Fluffy, moist, and hearty, these applesauce carrot muffins are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast! A simple one-bowl recipe that is ready in 40 minutes. These muffins are naturally vegan and gluten-free too!
These vegan carrot muffins have all the flavors of the classic carrot cake but in muffin form! It is super moist and filling without being overbearingly sweet.
I love making either a batch of these or my zucchini applesauce muffins on the weekends, so I will have breakfast ready to go on busy workdays! They are also a great snack to take to work or school.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- A healthier version of muffins that are made from wholesome ingredients
- Fluffy yet moist and are perfectly spiced
- A fuss-free, one-bowl recipe that is ready in 40 minutes
- Store well and are freezable
🌾What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Oat flour - If you do not have it on hand, simply blend some oats in a high-speed blender until they are finely grounded. Use a gluten-free brand if needed.
- Carrot - It is recommended to use freshly grated carrot. Avoid pre-shredded ones, or your muffins might turn out dry and crumbly.
- Applesauce - Either store-bought or homemade applesauce can be used, but unsweetened is preferred to prevent overly sweet muffins.
- Cashew butter - This can be substituted with other nut or seed butter like tahini, peanut butter, or almond butter.
- Baking powder and soda - Ensure they are not expired, or muffins might not rise properly.
🔪How to make
Making muffin batter - Add all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon) in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the remaining wet ingredients and shredded carrots to the bowl and mix until a thick batter forms.
Baking muffins - Scoop the batter into the tin, filling each hole to ¾ full. Bake for 10 minutes at 220C/430F, then reduce the temperature to 180C/350F and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
To check for doneness, insert a toothpick down the middle of a muffin. It should come out clean.
Cooling and serving - Transfer baked muffins to a cooling tray. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes, and your applesauce carrot muffins are ready to be enjoyed!
✔Helpful tips
- Grating carrots -Before grating your carrots, peel them. You can use a box grater with the smallest holes or a food processor to grate the carrots.
- Measuring flour - I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour for the best results. I am using this Ozeri scale and am loving it! If you use measuring cups, follow the spoon and level method.
- Texture of batter - The batter for these applesauce carrot muffins will be slightly thicker than the regular muffin batter. Adding more liquid is only recommended if the batter is too thick to stir. The carrots will release moisture while baking.
- Cooling muffins - Once muffins are done baking, carefully transfer them from the muffin tin to a cooling tray to prevent the accumulation of water vapor, which might cause muffins to turn soggy.
- Checking for doneness - Muffins are done baking when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted down the middle.
🥜Variations and add-ins
Spices - Feel free to add other spices that you like! Some spices that complement the flavor of these applesauce carrot muffins include nutmeg, cardamom, and pumpkin spice.
Dried fruits - If you have a sweet tooth, add raisins, sultanas, and chopped dates!
Chopped nuts - Although any nut will work, walnuts and pecans pair exceptionally well with the flavor of these muffins. Add up to ½ cup.
Chocolate chips - Pretty self-explanatory because who doesn’t love chocolate? You can stir in around ⅓ to ½ cup. I especially love using Enjoy Life’s dark chocolate morsels.
❄Storing suggestions
Fridge - Allow muffins to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. They can be refrigerated for up to a week.
Freezer - Store cooled muffins in a zip-top bag or freezer-safe container. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then heat them in the oven or microwave.
❔Commonly asked questions
Adding applesauce to baked goods can make them more tender and moist, especially in muffins. It's a great alternative to butter or oil in healthier recipes. Additionally, applesauce can act as a natural sweetener, making it unnecessary to add a large amount of extra sweeteners to your muffins.
If your muffins turned out dry, it's possible that you added too much flour. To avoid this, using a food scale to weigh out the flour is highly recommended instead of relying on measuring cups.
Another possible reason could be that you overbaked your muffins. Since oven temperature can vary depending on the model, it's best to check on your muffins at the lower end of the suggested baking time and bake them for longer if needed.
To check if your muffins are done, insert a toothpick into the middle of several muffins. If the toothpick comes out relatively clean, they're ready to enjoy.
Before using carrots in baked goods, it is recommended to peel them first, as the peel can be slightly chewy and unappetizing for some people.
🍽More healthy vegan breakfasts
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Applesauce Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups oat flour use gluten-free if needed (248g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teapoon baking soda
- 1 cup shredded carrot (freshly grated)*
- 1 cup applesauce preferably unsweetened
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup cashew butter or other nut/seed butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/430F. Prepare a 12-holes muffin tin either by greasing them using some oil, or line them with muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir to mix.1 ¾ cups oat flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teapoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- Next, add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir until everything is well incorporated. The batter will be on the thicker side.1 cup shredded carrot, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 cup applesauce, ¼ cup cashew butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spoon muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each hole to about ¾ of the way full. You should get about 12 muffins.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 180C/350F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted down the middle.
- After baking, let muffins sit in the muffin tin for 5 minutes at most, then transfer them to a cooling rack to allow them to cool further. They are ready to be enjoyed.
Notes
- Measuring flour - I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour for the best results. I am using this Ozeri scale and am loving it! If you use measuring cups, follow the spoon and level method.
- Texture of batter - The batter for these applesauce carrot muffins will be slightly thicker than the regular muffin batter. Adding more liquid is only recommended if the batter is too thick to stir. The carrots will release moisture while baking.
- Cooling muffins - Once muffins are done baking, carefully transfer them from the muffin tin to a cooling tray to prevent the accumulation of water vapor, which might cause muffins to turn soggy.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Sharnell
Excellent muffins! Thanks! I added a little brown sugar sprinkled on top before baking for fun.
Meesha
Super happy to hear that!🙂
Michelle
These were so good! Hard to stop from eating too many! Thanks for the recipe!
Meesha
It's my pleasure! Really glad to hear that😁