Carrot Raisin Muffins

These Carrot Raisin Muffins are packed with shredded carrots, apple and cinnamon and make the perfect grab-and-go breakfast that is both healthy and delicious!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🥕 Recipe tips
• ⏲️ How to store
• 🎉 Recipe variations
• ☀️ More muffin recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

The only problem with having a love of baking is that you pretty much always have some sort of baked good just waiting for you in your kitchen. Whether it's a cake, a batch of cookies, a tray of cupcakes, or a whole pie, there's always something to tempt you.

And now that I'm not working in an office, I can't bring the leftover baked goods to share with co-workers and I just have the sweet treats all to myself.

While at the gym recently, I ran into Nancy Clark, the internationally known sports nutritionist and author who runs her private practice out of Healthworks at Chestnut Hill. She flagged a bunch of recipes for me to try out so I'm going to slowly work my way through to share with you all.

Since I'm always looking for healthy and delicious breakfast options, I decided to try the recipe for Carrot Cake Muffins first (original recipe adapted from Evelyn Triobole RD).

❤️ Why this recipe works

It uses a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour: combining the flours gives these muffins a hearty, wholesome flavor while still keeping them light and tender. The whole wheat adds nuttiness and fiber, while the all-purpose flour prevents them from becoming dense.

Shredded carrots and apple add natural sweetness: instead of packing the muffins with granulated sugar, the carrots and apples sweeten them up. They also add moisture and help make them muffins moist without adding oil. The raisins add sweetness, too!

Buttermilk makes them tender: the acidity of buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and baking powder to help the muffins rise and give them a soft texture.

Walnuts add a little crunch: the nuts complement the warm spices and make the muffins feel a little more like a bakery treat while giving them some texture.

🗒 Ingredients

Here's everything you need for these carrot raisin muffins (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe information):

• Whole wheat flour
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Large eggs
• Buttermilk
• Canola oil
• Vanilla extract
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded apple
• Raisins
• Chopped walnuts: optional

🥕 Recipe tips

• Shred the carrots finely as this will help them blend better into the batter and keep the muffins tender. Large carrot shreds can make the texture a little uneven.

• I recommend using a slightly tart apple, like honeycrisp, gala, or fuji.

• If your apple is really wet, gently blot it with a paper towel before adding it to the batter, so it doesn't add too much moisture.

• Take care not to over-mix the batter as over-mixing can make the muffins tough and dense.

• Adding walnuts to the muffins is optional, but I think it adds some great crunch and texture!

• I like using an ice cream scoop (or cookie scoop) to fill the muffin cups with the batter.
  
• Fill the muffin tins almost to the top in order to create nicely domed bakery-style muffins.

• The recipe said to bake for about 30 minutes, I set the timer for 23 just to take a peek and they they were already almost done. I recommend checking at 23 minutes and baking for up to 26 minutes.

• Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes (this allows them to set without becoming soggy on the bottom) before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

These muffins have the most amazing density, the perfect amount of sweet, the ideal amount of chewy from the raisins, and the best amount of crunch from the carrots and apple. What more can you ask for in a muffin?

Besides a little slab of melted butter added on, of course 😉

⏲️ How to store

Once the muffins are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

If you want to store them in the fridge, they can be kept for about a week. I recommend letting them come to room temperature or even warming them a bit before enjoying.

You can also freeze the muffins! Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.

Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

🎉 Recipe variations

• Add coconut for more flavor and sweetness.
• Add crushed pineapple (drained) for a carrot cake like muffin.
• Instead of raisins, add dried cranberries or even dates.
• Instead of walnuts, use pecans, pistachios, or sunflower seeds.
• Add a streusel topping for some extra sweetness.
• Add nutmeg, ginger, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice for some different flavor.
• Replace the canola oil with ⅓ cup applesauce and the whole eggs with 6 egg whites for a fat-free option.
• Bake the batter in a loaf pan instead of muffin tin (note that baking time will vary).

☀️ More muffin recipes

If you enjoy this recipe, check out more of my favorite muffin recipes!

Healthy breakfast feels like an absolute treat with these moist and delicious muffins!

What's your favorite breakfast muffin? Because I'm pretty sure these are mine!

If you're looking for more muffin recipes, be sure to check out my Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Muffins or my Tuscan Lemon Muffins! I also love these Apricot Muffins with Pistachio and Oats from Lil' Cookie!

📖 Recipe