Lighter Carrot Raisin Muffins

At a glance

What stands out: Lighter carrot raisin muffins are a reliable way to start the day, with oats, flaxseed, carrots, raisins, and bananas. Wonderful as a snack or lunchbox treat, too.

How long they take: 43 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: muffin pan, mixing bowl, grater or food processor
Servings: 14 muffins

About These Carrot Muffins

Nutritious. Carrot raisin muffins are so hearty and flavorful. If you’re looking for a speedy breakfast that you can eat on the go, this is the muffin for you! With lots of health benefits from whole grains, vegetables, and fruit, these from-scratch muffins are also low in fat, added sugar, and calories (only 168 calories!).

A lighter breakfast or snack. Carrot muffins are tasty and go great with scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee for a speedy breakfast. You’ll also find that these filling muffins are are reliable for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Add them to lunchboxes for a nutritious treat. Serve them with a bowl of soup for lunch.

Better than store-bought muffins. If you’ve been buying your muffins at a bakery or coffee shop, try making from-scratch. They are so much better for you and way more economical. Muffins are straightforward to mix and fill your kitchen with lovely aromas. Who doesn’t want their kitchen to smell like their favorite bakery?!

Keep reading for lots more muffin recipes!

What goes in

The list of ingredients can look a little intimidating but don’t be daunted by it. We would guess that you probably have almost everything you need in your pantry. All those ingredients put together make a great batch of muffins, that is to say, these muffins are totally worth it! Great tasting and nutritious, with natural sweetness and little fat.

Be sure to refer to the recipe card below for measurements, instructions, and nutrition information.

• Whole Wheat Flour: Whole wheat flour is the most nutritious but white whole wheat or all-purpose flour are fine, too.
• Brown Sugar: With only a half-cup of brown sugar, these muffins are lightly sweet.
• Ground Flaxseed: You may also see this product as flaxseed meal. Whole flax seeds are hard to digest and won’t work well in these muffins.
• Rolled Oats: You’ll need one cup of either old-fashioned or speedy oats.
• Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Warm spices add a sweet flavor to baked goods.
• Salt, Baking Soda, and Baking Powder: The usual leavening trio for muffins.
• Raisins: Regular raisins, or soft golden raisins add natural sweetness. Substitute currants, dried chopped apricots, dates, or cherries if you like.
• Finely Shredded/Grated Carrots: You’ll need about three medium carrots. Use the smaller sized holes of your grater or food processor. Finely shredded or grated carrots cook more evenly in muffins. A coarser shred gives a stringy texture to the muffins.
• Mashed Banana: One banana will ensure that your muffins are moist without adding a lot of oil. The muffins can be made with applesauce (1/2 cup) if you prefer.
• Milk, Canola Oil, Egg: You’ll find this trio in most muffin recipes. If you prefer, substitute another type of oil or melted butter.

How it comes together

The process is pretty basic. Simply mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, flax, spices, salt, baking powder, baking soda) in a large bowl. Stir in the oats and raisins.

In a smaller bowl, mash the banana. Add the egg, milk, and oil, stirring well. Fold in the grated carrots.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir gently just until the ingredients are blended together.

Divide the batter into greased muffin cups and bake. In less than twenty minutes, you’ll be enjoying a nice warm carrot raisin muffin (or two!). Make a cup of coffee or a nice cup of tea to sip.

Eat the muffins warm right out of the oven. Dab a bit of butter on each half or add a smear of cream cheese. Try vanilla bean whipped cream cheese on a carrot muffin and it will taste just like a slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting!

Before you start

Ways to change it

• Substitutions for raisins: Instead of raisins, add a half cup of shredded or finely chopped apple. Chopped dried apricots, cherries, or cranberries are also good substitutes for raisins.
• Change up the spices. Instead of cinnamon and nutmeg, we like to substitute a teaspoon of from-scratch apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for a little variety.
• Carrot cake muffins. If you’re looking for a muffin recipe that’s similar to the always popular carrot cake, be sure to try our carrot cake muffins. They’re a little sweeter and made with all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour, oats, and flax. We love to top them with a straightforward cream cheese glaze.

Keeping leftovers

Storage: These carrot raisin muffins keep well at room temperature, wrapped tightly, for up to three days.

Lunchbox Tip: For a straightforward lunchbox snack, wrap the muffins individually and freezeup to one month. It’s straightforward to grab a muffin from the freezer to add to a lunchbox and it’s a lighter treat, especially compared to prepackaged goodies.

• Yield: 14 muffins
• Prep: 25 minutes
• Cook: 18 minutes
• Total: 43 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted)
• ½ cup packed brown sugar (either dark or light)
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup oats (old-fashioned or quick oats)
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 banana)
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup canola oil (other types of oil or melted butter are fine, too)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup finely shredded carrots (about 3 medium carrots) –see note

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, ground flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and salt. Stir in oats and raisins.
3. In a medium bowl, mash banana. Add milk, oil, egg, and carrots and stir until well-blended.
4. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Fill each muffin cup with approximately ¼ cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
6. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. To store, keep in an airtight container up to three days. Muffins can be frozen for up to one month.

Notes

Carrots: Finely grated carrots work much better in these muffins than coarsely shredded carrots which give the muffins a stringy texture. We usually use a box grater, medium-sized holes.

If desired, replace whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour.

Variations: Instead of raisins, add a half cup of shredded or finely chopped apple. Try chopped dried apricots, cherries, or cranberries. Add a half cup of shredded coconut. Instead of banana, substitute a half cup of crushed pineapple or applesauce.