A muffin that has a veggie as a main ingredient should be at least somewhat healthy, am I right??? I wanted to create a healthier carrot cake muffin recipe that is fluffy and tender, with a delicious crumble topping. A few easy swaps and additions take this recipe from indulgent to wholesome without compromising on flavor!
The wet ingredient mixture for these muffins start with a few healthier ingredient swaps:
- Avocado oil rather than vegetable oil or butter. Avocado oil is my personal favorite for cooking and baking because it is neutral tasting and contains unsaturated fats which are a healthier option.
- Greek yogurt is added to the wet ingredient mixture to help keep the muffins nice and moist ( I recommend going with full-fat here)
- Coconut sugar is one of my favorite swaps for baking. It adds the sweetness you need and also has a deep caramelized flavor.
Once the above ingredients are mixed together (along with the eggs), add the grated carrots and dry ingredients. Gluten free flour can be swapped in for regular flour if desired.
I love adding raisins and walnuts to the batter to give the muffins lots of texture. This is totally optional, feel free to leave out either or both.
One tip for the raisins is to soak them in water for about 30 minutes, then drain before adding to the batter. If you put the dried raisins into the batter without soaking, they will absorb moisture from the batter as the muffins bake and it can make the muffins too crumbly.
The Crumble
An essential part of a muffin for me is the crumble topping – it just adds another level of sweetness and texture. This recipe consists of old fashioned oats, flour, chilled coconut oil, and coconut sugar. I like using coconut oil for this purpose because it hardens when chilled so it mimics the consistency of butter. Feel free to use chilled butter instead.
Once the topping is crumbled onto the muffins, bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until puffed up and baked through.
I absolutely love these muffins as a breakfast or snack. They are packed with healthy ingredients, are nice and filling, and taste so good!
Healthier Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- Crumble Topping:
- 1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup Chilled Coconut Oil
- Muffin Batter:
- 1/4 Cup Avocado Oil
- 1/2 Cup Full Fat Greek Yogurt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 1 Cup Grated Carrots
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 Cup Raisins (see notes)
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the crumble topping by adding the oats, flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and coconut oil to a bowl. Mix together with your hands until combined. It should have a crumbly texture similar to wet sand.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl including the oil, yogurt, eggs, and sugar. Mix well.
- Add the carrots, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until everything is combined.
- Fold in the raisins and walnuts until just dispersed through the batter.
- Fill each muffin cup with about 1/3 cup of batter, just to the top of the tin. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until puffed up and baked through.
- Let cool completely and then store in an airtight container for about 4 days.
Notes
For best results, soak the raisins in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes before draining and putting them in the batter. This will prevent the raisins from absorbing extra moisture from the batter while baking!
Nutrition Facts
Healthier Carrot Cake Muffins
Serves: 14
|
Amount Per Serving: 1
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 260 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 8.3g | 12.3% | |
| Saturated Fat 3.9g | 15% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol 23mg | 7.7% | |
| Sodium 60mg | 2.5% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 34.7g | 11.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 8% | |
| Sugars 13.6g | ||
| Protein 12.6g | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium 104mg | Iron 2mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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