Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (2024)

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Get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious Carrot Muffins recipe. These muffins are the perfect spring recipe for breakfast on the go!

This recipe makes twelve muffins and costs about $7.96 to make. That’s just $0.66 per muffin.

Once Springtime hits, I am all about the carrot recipes. This Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake Copycat, Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies, Easy Carrot Cake, and these Carrot Muffins are at the top of my baking list every Spring.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (1)

Table of Contents

Healthy Carrot Muffins

I LOVE CARROT CAKE, and I can’t get enough of it. I love everything about it carrot cake: the spice cake, the bits of delicious carrot, the nuts, and of course, the cream cheese frosting!

Of course, carrot cake isn’t the healthiest choice, but it’s just so good! And this is where my Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe comes in.

I came up with this healthy muffin recipe to satisfy my constant carrot cake craving. My family loves these so much; I’ve made them every week this month!

These Carrot Muffins are packed full of flavor and nutrients. They have the perfect amount of spice and crunch without being too sweet.

Muffins make a fabulous breakfast on the go or an afternoon snack. The moist, light, fluffy, and cake-like texture of each Carrot Muffin is tough to resist.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (2)

INGREDIENTS AND COST

Per Serving Cost: $0.66

Recipe Cost: $7.96

  • 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour – $1.50
  • ¼ cup cornstarch – $0.01
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder – $0.08
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda – $0.01
  • 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice$0.52
  • ½ teaspoon salt – $0.01
  • 2 large eggs – $0.20
  • ⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar – $0.29
  • ⅓ cup canola oil – $0.16
  • 1 ⅓ cup buttermilk – $0.77
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract – $1.36
  • 1 ½ cups carrots – $0.21
  • ½ cup golden raisins – $0.59
  • ⅔ cup pecans – $2.16

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (3)

HOW TO MAKE CARROT MUFFINS

  1. First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line the muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Next, using a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, ⅓ cup of sugar, canola oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
  4. After making a well in the middle of the flour mixture, pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk just until combined.
  5. Next, fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans.
  6. Fill the muffin tin with the batter, filling them ⅘ of the way full. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining raw sugar.
  7. Finally, bake for 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (4)

***For full recipe details see the recipe card below.

RECIPE VARIATIONS

  • My recipe uses pecans, but you can either leave them out or use walnuts instead–whatever your preference.
  • Please make sure you use nothing but whole wheat pastry flour. Any other type of flour will weigh the muffins down and the texture will be off.

STORAGE TIPS

SERVE: You can serve these plain, with a little bit of cream cheese, or with some of my whipped butter.

STORE: These muffins will keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

FREEZE: Once the muffins are cooled, place them in a freezer safe container. Freeze for 4-5 months.

DEFROST: Defrost at room temperature for 2-4 hours.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (5)

COOK’S TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS

  • box grater
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • muffin tin
  • paper liners
  • wire rack
  • whole wheat pastry flour
  • sugar in the raw
  • golden raisins

RECIPE FAQ’S

How can I make my muffins lighter and fluffy?

First, do not overbeat the batter when mixing the dry and wet ingredients. Doing so will make the muffins tough. It can also help to use room temperature ingredients, as they tend to create a smoother batter that traps air and expands while baking, thus making a lighter and fluffier muffin.

How many calories are in a small Carrot Muffin?

Using this recipe has about 279 calories per muffin.

Are muffins better with oil or butter?

Recipes typically call for butter to add more taste to the recipe. We know that butter makes most things taste better! However, it is also a less healthy option than oil. For example, using oil in a muffin recipe typically results in a lighter muffin that stays tender and moist longer than a muffin made with butter.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (6)

MORE BREADS

  • Banana Cinnamon Muffins
  • Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • Best Bran Muffins
  • Apple Muffins
  • Almond Coffee Cake Ring
  • Pumpkin Honey Muffins
  • Mom’s Zucchini Bread
  • Cranberry Bread

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (7)

4.60 from 15 votes

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe

Author Jillian – a Food, Folks and Fun original!

Recipe Cost $ $7.96

Serving Cost $ $0.66

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

12 muffins

Get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and deliciousCarrot Muffinsrecipe. These muffins are the perfect spring recipe for breakfast on the go!

Equipment

  • box grater

  • mixing bowls

  • whisk

  • muffintin

  • paper liners

  • wire rack

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • cup + 2 Tablespoons raw brown sugar, turbinado sugar divided
  • cup canola oil
  • 1 ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup peeled and grated carrots grated on small holes of box grater
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • cup chopped pecans

Instructions

PREP OVEN AND MUFFIN TIN:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the oven rack in the middle position. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

MIX MUFFIN BATTER:

  • Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

  • In a small bowl or large measuring cup, add the eggs, ⅓ cup of sugar, canola oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.

  • Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients.

  • Whisk until combined, but don't overbeat (that will make the muffins tough!).

  • Next, fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans.

FILL MUFFIN TINS AND BAKE:

  • Distribute the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about ⅘ of the way full. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining raw brown sugar.

  • Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out with just a couple of moist crumbs.

COOL AND SERVE:

  • Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Video

Notes

  • Over-mixing will make these muffins tough. Just mix until no more flour streaks remain, a few little lumps are okay.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 323mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 2770IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (8)

Do you love Carrot Cake? Then, check out more of my Carrot Cake recipes!

  • Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies with Toasted Coconut
  • Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake – a Cheesecake Factory Copycat
  • Emergency Carrot Cake
  • Carrot Cake Cookie Bars

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Jillian

I’m Jillian, the creator behind Food Folks and Fun. I have over 30 years of experience cooking for others. There’s nothing I love more than cooking for my family. Food is love, and cooking isn’t just putting a meal on a plate: It’s putting a little part of myself into that meal.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe – get your carrot cake fix with this healthy and delicious muffins recipe. This is the perfect spring breakfast recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why is carrot cake so fattening? ›

Carrot cake usually contains more saturated fat than fruit cake thanks to the frosting, which is typically made from cream cheese. The higher fat content also means it's higher in calories. Carrot cake is lower in fibre, so may not be as filling.

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

Why do you use oil instead of butter in carrot cake? Oil helps keep carrot cake extra moist and also helps extend its shelf life.

Is carrot cake a good source of vitamin A? ›

While carrots are high in beta-carotene which provides us with plenty of vitamin A, the culprit in most carrot cakes is scrumptious cream cheese frosting. No need to worry though because these carrot cake bars are sure to be lower in calories and fat content than previous carrot cakes you've indulged in.

What is the healthiest cake you can eat? ›

What Type of Cake is Healthy?
  1. Angel Food Cake. Angel food cake is healthy because It does not contain egg yolk and butter. ...
  2. 2 . Flourless Chocolate Cake. ...
  3. 3 . Protein Mug Cake. ...
  4. 4 . Homemade Strawberry Shortcake. ...
  5. 5 . Sugar-Free Carrot and Date Cake. ...
  6. 6 . Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. ...
  7. 7 . Cheesecake. ...
  8. 8 . Red Velvet Cake.

Does carrot cake raise blood sugar? ›

It showed that patients who increased their daily sugar intake (in the form of carrot cake) but maintained a stable body weight, showed no adverse changes in their blood glucose. The study was conducted by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at London's Hammersmith Hospital.

Is carrot cake unhealthy? ›

Carrot cake is one of those sneaky little desserts that make you believe you're being virtuous (it's got carrots!), but it can be quite high in sugar and calories. One generous slice of traditional carrot cake with cream cheese frosting has around 650 calories.

Is it better to make carrot cake with butter or oil? ›

Vegetable oil produces a more moist, tender cake than butter. Yes, butter generally tastes better, but it makes the cake come out a little firmer than I like. Don't worry—there's plenty of butter in the frosting to make up for it. Should carrot cake have raisins?

What is a substitute for butter in carrots? ›

There are plenty of ways to vary glazed carrots. If you want them to be low in saturated fat, substitute vegetable oil for the butter and add only a small amount. Instead of white sugar, use brown sugar or honey.

Which muffin is healthiest? ›

Best: Soozy's Grain-Free Match Green Tea Muffin

They're made with whole-food ingredients, including almond flour, whole eggs, and coconut cream. We love that they're a lower-sugar option and don't contain any artificial sweeteners. Plus, the almond flour keeps these low in carbs and high in fiber.

What should be avoided in making muffins? ›

Common Muffin Making Mistakes To Avoid
  1. Over mixing the batter.
  2. Overfilling the muffin tray.
  3. Leaving the muffins in the pan after they have baked.
  4. Berries, nuts, and chocolate chips sink to the bottom.
Mar 12, 2019

Is it healthy to eat muffins everyday? ›

Muffins are a quick and easy choice for breakfast on the go, but unfortunately, many bakery and coffee shop muffins are high in calories and added sugar, and they lack protein and fiber. If your goal is to lose weight, these kinds of muffins are not the best option.

Is carrot cake good for your stomach? ›

Carrot cake, when made with whole wheat flour or incorporating oats, can be a good source of dietary fiber. Fibre aids in regulating bowel movements, preventing constipation, and promoting a feeling of fullness, which can assist in weight management.

Why does my carrot cake taste weird? ›

Burnt Ingredients: If any of the ingredients, especially fats like butter or oil, are overcooked or burnt during the baking process, they can impart a bitter taste to the cake.

Are baked carrots good for you? ›

“Although the glycemic index of cooked carrots is higher than some other vegetables, the amount of carbohydrates is low and the veggie's overall health benefits definitely outweigh any concerns about their carbs,” she says. Carrots supply about 5 grams of fiber per cup—or about 18 percent of the daily need.

Is carrot cake good or bad for you? ›

Carrot cake isn't really any less healthy than a white cake or a chocolate cake. Arguably, it's slightly more healthy because of the addition of carrots and sometimes pineapple. However, it does contain a cup of oil and two cups of sugar, and that's just in the cake.

Is it bad to eat carrot cake? ›

Contrary to popular belief, carrot cake can be more than just a delicious treat. With its remarkable health benefits, including antioxidants, vision support, immune system boosting properties, dietary fiber, and heart health promotion, carrot cake can be enjoyed as a guilt-free indulgence.

Is carrot cake high fat? ›

Carrot cake contains 440 calories per 92 g serving. This serving contains 26 g of fat, 3 g of protein and 49 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 35 g sugar and 1 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Carrot cake contains 7 g of saturated fat and 45 mg of cholesterol per serving.

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