place cupcake wrappers in a standard-size, 12-cup muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, brown sugar, canola oil, egg, and carrots.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Divide the mixture between the muffin cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this – so easy! Cups should be filled just about to the top.
- Bake until muffin tops spring back when poked and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.
- Serve plain or with butter (or vegan butter) if desired.
Notes
Storage Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 days. To freeze, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just let them sit on your kitchen counter at room temperature for about an hour.Freezing Carrot Muffins
Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just let them sit on your kitchen counter at room temperature for about an hour.* Dairy-free option:
Use unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened soy milk.**Applesauce substitution:
If you don’t have applesauce, some readers have reported subbing mashed banana with success. I will often bake these muffins without the applesauce at all, increasing the oil to 2/3 cup.Recipe revision notes:
In 2020, I updated this recipe from the original I posted in 2013. The changes are as follows: To simplify, I call for all-purpose flour instead of a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat (but included flour options). Removed the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract because I think the spices add enough flavor. Changed the oil from vegetable oil to canola oil because the latter is considered to contain healthier fats. Feel free to use vegetable oil if you prefer; coconut oil and olive oil are also nice options.Nutrition Facts
More Carrot Breakfast Recipes
- Good Morning Sunshine Muffins – fully loaded carrot muffins with pineapple and coconut
- Mini Carrot Muffins with Chocolate Chips – toddler-sized and toddler-taste-tested!
- Carrot Cake Oatmeal – “cake” for breakfast? Yes please!
- Carrot Mimosas – yep, I went there.
- These Carrot Cake Pancakes are so decadent!
Hi! I’m Karen – I’m a real person with real, vetted recipes – over 900 of them! Since 2009, every recipe on Kitchen Treaty is thoroughly tested and loved before I hit “publish.” I’m a home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore, and my goal is to coexist deliciously.
Thanks for the recipe! Just made these to bring to my relatives tomorrow. I tasted it hot from the oven and it wasn’t too sweet at all (though my brother said it was tasteless but I think he has a palate for sweeter stuff). I didn’t have enough applesauce though, so I wonder if it would have been better with it. Otherwise, it was really moist! I did without nutmeg and clove, so again don’t know if it’d be better with it. Added raisins, walnuts and topped it with five grains toppings to make it more wholesome. Hopefully my relatives will like it tomorrow 😀
Will do with more applesauce next time to see how it turns out!(:
Thanks for the recipe! Just made these to bring to my relatives tomorrow. I tasted it hot from the oven and it wasn’t too sweet at all (though my brother said it was tasteless but I think he has a palate for sweeter stuff). I didn’t have enough applesauce though, so I wonder if it would have been better with it. Otherwise, it was really moist! I did without nutmeg and clove, so again don’t know if it’d be better with it. Added raisins, walnuts and topped it with five grains toppings to make it more wholesome. Hopefully my relatives will like it tomorrow 😀
Will do with more applesauce next time to see how it turns out!(: the muffin stuck to the wrapper though, but perhaps it’s because I tried it before it properly cooled, so hopefully it won’t stick tmr!
Thanks for the recipe!
Made these just to bring to my relatives tomorrow. They weren’t too sweet (though my brother said it was tasteless but well I think that’s because he’s used to a sweeter palate). I didn’t have enough apple sauce though, and didn’t include nutmeg and cloves as well so I wonder if it would be even better (it is still good now xD) if I had those! Unknowns aside, the muffins turned out really moist and I liked its wholesomeness- added raisins, walnuts and topped it with five grains toppings. Replaced some milk with soy milk too! The muffin stuck to the wrapper though, but that may be because I tried it too soon before it cooled down properly, so hopefully it won’t stick to the muffin wrapper tomorrow!
Will try the recipe again with sufficient applesauce next time! Hopefully it will be well received tomorrow 😀
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This recipe was great! I used the carrot pulp from my juicer and stirred in my leftover cranberry/pineapple/pecan relish from thanksgiving. Sooo good!
Is the applesauce sweetened or unsweetened?
Hi Kari, I tend to use sweetened applesauce as that’s what I have on hand. But really I’ve noticed very little different using unsweetened. So, short answer: use what you want! 🙂
I love these muffins, and have made them several times in two months since I discovered this recipe. LOVE. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Erin, yay, I’m so glad you like them! Thank you for the sweet comment! 🙂
Love these! Can you tell me how many calories in a muffin? I made 12, like the recipe said. I am using the app “My fitness Pal” to start off the new year, and I always have trouble logging my homemade items. If I could get a calorie count, I could choose a similar carrot muffin from the list and use that for my count. Thanks for your help! Will definitely spray the papers next time too..otherwise, they are perfectly yummy!
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Do you think I could use almond milk instead?
Hi Rea, sure, I think that should work. I haven’t tried it personally, though (though I am on a huge almond kick right now!) If you try it, please come back and let us know how it turned out!
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These are lovely muffins! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂 I made these and added chia seeds & chopped pecans and they were fantastic. I’ve got a batch in the oven right now in which I substituted beets for the carrots. *fingers crossed*
Thanks a lot for the inspiration!
I made these muffins without any egg (substited with mashed banana) and mashed carrots together with apples as well. They were lovely, I’d recommend to enjoy muffins a few hours after baking, so they set properly. Yum.
This is an excellent recipe. Don’t stint on the spices and sweeteners. I substituted maple syrup for brown sugar and it was great. Also added raisins which was fun.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Just made 4 dozen of these and they are SO good! I followed what other reviewers said and sprayed the muffin tin liners, only used half a cup of brown sugar and substituted 1/4 cup plane yogurt for the oil. They taste great! Sweet enough to satisfy a craving, yet healthy enough so you don’t feel guilty eating more than one. I’m freezing about 2 dozen and leaving the rest out for the family to enjoy. Thanks so much for such an awesome recipe!
thank you for this healthier muffin recipe. I’ve made them a couple of times and while there is so taste substitute for butter, these are yummy and most important my 6 year old likes them, they are not loaded with sugar and I can pack them in her lunch and know that she will eat them and not be cranky because she didn’t eat anything all day. so thank you!
Not sure where I’m going wrong, but made those for the second time tonight and it was a fail – just like the first time I made them (pretty much the only baking fail I’ve had so far 🙁 ). They took nearly an hour and are still unpleasantly soggy on the inside 🙁 Do you squeeze the water out of the carrots? And the only thing I changed this time was that I used yoghurt instead of the applesauce.
This is a WONDERFUL muffin recipe! Nothing is better than a good, healthy carrot muffin 😉 I also found that it was very versatile — I added black sesame, sunflower seeds, and golden raisins. YUM! thanks for sharing!
I made these last night and they were delicious, I think cutting the sugar in half would be better though. It seems like most baked goods have entirely too much sugar in them.
I’ve cut way back on sugar myself. You’ve reminded me that I should revisit this recipe and see if I can make a healthier version! 🙂
These muffins are so, so great! I even used a little less sugar and they turned out fantastic!
If I made these in a mini muffin tin, what should the cook time and temperature be??
When I make mini muffins I stick with the same temp but start checking the muffins about 9-10 minutes in as they bake up so much faster.
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These muffins are the best. I make them all the time and get compliments every time. No kid can resist and the parents are always impressed. I’m always thinking I’m going to have some to freeze but my whole family eats them before there are leftovers to put away. Thanks so much.
Hi Andrea! I’m so glad you (and the kids!) love this recipe. I’m going to need to make these again soon – it’s been awhile!
How about using grated apples for the applesauce ? Will that work as a substitute or the applesauce ? Have you tried using them?
Delicous
So glad you liked them! Thanks so much for the review.
so delicious with moderate sugar . However I thought the quantity was enough for 14 muffins not 12 but people can make their own judgement depending on the size of their muffin tins.
I left out all oil, forgot to add, and they were still moist. best muffin recipe i made.
Good Morning,
I love this recipe and have been using it for the past few years. As i was incorporating the ingredients, I noticed that it didn’t look like normal so went back and looked at the ingredients. I noticed that you left the apple sauce out of the instructions. Just thought I’d give you a heads up. All the best, Emma
Oh, thank you so much for the heads up! I will fix that right now.
I just made these and they’re delicious! Had no nutmeg so did without that and they are amazing. Just the right amount of sweetness. Thanks for sharing!
These were so easy to make! I’m enjoying the combination of spices, but can I double the spices to make the flavour more intense? Any time I’ve tried messing with spices, my muffins always turn out heavy.
These were delicious. Thank you for sharing.
This is my go-to recipe for using juice pulp. I sub the applesauce and grated carrots with, primarily carrot & apple juice pulp, I have to use. I usually add some apple cider or other extra liquid since the pulp is drier than applesauce and grated carrots. Apple cider adds some sweetness and I make sure the pulp is on the sweeter side. Using coconut sugar I add 1 Tbsp. dark molasses for even richer flavor. They are always moist, filling and delicious. The spices are great and help bring more flavor to my pulp substitution. Great recipe!
these are my 2YO daughter’s ‘morning cakes’.
I removed the maple, cut the sugar to 2 spoons, and replaced the apple sauce with banana. they come out great, and the rest of the family loves them on picnics
Can’t wait to try these:) If I were to half the recipe, is it okay to use a whole egg?
That should be okay. Maybe use a smaller egg if you have one. 🙂
Nice and Simple!! I was looking for a healthy carrot cake muffin style recipe. This was easy to follow and I had all of these ingredients on hand. I was worried that 375 would be too hot but it worked perfectly. I used Reynolds foil cupcake liners and I think these really help keeping the muffins from burning.
I added Chia seeds and chopped Pecans which someone else mentioned in the comments. I also mixed sour cream into the 1/2 cup of whole milk to make 1 cup of “milk”. I had plenty of batter left over after filling all 12 muffins pretty much to the top. I baked the rest into a small loaf cake with oats, chopped pecans, and some brown sugar sprinkled on top.
I’m so glad you liked it! I love the addition of chia seeds and pecans. Yum!
I just made these Muffin and they are delicious.
For dietary reasons, I used all whole wheat flour, and they were still delicious and moist.
Followed instructions and used exact ingredients and these came out tasteless and too dense.
I’m so sorry to hear these were a fail for you. That has definitely not been my experience with this recipe; they have loads of flavor and are a great texture.
i used thick greek yoghurt instead of apple sauce and it was a great success.
I have to comment because I am always searching for healthy muffin recipes for my little granddaughter , and these are simply wonderful ! Bravo !🎉❤️the only change I make is 2/3 c. of avocado oil (I never keep applesauce on hand), and I add 1/3 c. of sour cream just because I like to incorporate this in most of my baked goods. These are super delicious , and I make them very often ! Thank you !!!
I love those adaptations! Thank you so much for sharing and for leaving a review. You have a lucky granddaughter! 🙂