If there’s a way to apple pick in moderation, I haven’t mastered it yet. Every year, my girlfriends and I embark on our annual orchard trip. Every year I promise myself I will walk away with fewer than 5 pounds of apples. Every year, I buy 10. Oops. Well, the more apples, the more Apple Carrot Muffins!
These moist, healthy breakfast muffins are made with wholesome ingredients like oatmeal and Greek yogurt, are filled with warm harvest spices, and are exactly the thing to do with the surplus of apples that’s blessing the grocery store (and my refrigerator) at this very moment.
When I’m making a fall-oriented recipe like Apple Carrot Muffins, I spend a lot of time thinking about aromas and spices: cinnamon, maple (or honey), and of course apple are all present here.
These Apple Carrot Muffins also reminded me of another critical component to any comforting recipe, texture. Call to mind the softness of a flannel shirt, the pleasant bumps on a nubby, wooly blanket, the crunch of leaves beneath your boots. Touch comes into play with our eating experiences too.
This Apple Carrot Muffins recipe skimps on neither. First, they are incredibly moist, which, in my opinion, is a baseline requirement for any muffin worth eating, healthy muffins like these included. They also offer surprise textural elements that make them all the more appealing (and addicting!).
Second, these are apple carrot oatmeal muffins, and the oats give them heartiness. As you eat one, you have a real sense of being sustained. It’s a pleasing, reassuring sensation, especially on a chilly morning when you have a long day ahead.
Finally, in addition to the oatmeal, you’ll find other bonus elements in each bite. I added golden raisins, whose chewy sweetness is one of my favorite pairings with both carrots and apples. For crunch, I couldn’t resist chopped walnuts. Pecans would also be outstanding, as would, I suspect, sunflower seeds.
Apple Carrot Muffins—An Easy Muffin Recipe That Doesn’t Disappoint
It was important to me that these be EASY Apple Carrot Muffins. As you’ll see, this recipe comes together quickly and is appropriate for bakers of all levels, including little bakers you may have helping in the kitchen with you.
Like the majority of my healthy muffin recipes, these are great Apple Carrot Muffins for toddlers, as they contain no sugar and sneak in a serving of fruits and veggies. This Apple Bread is another wonderful recipe!
As our all-adult household and my friends can attest, grownups will certainly approve of a muffin or three for themselves too!
I’ll be pulling from my apple orchard supply over the next few weeks, but even after it runs out, these Apple Carrot Muffins are a recipe I’m looking forward to making year-round. The ingredients are simple and readily available, the prep is easy, and they are tender, flavorful, and satisfying. What more could I ask for in my muffin?
Other Healthy Muffin Recipes
- Zucchini Carrot Muffins
- Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Applesauce Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Recommended Tools to Make Apple Carrot Muffins
- Muffin scoop (Creates the best domed muffin tops and ensures they are all the same size and bake evenly. This is a great tool for cookies too!)
- Muffin pans: I like this one with the easy-carry lid; this brand is also fantastic.
Apple Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 1/2 cup golden raisins , walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, or mix-ins of choice
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup grated carrot about 1 large carrot
- 3/4 cup grated apple 1 small apple will be more than enough; no need to peel it first
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup honey is my favorite
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze (Optional but SO YUMMY)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey my favorite or maple syrup (also yummy)
- 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened almondmilk nonfat milk, or milk of choice
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 baking cups with paper liners or lightly coat with nonstick spray. Set aside. If using nuts for the mix-ins, toast them in the oven now: Spread the nuts into an even layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 12 minutes (for pecan or walnut halves), until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the nuts immediately to a cutting board; roughly chop and set aside.
- Place the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave just until melted (about 30 seconds on high). Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add the grated carrot and apple and fold to combine.
- To the bowl with the coconut oil, add the eggs, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. If the coconut oil resolidifies, warm it in the microwave in 15-second bursts, and stop as soon as you can stir the mixture back together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the nuts or any other mix-ins.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 4 minutes. Gently transfer the muffins to the rack to finish cooling completely.
- For the icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar, honey, and 1 teaspoon milk. Continue to add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over the top of the cooled muffins.
Video
Nutrition
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Made these today. This is now our go to healthy muffin recipe. I did end up adding a splash of milk because the batter seemed a wee bit dry. Didn’t add the glaze because we share these with our toddler. Yum!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed them, Jenny! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
One of the best muffins I have made! :-)
YAY! I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Brian!
I made these today after trying to find a carrot recipe that I had all the ingredients on-hand! These were delicious though not overly sweet. I feel they could have benefited from the glaze (which I didn’t make). Heating them up with a little butter and extra honey did the trick though!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Sarah! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Could I use ap white flour instead ?? Thanks!
That should work fine, Kat. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
Hi Erin! I made these muffins and it is a winner with my family. I want to start making healthy baked goods at home for my children instead of buying store bought snacks. My 5 yr old ate the muffin for his snack at school and my 1 yr old baby and husband munched on it for a late night snack. I just snacked on one at work. It makes me feel better that it includes apples and carrots because my son does not enjoy eating carrots in the traditional ways. So, thank you for another recipe keeper!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Doll! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
What can I substitute for the yogurt?
Hi Ania! Instead of dairy yogurt, you can experiment with a coconut-based yogurt or another non-dairy yogurt. I hope this helps!
Hi! I just made these (without the glaze) and 4 are already gone! Approved muffins by husband and 2 year old! I confess, the toddler and myself split 3 of them… too hard to resist, especially when she says “Muffin?”! Oh! I received your cookbook for Christmas, and have already made several recipes which were quickly eaten also. Thank you for the delicious and healthy recipes, which I will definitely make again!!
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed them, Carrie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Can we make it eggless ?
Hi Amy! I haven’t tested this recipe that way, so I can’t say for certain, but I do think you could experiment with a flax egg. If you do give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Outstanding recipe!!
We bake a lot, but this might be our favorite new muffin!!
Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Delicious and healthful. Not too sweet, but just enough. Made them without the icing, added walnuts and golden raisins. The apple and carrot add moisture and flavor and the spices were “just right”.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Cheryl! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Erin, if I were to sub applesauce for the apple, about how much do you think would work? I have some that I want to use up. About 1/2 cup?
Hi Cheryl! I haven’t tried this swap, but I’m afraid it would impact the texture of the muffins. If you want to use applesauce in a muffin recipe, I’d suggest making my Applesauce Muffins and folding in some grated carrots. I hope this helps!
These muffins are so tasty. I substituted oat flour for the whole wheat flour and they still turned out nicely.
So glad they turned out for you Jody! Thank you for this kind review!
I have made lots of your recipes and always come to your site first when looking for something new. I want to try these tonight, but don’t have coconut oil, can I use Veg oil?
Hi Wanda! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Talk about texture, halfway through making these I got sidetracked by a phone call and…. FORGOT THE FLOUR! They still turned out awesome! I let the batter sit about 10 to 15 minutes before baking so the oatmeal softened a bit, I think that saved them, very healthy and tasty. Great recipe, but now I need to make it with all the ingredients to see which I like better, oh what a shame, more muffins!
Hi Maria! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can this be made as a loaf instead of as muffins?
Hi Carol! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Hi Erin can this recipe be make into a cake?
Hi Chrisine! I’ve only tested this recipe as written so I would’t be able to say for sure. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Oh these were awesome! My daughter and I ate two ea warm from the oven. Dense enough to keep me full from breakfast to lunch on work days-go great w coffee or milk-yet moist and a little sweet (w glaze) to taste like dessert for breakfast. Def make again. I suggest not glazing all of them if u don’t plan to eat within a few days bc they get gooey (but still delicious!).
Hi Christine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
These are a staple in my house both for us and for our young grandchildren when they visit. I up the fruit and vegetables (4 large purple carrots and four apples(variety), use one cup of whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups of oats, and use 2% Greek yogurt. Makes 18-24 AMAZING muffins. I ice for us and sprinkle with a bit of vanilla sugar for the kids.
Hi Nancy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can I substitute apple sauce for the eggs
Hi Quetta! haven’t tried this swap, but I’m afraid it would impact the texture of the muffins. If you want to use applesauce in a muffin recipe, I’d suggest making my Applesauce Muffins and folding in some grated carrots. I hope this helps! https://www.wellplated.com/applesauce-muffins/
If I don’t have the oats on hand, can I add more flour?
Hi Felicia! No, I’m sorry I don’t believe that would work. You could probably add a little more flour but it would not be a 1:1 substitute. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes! Enjoy!