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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!
Featured Comment
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.
Feel free to make your own applesauce! Read up on the types of apples.
The carrot and applesauce add a sweet flavor, but they’re also nutritious, too! These Sweet Potato Muffins are another healthy option.
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.
Check out these Baked Apples too!
Whole-Wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- ½ teaspoon ginger (ground)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (softened (but not melted), 1 stick)
- ½ cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
- ¾ 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!
Carol says
Made these today for my girls and they loved them!!!! Even my very very very picky six year old.
Jackie says
Just made these for an after school snack and they were a hit! My husband and two daughters all ate 2 each! They were so moist and I thought the sweetness was perfect. I made it exactly as the recipe said. Thanks for all your great, healthy, recipes!
Stephanie says
Giving them a try this week. Pregnant and need healthy small snacks around :)
Natasha says
I just made these for my son's preschool class - they were a HUGE hit! I'm so happy to make healthy snacks that actually taste good (and have some veggies in them for my super-picky 3-year-old!) - thanks for the recipe!!
Kimberly says
Tried these muffins tonight,they are absolutely amazing! :))
Colleen says
I just made these and they turned out PERFECTLY. Soooo moist and fluffy! I substituted organic coconut oil in place of the butter and it worked wonderfully! Thank you for the great recipe!
Danielle says
We made these on Monday. They tasted great, but by Wednesday morning they had green spots on them. Do they need to be refrigerated? Has anyone else had this happen?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Danielle. This might help answer your question: http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-queries/view/Carrots-Turning-Green-in-Carrot-Muffins/2582. ~Amy
Michelle says
These muffins are great. The second time we made them we added a couple handfuls of raisins and they were equally great! My 6 yr old likes them even better with raisins . Thanks for the recipe!
Donna says
I made these with GF flour blend & a little xanthan gum, they were very yummy! Couldn't hardly tell they were gluten free. I sub'd the flour 1:1, was perfect!
Libby B says
I made these yesterday for my girls and they were a hit!! Even my oldest who is very picky ate them! I ended up steaming and pureeing the carrots then because I was out of eggs used a flaxseed replacer and yum!!
Thank you for this great recipe! I will be making these a lot:)
Anna says
I'm somewhat cursing the fact that I ever stumbled across this recipe..the first time I made then they were perfect and I thought this recipe was a keeper. The second time they were so wet and collapsed I was convinced I had done something wrong. The third time they were wet and sunken again. Then I thought maybe it was because I was using homemade apple sauce from eating apples with a higher water content so the fourth time I made then I made sure I reduced my apple sauce so it was really thick. Anyway, they were really wet again. I've no idea what I did to make them so great the first time and I'm annoyed that I can't seem to replicate it. IF I make them again I'm either going to reduce the honey and applesauce or use brown sugar instead of the honey apnd cream the butter and sugar together at the beginning. But I think I've spent too much energy (and money!) to risk a fifth attempt.
Allison says
Great recipe! The muffins came out so moist and fluffy, which was surprising to me, since it used whole wheat flour! The taste is mildly sweet, but not overpowering. I really loved the taste that the applesauce gave the muffins, so I peeled and chopped up a granny smith apple and mixed it in with this week's batch. So good!
I've also frozen these, then thawed them afterward for consumption. You don't lose any of the texture quality from doing this.
One thing to note: my muffins didn't rise an awful lot. I say this, because normally I only fill my muffin cups 2/3 full to allow for the batter to rise, and to prevent overflowing muffin tops. When I did the same with these muffins, none of mine even reached the tip of the liners. It's not really a big deal, just something you may want to note when you're pouring the batter, depending on the muffin size you want.
Megan says
Hello! I have a question - I've noticed that in this (and many many many other) recipe you use Honey.
I am allergic to honey...hives, fever, itching, BAD! What can I use in place of honey?? I recently had a reaction to something I ate (sadly, I still have not found out what it was) and starting to make the conscious effort to go REAL FOOD....I am tired of NOT knowing what is in what my family and I eat. Thanks for listening...
Megan
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Megan. We often replace honey with maple syrup. We also understand that people with allergies have to make adaptations. ~Amy
Catherine Bobbie says
Hi I was wondering if I could purée the carrot, and if I did would I have to adjust the other ingredients?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Catherine. While we haven't done that, I think it will work fine with no adjustments needed. ~Amy
Angela says
I made these and the whole-wheat muffins with blueberries today for my daughter's lunches. They are DELICIOUS!So moist and great flavor - I'd never guess they were healthy:) I hope they are just as good after freezing. Thank you for the great recipes and the great ideas for my daughter's lunches
Gemma says
Good recipe! I have baked them with my son (2y) twice already. I cut the ingredients in half (except for the egg), since I only wanted to make 6. First batch came too sweet for our taste (1/4c honey). Second time, I reduced the amount of honey to +- 2 tablespoon of honey, for a sweet touch, and increased the applesauce to about 1 cup. Sort of substituting one for the other. I thought they might come out too moist, but they came out ok. My kid loves them and I'm happy to have snack on them ;)
Tasha says
Been wanting to try this recipe for aaaages. Finally made your applesauce the other day and the muffins are currently on the cooling rack out of the oven. I think next time i may try less honey but just to be good, they taste scrummy this way too :) thank you!
Kari says
Hi there! My family LOVES these muffins!! What type of wheat berries are you grinding for them? I have been using ground whole wheat flour, but am ready to try grinding my own wheat, and am not sure which variety of berries will be best for these muffins, or for bread. Thanks for the great recipe and info!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kari. Lisa didn't grind berries for this recipe. Here is her post on when she has done so: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/07/05/grinding-your-own-wheat-is-not-crazy-after-all-including-video/. ~Amy
Anne says
I made these for my family - my three PICKY kids and husband gobbled them up!!! I will be making a double batch next :) I did sub coconut oil for the butter and they were super moist and delicious...thanks for the recipe! It's a keeper!
Heather says
So good! Just made these and my 6 year old loved them! I used about half the honey, substituted half the butter with coconut oil (I love coconut flavor), and threw in some chia seeds. I will definitely be making these again!
Joslyn says
Do you think I could substitute coconut oil, coconut butter, or shortening for the butter in these? We don't have a safe butter for DD, but these look like something she would enjoy.
Sarah says
Hi Joslyn,
I haven't made these particular muffins with coconut oil, but I typically sub coconut oil for butter in my muffin recipes (breastfeeding a cow's milk allergic baby...) and they work just fine. I say give it a go!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Joslyn. I have subbed with coconut oil in this recipe and it will work just fine. :) ~Amy
Emma says
Holy wow. These muffins are spectacular! I read in the comments not to put in all the honey, but I though i'd like a really sweet muffin. My advice: definitely put in less honey. They were a tad too sweet, other than that-great! I also halved the ginger and substituted 1/2c whole wheat for almond flour. Can't wait to eat them for breakfast this week!
Pam says
Ok, I actually just made these with 1/2 the amount of honey and they are OUTSTANDING!
Pam says
Is this really calling for 1/2 cup of honey? It just sounded like a lot. Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Pam. Yes it does and they are really good muffins! :) Other readers have made them with less with no complaints. ~Amy
Tera says
To be honest, I wasn't that thrilled with these straight out of the oven. But I wasn't going to waste good ingredients, so I froze a bunch anyway. Well lo and behold, I think they're AMAZING thawed out! The top gets kind of gooey and and super moist. Now it's one of my favorite work snacks! They thaw out by 10am without fail. Yum!
Amanda says
I made these and they are delicious!!! They were super soft though! I'm not sure if this was because I used soft white wheat instead of hard. Are they typically super moist and soft and hard to hold? Again...they are very yummy despite!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Amanda. They are very moist but shouldn't be falling apart. :) ~Amy
Erin Lynn says
I made these today (this is the second time). I followed the recipe and used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white whole wheat. And they're horribly dry. I folded in the applesauce and carrots at the end per the instructions, but the dough is so thick already. Would adding the applesauce to the wet ingredients alter the outcome? Everyone is posting that they're so moist - not mine!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Erin. Yes, these do typically come out very moist. I'm not sure what might have gone wrong. Mixing in the applesauce with the wet ingredients should not have made that big of difference but try folding in the applesauce at the end and see if that helps. ~Amy
Stephanie says
What do you freeze them in and how long will they last in the freezer?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Stephanie. These rarely last long enough in my home to make it to the freezer! When they do, I either use an airtight plastic container or a zipper freezer bag. I prefer the freezer bags as you can get most of the air out which helps to prevent freezer burn. They should be okay up to three months or so. ~Amy
Ashley says
I was out of honey, so I poured about 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses into the 1/2 cup measuring cup and filled the rest with pure maple syrup. Delicious!
molly says
Can I use oil instead of butter?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Ho Molly. We often substitute coconut oil for butter. ~Amy
Molly says
What about regular oil like olive or canola? I don't understand why coconut oil is all of a sudden good for you? I've always thought it was the most unhealthy. I'm seeing coconut oil more often but I thought it was very high in saturated fat. The muffins came out amazing! I used 1/2 a stick of butter and 1/2 cup oil. Would it work with ALL oil (not coconut)?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi again. Olive oil is fine but we do not recommend canola. Here is more information: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/. Also, here is a detailed post on coconut oil: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/coconut-oil/. ~Amy
Pam says
I have made this recipe several times and love it, but was wondering if you know of anyone who has ever substituted zucchini for the carrots or maybe do 1/2 and 1/2 of each?
Kelly says
I am sure you could sub zucchini, I would just squeeze out as much water as possible so your muffins aren't too moist. I actually made a double batch of these and the zucchini muffins from this site today. I like these so much better. Next time, I will make a double batch of this batter and at the end do 1/2 zucchini and 1/2 carrot.
Hayley says
We made these today! I used coconut oil and made them into mini muffins. I made 24 of them and as soon as they came out of the oven my 3 yr old and 15mth old devoured half of them! My 15 mth old kept reaching on the counter to find them!! Needless to say they are delish!
BusyBee says
My kids liked them. I'm definitely used to sweeter things, but these are good as a snack. I'd like some more substance to them...will probably try again and add raisins and walnuts.
Amanda says
I made these this morning, and I subbed coconut oil for the butter- they were scrumptious! Oh, and I only had 1/2 c. of white whole wheat flour left, so I did use plain white flour. Oops.
We're trying to get our kids to eat more real food, and these were perfect for our breakfast with a side of fruit. The kids LOVED them, and so did my husband and me. Thanks for a great recipe!
Shannon says
LOVE LOVE LOVE these muffins!! I made a batch of whole wheat chocolate chip muffins and these muffins at the same time...my kids (3 & 5) liked these better!! And me too! :) Thanks for the great recipe.
Becka says
Hi! I made these today with my 1 1/2 yr old. They are delicious! I am lazy and threw my carrots in my food processor to chop them up tiny instead of shredding. I also cooked them in a stoneware muffin pan, so I had to cook them about 5 minutes longer, but even my picky 5 yr old liked them. Has anyone tried substituting coconut oil for the butter in these?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Becka. I've subbed with coconut oil. These are really delicious muffins with either. ~Amy
Kacie says
When freezing and un- thawing what is suggested? Made this tonight and they are already a big hit!!! I used soy free butter so my son with allergies could eat as well and would imagine the taste being any different than normal. Thanks for the recipe ♥
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kacie. Just defrost overnight in the fridge. ~Amy
Tiffany says
Has anyone tried these with less butter? This is a good whole wheat recipe but loaded with saturated fat.
Amber F says
Didn't use an electric mixer and still came out great. Love these recipes! I try a new one every week. Thank you, and I can't wait for the cookbook.
Cheryl says
Well, I'm back with my results and all I can say is...I give this recipe 2 thumbs up!!! What I particularly love about this muffin is that it's not loaded down with tons of sugar like most recipes call for. I'm not a sweet junkie, so these just hit the spot and go very well with my black coffee. I have to be honest and admit that I didn't have unsweetened applesauce so I used "sweetened" instead and they're perfect and just the way I like my muffins.
Thanks for sharing your recipe Lisa!