Healthy Applesauce Carrot Muffins

A tray of carrot applesauce muffins on a cooling rack with pecans and a spoonful of ground cinnamon beside.

5 from 5 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Halal, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: muffins

Calories: 166kcal

Author: Meesha

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

US Customary - Metric

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

*Carrot - Use freshly shredded carrots instead of the pre-shredded ones. Store-bought shredded carrots tend to be much drier, which will ultimately yield dry, sad muffins. You can either grate it using your food processor with the grating attachment or use the finest grating side on your box grater.

Helpful tips

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.

Storing leftovers - Transfer them to an airtight container once the muffins have cooled down completely. They can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days.

You can freeze muffins, too. Store them in zip-top bags or a sealed container before keeping them. They will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating - To reheat frozen applesauce carrot muffins, let them thaw overnight in the fridge or on the countertop for a few hours. Then, heat them in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 180C/350F or in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

Nutrition