Vegan Carrot Muffins

By Deryn Macey

5 from 2 votes

on Feb 09, 2021, Updated Aug 27, 2024

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These healthy vegan carrot muffins are made with applesauce and whole-wheat flour for wholesome, delicious breakfast or sweet treat. Ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients!

Small carrot muffin in a cupcake liner sitting on a marble cutting board.

Table of Contents

About the Recipe

These muffins are quick to prepare and bursting with flavour from carrots, walnut and spices. You’ll love the soft texture with crunchy bites of walnuts and sweet carrot throughout.

Enjoy them as part of a healthy breakfast, serve them at brunch, pack them up for lunch, or take them camping, hiking or on your next road trip or travel day! Their great for kids and the whole family will enjoy them too.

They’re delicious anytime, though if you can, be sure to enjoy one (or two!) warm from the oven topped with butter. Here are a few things to love about these muffins:

  • Vegan, can be made gluten-free and nut-free.
  • Sweet and spiced flavour and soft, moist texture.
  • Low in oil thanks to applesauce.
  • Great way to sneak some carrots by kids that might not love veggies.
  • Amazing served warm with vegan butter, peanut butter, coconut butter or jam.
  • They can be made in advance and frozen.

For more healthy muffins, these Vegan Oatmeal Muffins and Vegan Carrot Zucchini Muffins are lovely too!

Ingredients

Visual of ingredients for making healthy carrot cake muffins. Each ingredient is labelled with text.
  • Flour: This recipe calls for whole wheat flour. You can substitute spelt flour or a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend such as Bob’s Red Mill.
  • Coconut Sugar: This can be substituted with cane sugar or other unrefined sugar such as turbinado or sucanut.
  • Carrot: Use finely grated fresh carrot in this recipe. I would suggest peeling it as well.
  • Applesauce: I recommend unsweetened applesauce but if you only have sweetened you can use it, just keep in mind the muffins will be sweeter and higher in sugar.
  • Coconut Oil: This may be substituted with melted vegan butter, canola oil, avocado oil or olive oil.
  • Non-Dairy Milk: Store-bought or homemade unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk works best though soy milk also works.
  • Walnuts: Can be swapped for pecans or mixed and matched with raisins. For a nut-free recipe, you can use pumpkin seeds or a mix of pumpkin seeds and raisins.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Variations

  • Vegan Carrot Apple Muffins: Replace half of the carrot with finely grated apple.
  • Carrot Oat Muffins: Add 1/2 cup rolled oats with the dry ingredients.
  • Replace half of the walnuts with raisins.
  • Add up to 1/2 cup shredded coconut when you add the walnuts.
  • Spelt Carrot Muffins: Replace the whole wheat flour 1:1 with spelt flour.
  • Serve with vegan caramel sauce or or the vegan cream cheese frosting from these Vegan Cinnamon Rolls or Vegan Carrot Cake.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 375 F and prepare a 12 pc muffin pan with muffin liners. If you don’t have muffin liners, lightly coat the pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with oil or butter.

Whisking together flour and other dry baking ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices) until well incorporated.

Mixing grated carrots into flour in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add the carrots and mix until they’re well-distributed and coated in the flour mixture.

Whisking applesauce, coconut oil and almond milk together in a small bowl.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (applesauce, coconut oil vanilla, milk, vinegar) until combined.

Pouring applesauce into flour and grated carrot in a large mixing bowl.

Step 4: Create a “well” in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.

Gently fold together with a spatula until all of the flour has been wetted. Once all the flour has been incorporated, stop mixing to avoid over-mixing the batter.

Folding chopped walnuts into batter in a large mixing bowl.

Step 5: Fold in the crushed walnuts. If you’d like to add anything else, such as shredded coconut or raisins, fold those in now as well.

Scooping raw muffin batter into muffin liners in a muffin pan.

Step 6: Evenly divide the mixture between the 12 prepared muffin cups. I like to use a large cookie scoop for easy scooping. Bake for 20 minutes.

Carrot muffins in muffin liners cooling on a cooling rack.

Remove the muffins from the pan and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes to cool. They’re ready to enjoy!

FAQs

Can I use gluten-free flour?

Yes. You can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour for the whole wheat flour. Do not use a single gluten-free flour such as oat flour or almond flour.

For other gluten-free muffins, check out my Vegan Buckwheat Muffins and Vegan Chickpea Flour Muffins.

Can you freeze carrot muffins?

Definitely! Let them cool then store in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.

Are carrot muffins healthy?

Carrot muffins are not necessarily healthy as they contain oil and sugar, though they can certainly be included as part of a healthy balanced diet.

For a healthier muffin, this recipe uses unsweetened applesauce to reduce the oil or butter needed, features whole grain flour and coconut sugar and carrots and walnuts add nutrition. For low-fat carrot muffins, you can omit the walnuts or substitute raisins.

Notes & Tips

  1. Make sure you finely grate the carrot so you don’t have tough chunks in the baked muffins.
  2. Because the batter contains gluten, try to avoid over mixing so your muffins come out light and fluffy.
  3. Try sprinkling a little coconut sugar and a few extra walnuts on top before baking.
  4. Bake the muffins as soon as they’re ready to go in the oven so as not to waste the leavening power of the baking soda.
  5. Do not open the oven door while baking. You can check for doneness at 20 minutes.
  6. Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. This makes it so easy and ensures accuracy.
Sliced open carrot muffin showing inside texture of muffin.

Storing

  • Let cool completely before storing in a container.
  • Fridge: Store in a sealed container or sealable bag for up to 1 week.
  • Freezer: Store in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
  • Room Temperature: Store in a sealed container or sealable bag for 2-3 days.

More Muffin Recipes

Love carrot cake? Try this Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal, Carrot Cake Banana Bread and No-Bake Carrot Cake Energy Balls.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Small carrot muffin in a cupcake liner sitting on a marble cutting board.
5 from 2 votes

Vegan Carrot Muffins

By: Deryn Macey
Soft, moist and flavourful healthy carrot cake muffins that make a wholesome breakfast on-the-go or snack any time of day. 
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients 

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour, 300 g
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar, 80 g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup packed, peeled and finely grated carrot (175 g, about 2 small carrots)
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature (160 ml)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (60 g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla, 10 ml
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free milk, room temperature (120 ml)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 5 ml
  • 1/2 cup crushed walnuts, 60 g

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare 12 piece muffin pan with muffin liners. If you don’t have muffin liners, lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray or lightly grease with oil or butter.
  • Add the dry ingredients (flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, spices, salt) to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • Add the grated carrot to the flour mixture and stir until the carrot is mixed in and coated with flour.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the wet ingredients (applesauce, coconut oil, dairy-free milk, vinegar). Be sure to use room temperature milk and applesauce so they don't cause the coconut oil to harden. You can warm them briefly in the microwave if they're cold.
  • Make a "well" in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the whole. Fold together until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in and wetted.
  • Add the crushed walnuts and fold in a few times to mix throughout.
  • Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, evenly distribute muffin mix into the prepared muffin tins. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a tooth pick can be inserted in the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
  • When ready remove from oven, lift out the pan and place on cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Notes

Muffins can be stored In an air tight container in the fridge for 5 -6 days, or stored in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Okay at room temperature for 1-2 days if taking to-go.
This recipe also works with grated zucchini. To use zucchini instead of carrot, grate zucchini then wrap in a dish towel to squeeze out excess moisture before adding to the recipe or try this delicious vegan zucchini bread.
Walnuts can be substituted with pecans.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 213kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Sodium: 12mg, Fiber: 4g
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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Every recipe I’ve tried from your site has been a hit and these were no exception. My husband has a love of sugary, traditional baked goods and is picky about many of my “healthier” versions of things – he went back for several of these, which NEVER happens. Will definitely make these again.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    These are absolutely delicious. My whole family loves them. They’re easy to make too. I used coconut milk as my plant milk. Definitely recommend this recipe.

    Reply