This recipe is by far the new favorite muffin in our house. Move over blueberry, zucchini, and even pumpkin—these are so deeelicious and could be eaten with breakfast, lunch, or even dinner (maybe as a side to some fall soup?)!
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it was a HUGE hit with all three of my kids! Thank you for this recipe. It is in regular rotation and gets rave reviews every time!
For those who are looking for cupcakes for little ones (i.e. smash cake) I would totally top one of these off with some homemade unsweetened whipped cream and call it a day. This would be perfect for your baby! And if you prefer to avoid honey for your really little ones I think 100% pure maple syrup would work just fine as a substitute.
Whole-Wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins
This recipe is by far the new favorite muffin in our house. Move over blueberry, zucchini, and even pumpkin—these are so deeelicious and could be eaten with breakfast, lunch, or even dinner (maybe as a side to some fall soup?)!
Print Recipe
Servings: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger ground
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened (but not melted), 1 stick
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 3/4 cup carrot shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper, foil, or silicone liners, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- In a large bowl fitted with an electric whisk (or beaters), mix the butter, honey, egg and vanilla together on medium speed. Turn the speed down and slowly add in the flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be fairly thick at this point.
- Using a spatula, carefully fold in the applesauce and carrots (I used a cheese grater to shred the carrots). Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes and muffins are beginning to turn golden brown on top. Enjoy!
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Whole-Wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins
Amount Per Serving
Calories 179
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 267mg12%
Potassium 70mg2%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 1600IU32%
Vitamin C 0.7mg1%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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These are WONDERFUL! I just add a bit more spice than called for, slightly more vanilla and toss in some chopped pecans. My kiddo and I LOVE them! So fast to make. I can literally whip these up in no time.
Love hearing this! Pecans sound like a great addition. – Nicole
Made these for the first time today and they turned out amazing! I used maple syrup instead of honey (cuz I had a Costco sized bottle!) and coconut oil instead of butter (again, cuz I had a Costco container) and added a handful of chopped pecans too. My toddlers loved it, so these will become a regular. Thank you so much!
Glad to hear the toddlers loved them so much! – Nicole
I found them plenty sweet with 1/3 cup honey. I made mini muffins which my kids just loved!
That’s so great to hear! – Nicole
I’ve made a modified version of this twice now with huge success! Our favorite version: maple syrup instead of honey, 1/3 c coconut oil instead of 1/2 c butter, add a few handfuls of raisins, and a handful or two of walnuts, finely chopped. Thanks for the inspiration! I love this site.
Oh, and I make mini muffins instead of full size. Eating a couple of them feels like more of a treat to me than one big muffin, even if I know it’s just an illusion! ♀️ I was surprised to find that I still needed to bake them the full time.
Could you use fresh ginger in place of dried/ground? Thanks!
Can I make it with no eggs?
I don’t think that would turn out well, I would recommend finding a muffin recipe that’s already been adapted without eggs.
I made them with a flax “egg” and they turned out great!
where do we include the apple sauce in the preparation?
Hi Annie, you fold it in during step 4, right before you add the batter to the muffin cups. – Nicole
We love these!!!!! How many muffins are a serving? I am meal prepping so I want to calculate caloric intake. Thank you
Tried this with a full cup of grated carrots and maple syrup instead (1:1 ratio) of honey and turned out great! Had to leave them in the oven for probably 30 mins or so. tastes very healthy and not too sweet.
So delicious !!! Love eating them warm with butter (probably not the healthiest) but they are whole wheat! (I didn’t include the carrots, one of these times I’ll take the plunge) Thank you for the yummy recipe!
This is a staple in our house! We always have some on hand in the freezer. I used to make these with maple syrup when my son was under 1 and for his birthday this was his smash cake! These are perfect for snacks or breakfast on the go!
Quick question, has anyone tried using whole wheat pastry flour for this recipe? I can’t get white whole wheat flour in my town and I’m waiting for it to come in the mail but we have a hankering for these muffins!
We haven’t tried it with pastry flour yet, it may just give it a slightly different texture though. Let us know! – Nicole
From what I understand, whole wheat pastry flour and white whole wheat flour are the same thing. :)
They are not the same. Whole wheat pastry flour has a lower protein content. It’s softness makes it great for things like pancakes, waffles, crepes, scones, biscuits, etc. For anything that needs structure like yeasted whole wheat bread, pasta or cake, stick with white whole wheat flour. If you only plan to buy 1 kind, stick with white whole wheat as it can be used in any application.
I don’t have regular applesauce. Can I use cinnamon?
Hi Katie, that should be just fine…maybe just decrease the amount of cinnamon you add in the beginning unless you don’t mind the taste. Should come out yummy either way! – Nicole
Just made these for a snack to take to a play date
I doubled the recipe and used 3/4 coconut oil and 1/4 olive oil
Was generous with the grated carrots (prob about 2cups)
Used 1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg in place of ginger
Sprinkled a dash of dark brown sugar on top before baking
They turned out so moist and delicious
Thanks so much!
Could you use almond flour in place of whole wheat?
Yes, it should be a 1:1 conversion, but might give you a different texture and flavor. – Nicole
I really like using instant pot for baked goods because 1) it makes a more reasonable portion for a family and 2) hello -Instant Pot which means I can close the lid and walk away.
Any suggestions to make in Instant Pot? Thanks for all the great recipes!
Hi there. This might help: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a19131155/instant-pot-recipe-conversion/ and you can find several other articles with advice if you Google it. We don’t have much experience converting recipes to the instapot.
These were a big hit in our house. Thank you!
Can I freeze these? A
Absolutely.
Do you know if I were to bake this as a cake for a smash cake how long, what temp, what size pan, etc?
Hi there. We’ve never attempted to make a cake from this. I’d hate to give you bad advise on such an important cake! ;)
Thank you for this recipe! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m going to try them out tomorrow.
Hi, have you tried these with maple syrup rather than honey? Thanks.
Yes, I have at a 1:1 ratio.
Do they taste as good with the maple syrup? Want to make these tomorrow but need to get honey. Have maple syrup on hand! Love them with the honey!
I think so. :)
Can you tell me how many carbs are in these muffins ,my husband is diabetic ,these are delicious! Thank you
Hi Patti. I am sorry but we do not provide nutrition details. There are online tools that can help: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Have made these multiple times and they are always a huge hit!! I typically have to make more than one batch.
Made these muffins today and my entire family loves them! All 3 kids and hubby approved and asked for me to make them every week. Thank you for a great recipe!
These muffins are delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Wonderful recipe!! I followed the recipe exactly, other than added about 1/4 cup coconut flakes. Turned out beautifully. Saving this recipe for sure!
Would this recipe also work in a quick bread pan?
Hi there. We’ve only baked these as muffins. Let us know if you give it a try.
Do they freeze well?
They do.
I followed this recipe with all the necessary ingredients but added raisins and chopped apple. The batter was very different than white all purpose flour and almost seemed fluffy and when the muffins were done they came out dense and seemed to have a doughy taste, no matter how long I cooked them. This was my first time baking with white whole wheat, so I’m not sure if this texture is just common for that type of flour. Next time I might try doing half and half.
Delicious! Best muffin recipe I have ever made!
These were delicious! I added a little extra carrot because I had so much to use and 1/2 cup oatmeal. I will be making these again!
Can i use grated zucchini in place of the carrots?
You could, but that’s a whole different muffin ;) – Nicole
I know you don’t post nutrition information, but I am an insulin dependent diabetic. I need to know how many carbs are in what I eat so I can take the right dosage of insulin. Any advice on how to calculate this recipe?
Hi there. I understand. This post provides suggestions on tools that will help with all those calculations: https://authoritynutrition.com/5-best-calorie-counters/.
Very good. I replaced the honey with 1/3 cup milkand they turned out great. Thank you for sharing!
Hi there I was just wondering if I can use anything to replace the honey? Maybe 100% maple syrup? And if I did this how much would I use I wonder?
Hi. You could sub maple syrup in the same amount.
I love this recipe!!! Muffins turned out perfect.
I had no carrot so added 1 cup of frozen rasberries and 1 cup of coconut and they are so delicious!!!
what would be a real food sub for the butter. My son can’t have milk products or eggs. The egg i am good on it is just the butter i am not sure how to sub that and have it be not highly processed.
Coconut oil!
These were very yummy and moist with the perfect amount of sweetness. Thank you!
These are SO good Lisa! I’ve been playing around with adding yogurt to recipes in place of oil, so I added plain greek yogurt in place of the butter, and threw in 1 c. chopped pecans. Excellent breakfast muffin! :O)
These are so good!! I even replaced the butter with coconut oil. Great to have on hand for a quick snack or breakfast on the go. Thanks!
I want to make these but don’t have any carrot shreds at the moment. I do have a jar (4oz) of pureed baby food. Can I add that instead? I wasn’t sure how leaving out the carrots would change the consistency, and if I should add something in to account for that.
Hi Erin. We’ve not tried pureed carrots in this recipe. Let us know how it works for you.
I just made this recipe as mini muffins with maple syrup and grated Apple instead of applesauce. I used only 1/2 the ginger and it tastes awesome!! It’s sweet without being cloying. Great recipe for kids. I got 24 decent sized mini muffins. Much easier for adult portion control.
would love to try – i dont see baking powder ? is that my istake?
also can I make this in a cake pan instead of as muffins? what would I adjust? TIA
This recipe uses baking soda.
Do I keep these out or do I have to freeze them? I wanna know how long they will last on my counter…
If you wish to keep them beyond a few days, I would freeze them.
What’s the best way to defrost? Leave in fridge or on counter?
On the counter. :)
Can you freeze these muffins?
Yes!
These are delicious! I added a pinch of nutmeg
I have made these twice this week. Both times they bake up beautiful but once I pull them out to cool they sink in. The only adjustments I made were (1st batch I cut the butter in half and did whole fat yogurt and adjusted the spices) (2nd batch I just adjusted the spices). My applesauce and vanilla are homemade, I used King Arthur whole wheat white flour. I just don’t understand. The flavor is fine but they seem under cooked in the middle. I even baked them an extra 6-7 minutes. Any thoughts? My baking soda is not expired.
Thanks!
Hi. Mine often sink just a little, too, and I typically cut the butter. :) I think any adjustment in the ingredients can have a slightly different outcome.
After doing some research I discovered that my baking powder (which I had used by accident) had gone bad. It doesn’t expire until July but I tested it and sure enough it was bad. So my next batch turned out great…along with some the banana -pumpkin bread I made yesterday.☺️
Thank you!!!
Love these! Used half a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice instead of ginger and they were so good! Also used whole wheat pastry flour. My 3 year old loves them. Also used 1/4 cup of whole yogurt for half the butter as suggested by another commenter.
Does Lisa use the organic white whole wheat flour? I can find the regular white whole wheat flour but I am having a great deal of trouble finding it organic! I try to buy as much organic as possible, so just wondering if organic flour would be considered a necessity since I am having trouble finding it! These muffins are absolutely amazing though!! I have made them a few times and myself and kids love them!
Hi Amanda. Lisa does try to buy organic whenever possible but it is certainly not required. ;)
These took quite a bit longer to bake than the time given (28min) even though my oven was on 180C. Maybe the time indicated was for the convection setting. I added a 1/4 cup wheat bran for extra fibre and a pinch of clove powder for extra spice. My kids and I didn’t find them too gingery at all. They taste quite good – moist and favourful.
The texture of these muffins is fine moist, but better with half unbleached flour and half whole wheat. Makes a lighter quality muffin. Way too much ginger , Really spoiled the whole thing, having a bitter after flavor that lingered on the tongue. Perhaps 1/4 tsp or even 1/8 tsp ginger would work better. You could replace half of the butter with 1/4 cup of plain yogurt for less calories and nice lemony flavor, especially if you reduce the ginger.
I have made these numerous times without ginger and they are wonderful! Try not using it at all and see how you like them! Also, try white whole wheat flour instead of regular whole wheat flour – it made a huge difference when I made the switch! That way you do not need any of that processed unbleached flour! = )
Hi . My mom makes these muffins all the time and I personable think they make a great snak.
This were a huge hit! Everyone loved them!! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Not a fan of these muffins. I used half the amount of ginger and did everything else exact but the ginger taste was still too strong. Also, not really that healthy considering it has 1 stick of butter in it!
I can’t understand why you wouldn’t like these muffins. They are delicious. 1 stick of butter is not bad over 12 muffins.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/healthy-applesauce-carrot-muffins-a-k-a-carrot-cake-muffins/
Mel has cut the butter back and adjusted the spices. I enjoyed this altered recipe.
Hi! This is my daughters favorite muffin recipe, and I’m going to use it for her birthday cake. Of course, a cake needs frosting, and I’m not sure what would taste good. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi there. This is the icing Lisa often uses on cake: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/.
How did you make this into a cake? Pan size, oven temp, baking time?
Do you have the nutritional info for this recipe
Hi. We do not provide nutrition info on our recipes. This post helps explain why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Wonderful! I used 1/3 C honey and whole wheat pastry flour. They are so moist and fantastic flavor. Forever in the recipe archive, this one!
Sooooo good! I used maple syrup instead of honey, and only 1/4 cup. Threw in some raisins too. These will be a lunchbox staple for sure!
Hi, Is there a substitute for applesauce? I do not really use applesauce for any recipes.
Hi there. You could try a different fruit puree.
Why are you looking at a whole wheat APPLESAUCE muffin recipe?
This was a bit too sweet- we are reducucing honey next time by 1/2.
Love this recipe. A sweet muffin that is whole grain and all real ingredients. Great preschool snack! My whole family loves these muffins!
OMG! I just tasted the muffins and they are soooooooo delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I added the whip cream and my daughters loved them as well.
Would a couple of apples pureed in my vitamix or the blender (to equal 1 C, pureed) work? I live overseas where we don’t have applesauce. I’m always concerned that there might be more liquid when it cooks.
Hi Cindy. We’ve not tried it with raw pureed apples.
Hi Cindy. I’m not part of the blog team, but if you have access to apples, a pot, and and a stovetop, you can make your own applesauce! Peel, core, and chop up the apples, then put them in a covered pot over low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the apples are nice and soft. Purée in your blender or using an immersion blender, and voilà! Applesauce.
Can anything be substituted for the butter?
Hi Kelly. Coconut oil is the substitute we would use.
Love these muffins!!!! Just wondering how is the best way to store these homemade goods and how long should they last?
Yuuummm! I made these today and made them half butter half coconut oil and they came out amazing! Definetly worth a try!
I’ve made four batches of these in the past week because my family loves them so much! Today I used blueberries instead of carrots and they turned out great. Thanks for the yummy and healthy recipe! Love your site!
Can almond or coconut flour be substituted for the flour? If so which one would you recommend?
Hi there. Those are not substitutions we’ve made. ;)
I made the cake version of this recipe for my daughters birthday, she asked for a cake that “Daddy could eat”….we had to change a lot of his diet because of his Lyme disease. So this was a great recipe for no sugar. I also added pineapple and walnuts and made the icing in the cookbook! It was a HUGE hit and for once everyone’s plate was licked clean, although I think the little one went around and licked it for them. Thanks for the awesome recipe :)!
These muffins turned out great. Easy to make, best of all MOIST, and healthy. Thanks so much!
I have ripe bananas I need to use up, think I could sub in the bananas for the apple sauce? Also, I don’t have enough butter in the house and I usually bake with yogurt. Do you think I could sub in yogurt (full fat) for the butter? Would it be a 1:1 swap? If I can’t I can always use coconut oil but my kids don’t like milk so I try to sneak dairy into their food for the calcium. Thanks!
Hi Natalie. This might help: http://www.tasteofhome.com/healthy/recipe-makeovers/baking-techniques/yogurt-for-lower-fat-baking. Do sub with full fat. :)
I love all of these recipes and lunch/snack ideas. Do you have a recommendation for great containers for freezing muffins? I usually make 2-3 different kinds one weekend and freeze them for the kids to pick for their snacks during the next few weeks.
Thank you
Hi Barbara. I usually use large Ziploc bags, removing as much air as I can with a straw. Large plastic Ziploc containers also work well but I think the bags do better at preventing freezer burn.
So, we have some carrot baby food jars on hand…how would I substitute that in for the shredded carrots? Or would you not recommend that?
Hi there. We’ve not tried to use a puree. I think it will work nut may change the texture a bit.
Jess V did u try the recipe with the baby food jars?
What adjustments (if any) do I need to make for baking these at high-altitude? Thanks!
Hi. This should help: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html.
Could coconut oil be used in place of the melted butter and spelt flour in place of regular whole wheat? Excited to try this one!
Yes, Kristen. That should work.
I made a batch today and used coconut oil instead of butter (which I’ve always used in the past). They turned out fine!
I grate a lot of carrots and freeze packets for when I make these. Also, I use less butter and substitute some ground up oatmeal (in food processor) for flour. Recipe is very forgiving.
Made these for breakfast and added some diced apples. So delicious! : )
do you have two different versions of this recipe? I made a slightly different recipe several months ago. The other recipe didn’t have an egg in it and they were fabulous! I tried this recipe tonight and I had the same problem other bakers did – collapsed in the center and a bit mushy. Not sure where I went wrong.
Hi. Maybe you made one of Lisa’s other muffin recipes? I find this really helpful for muffin rescue: http://www.mrbreakfast.com/article.asp?articleid=28. :)
I just made these yesterday with homemade applesauce and carrots from my garden. YUM!! Thank you for all you do!!
Do you know about how many calories are in each muffin? Thanks!
I broke down the calorie count for each ingredient. It comes out to about 180 calories per muffin making 12 muffins.
The wheat germ + white flour really worked out just great! I usually have whole wheat on hand, but didn’t that day. The muffins disappeared pronto!
Have you ever tried any substitutions for the butter? We are dairy free.
Hi Jessica. Yep, you can use coconut oil.
1/2 cup melted coconut oil?
Yes, melted. :)
Hi! I have made these twice for my daughter and a few other toddlers, and they all have loved them!!! Do you know approx. how many carbohydrates and sugar each muffin has? Thanks so much!
Hi Kristen. No sorry. We do not provide nutritional breakdowns for the recipes. We just want folks focusing on getting the processed stuff out of their diets. :)
These were delicious! I had to make two substitutions. I only had 1/2 c applesauce, so I grated an apple along with the carrot. And i was out of whole wheat flour, so I used 1 1/4 c white flour plus 1/4 c raw wheat germ.
How did that turn out? I have wheat germ on hand, too.
They were delicious! Excellent recipe!
Any idea how long to bake these for if I decided to try the mini muffin route instead of regular sized ones? Thank you!
Hi there. I usually cook minis from 11-15 minutes.
How many mini muffins do you usually get out of this recipe? Hoping to make them for my son’s preschool class snack and am curious if I need to double the recipe or not.
About 2 dozen. ;)
Do these have the same texture as a traditional cupcake? I want to make carrot cake (or cupcakes) for our unhealthy extended families on Easter but don’t want it to seem like a muffin or else they won’t eat it! I want them to taste it, like it, and then for me to tell them how much healthier it is. :) Thanks!
Hi there. Sorry that I didn’t get to this before the holiday. I hoped you tried it. These are my family’s favorite! :)