Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins- when you’re craving carrot cake but wanting something healthier and easier to make, these whole grain muffins are the perfect solution!  (gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free)

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins- when you're craving carrot cake but wanting something healthier and easier to make, these whole grain muffins are the perfect solution!  (gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free)

This post was created in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill

If I could only bake one kind of muffin for the rest of my life it would definitely be my blender muffins. Forget measuring flour and dirtying separate bowls. Why would I go through all of that when I can make the fluffiest, most delicious muffins EVER and only have to wash my blender?

Trust me, once you try them you’ll see what I mean. There’s no going back.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins- when you're craving carrot cake but wanting something healthier and easier to make, these whole grain muffins are the perfect solution!  (gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free)

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Ingredients

  • Rolled Oats- The beauty of these muffins is that you don’t have to make a mess measuring out flour. You just dump rolled oats into your high speed blender and let it do the work for you. My go-to brand is Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats because I can always trust that they’re certified gluten-free and verified non-GMO. See below for tips on how to make these without a high speed blender.
  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda- You’ll need both baking powder and soda to leaven the muffins so that they’re nice and fluffy.
  • Cinnamon and Salt- Ground cinnamon gives them a classic carrot cake flavor while salt balances out the sweetness.
  • Non-Dairy Yogurt– Yogurt provides moisture without making the muffins overly dense. My favorite non-dairy yogurt is almond milk yogurt. We don’t eat dairy in our house so I haven’t tested these with dairy yogurt. Please note the acidity in dairy yogurt may affect how the muffins rise.
  • Eggs- I recommend using real eggs for best results. If you’d like to try them with egg substitutes please let us know how they turned out for you in the comments below.
  • Honey or Maple Syrup- Liquid sweetener is necessary for proper moisture in the recipe. Both honey or pure maple syrup will work.
  • Almond Butter- Nut butter provides fat in the recipe but is easily substituted with oil if you prefer. Any neutral flavored oil will work in its place.
  • Non-Dairy Milk- Oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk…whatever you prefer.
  • Shredded Carrot- Obvious necessity for carrot cake muffins.
  • Chopped Nuts- I like to add nuts such as walnuts or pecans to my carrot cake but this ingredient is totally optional. Feel free to add whatever mix ins you like!

How to Make Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

Let’s take a look at just how easy they are to make:

  1. Start by placing the wet ingredients in the blender first: yogurt, eggs, milk, honey, vanilla and almond butter.
  2. Next layer the dry ingredients on top: rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ginger.
  3. Blend on high until smooth.
  4. Stir in shredded carrot and nuts.
  5. Bake until golden and puffy.
  6. Cool then drizzle with icing. Try not to devour the whole batch in one sitting. :)

What if I don’t have a High Speed Blender?

You’ll notice that the Vitamix does a stellar job breaking down the oats and making my muffins look like bakery perfection. If you can afford to invest in one, I highly recommend it.

That said, if you don’t have a high speed blender you can easily make these by using equal amounts oat flour and combining the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. Then you just add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet and stir to combine.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins- when you're craving carrot cake but wanting something healthier and easier to make, these whole grain muffins are the perfect solution!  (gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free)

I chose to keep things simple by only adding shredded carrot and walnuts but feel free to mix in your favorite carrot cake additions. Coconut, raisins, pecans…whatever tickles your pickle!

If you want to try more blender muffins like these be sure to check these out:

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins- when you're craving carrot cake but wanting something healthier and easier to make, these whole grain muffins are the perfect solution!  (gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free)

Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

When you're craving carrot cake but wanting something healthier and easier to make, these whole grain muffins are the perfect solution!  (gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free)
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 10 muffins

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • ½ cup non-dairy yogurt
  • ⅓ cup honey or pure maple syrup
  • 2 pasture-raised eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons almond butter, please see notes for substitutions
  • ¼ cup non-dairy milk
  • 2 cups rolled oats, certified gluten-free for allergies
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans), optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and then grease or line a muffin tin for 12 muffins.
  • Starting with the wet ingredients first (yogurt, honey, eggs, almond butter, vanilla and milk) layer everything except the carrots and nuts into a blender or a food processor and blend for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
  • Using a spoon, gently stir the carrot and chopped nuts into the batter. Pour the batter into the muffin tin, filling each about 3/4th of the way full. Bake in the oven for 22 minutes, until light golden brown. Allow to to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before stuffing in your face. Leftovers are good at room temperature for the first day but are best kept refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

Cashew butter, unrefined coconut oil or a different neutral flavored oil works well in place of the almond butter.
I have not tested these with flax eggs because in the past they haven't worked well for my blender muffin recipes. If you test them that way please let us know how they turned out!
If you'd like to make the icing as pictured, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl then whisk until smooth. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 199mg, Potassium: 214mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 2209IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!

 

image001 This post was created in partnership with a brand that I have used and loved for years, Bob’s Red Mill. As always, all opinions and text are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make it possible for me to bring you quality content. For more delicious recipes and a coupon for $1.00 off any product, please visit Bob’sRedMill.com.

Disclosure: Making Thyme for Health is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program which is an affiliate advertising program. This means that if you click an Amazon link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting this site and allowing me to bring you quality content!

by Sarah on January 27, 2020  //  Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes, Snacks
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