These carrot applesauce muffins are made with whole wheat flour and other real food ingredients. This recipe is a huge hit with the kids; they taste just like carrot cake!
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This 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 (not recommended younger than 1 year old), then 100% pure maple syrup would work just fine as a substitute.
Are Muffins Made with Carrot and Apple Healthy?
Healthy can mean different things to different people. Since these carrot muffins are made with whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar, they’re definitely a lot healthier than most muffin recipes.
The carrot and applesauce add a sweet flavor, but they’re also nutritious, too!
Why Carrot is Great in Muffins
If you’re a fan of carrot cake you probably already know how delicious carrots can be as a baking ingredient. Naturally sweet, carrots help soften (and sweeten) anything they’re baked into. And, while it’s not the same as a complete healthy meal, it’s always nice when you can add a few extra veggies into what we eat.
How to Make This Homemade Carrot Muffin Recipe
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line your muffin pans.
- While the oven heats, whisk together the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt).
- In a separate bowl (I use an electric mixer), beat the softened butter, honey, egg, and vanilla on medium speed.
- Set mixer to low, then slowly beat in the flour mixture.
- Fold in the applesauce and shredded carrots.
- Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups a bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick pressed into the center comes out clean.
Can You Freeze These Muffins?
Absolutely! All my muffin recipes freeze well, including these carrot muffins. To freeze, simply cool completely then place in an airtight container. Muffins keep in the freezer for up to three months.
To thaw, warm up on the counter overnight or microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds. You can also put frozen muffins right into kids’ lunches and they should be thawed by the time they’re ready to eat!
Tips for Shredding Carrots
- You’ll need to peel your carrots before shredding them; carrot peels can sometimes make carrot muffins taste bitter.
- The easiest way to shred carrots is with a box style cheese grater, preferably using the smaller size holes.
- Some food processors can also shred carrots.
Can This Recipe Be Doubled?
Yes, but sometimes muffins can bake differently when the recipe is doubled, depending on your oven. If you run into issues, I’d recommend baking one tray of muffins at a time, which is better for even baking anyway!
Will This Recipe Work for Mini Muffins or a Loaf?
You can definitely make muffin muffins instead of full-sized ones, just adjust the cooking time to about 12-14 minutes so they don’t overbake.
We haven’t had the chance to try this recipe in a loaf pan or as a cake yet, but if you do let us know how it turns out in the comments!
Make Carrot Cake Muffins for Dessert
This recipe already uses carrot cake spices and ingredients—they’re basically carrot cake muffins! But if you want to turn these muffins into an easy real food dessert, simply add frosting.
Carrot cake is normally topped with cream cheese frosting, but that’s loaded with powdered sugar. Instead, make a cream cheese glaze by mixing 8 oz of softened cream cheese, ¼ cup of honey, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla.
Whole-Wheat Carrot Applesauce 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!
My muffins didn’t rise… at all. They also took almost an hour to thoroughly cook. The taste was really good, though… but they were very dense. I don’t think I over mixed… but could that be the culprit?
We always recommend you have fresh baking soda and other ingredients for the best results. And of course, making sure you fold in the applesauce and not over mix it. Altitude can sometimes play a role in baked goods not rising, as well. – Nicole
Going to try these this week! Would you alter the recipe at all if using your Easy Peasy Applesauce? It has a little honey already so I wasn’t sure if that would change things at all. Thanks so much!
While we haven’t tested with that applesauce, you could reduce the amount of added honey since it already has some. Please let us know how they turn out and what you decided to do! – Nicole
I need to adjust recipes for a diabetic, so I’m wondering if it is better to replace the honey with liquid stevia or powdered stevia/erythritol ? Thanks
Since Lisa is not a dietician, we would recommend consulting your healthcare professional on that one. If you’re following along with Lisa’s “real food” rules, this might be a good article to read, but again, we would recommend making sure you speak to a doctor when it comes to diabetic reasons. https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/stevia-food-babe-investigates/ – Nicole
What cookbook is this in? I keep finding myself printing recipes and then finding the same recipe in one of your cookbooks (I love them all!). I’m just trying to save the planet one unnecessarily printed recipe at a time.
Hi Kirsten, this particular recipe is not in any of Lisa’s cookbooks. :) – Nicole
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 followed the recipe and my muffins didn’t rise… at all. I don’t think I over mixed it… but has this been an issue for anyone else?
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