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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!

Moist Apple Carrot Muffins. An easy and healthy recipe with no sugar! Made with oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup, they are naturally sweetened, filling, and great for healthy breakfasts and snacks. A favorite for toddlers AND for adults!

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.

Easy Apple Carrot Muffins. Packed with carrot, apple, golden raisins and nuts.

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.

Moist Apple Carrot Muffins. The perfect healthy breakfast or snack!

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!

Easy Apple Carrot Muffins. Wholesome and tasty for kids and grownups!

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

Recommended Tools to Make Apple Carrot Muffins

Apple Carrot Muffins

4.86 From 28 reviews . Help us out! Review HERE.Help out & review HERE

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Servings: 12 muffins
Moist Apple Carrot Muffins with Oatmeal. An easy and healthy recipe with no sugar! Wonderful flavor and texture. Perfect for toddlers and adults too!

Ingredients
  

For the Muffins

For the Glaze (Optional but SO YUMMY)

  • ¾ cup  powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey my favorite or maple syrup (also yummy)
  • ½ 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

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgFiber: 3gSugar: 20g

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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  1. This sounds like muffins my husband and I would enjoy. Pinning this so I can easily find your recipe when I make them. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!

  2. Hello! We’re a plant based household. Do you think the Greek yogurt and eggs be replaced with soy or almond yogurt and flaxseed egg replacers without substantially altering the texture or flavor profile?

    1. Hi Dana! I haven’t tested this recipe that way, so I can’t say for certain, but I do think you could experiment with those swaps. If you do give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes!

    1. Hi Anu! I would not recommend instant oatmeal in this recipe. You can use any other vegetable or nut oil that you like. I hope you love the recipe!

        1. Hi Jess! 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!

    1. Hi Chris, I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I (and many other readers) have had success with these muffins, so I’m not sure what might’ve gone wrong. I know it can be frustrating to try a new recipe and not have it turn out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed them!

  3. Hi, sorry for asking the question…but what’s the substitute of greek yogurt..u mentioned in a post coconut yogurt…that’s not available too..anything else ?

  4. Awesome!!!! Me and my picky 15 year old loved them. Thank you so much for posting this. 
    I used everything but the ginger (didn’t have any)5 stars

  5. These were moist and really delicious. I used chopped pecans instead of raisins. They taste healthy but still really good!5 stars

  6. Apple carrot muffins are definitely 5 stars. Used olive oil instead of coconut oil with no problem. Got thumbs up from everyone here Easter Sunday.5 stars

  7. I only have vanilla greek yogurt on hand… how will this affect the taste? Do I need to include the vanilla extract if it’s already “flavored” yogurt?

    1. Hi Erin! The vanilla Greek yogurt should work fine, but you may want to reduce or omit the vanilla extract so it’s not overpowering. I hope you enjoy the muffins!

  8. 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!5 stars

  9. 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!5 stars

  10. 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!5 stars

    1. Hi Ania! Instead of dairy yogurt, you can experiment with a coconut-based yogurt or another non-dairy yogurt. I hope this helps!

  11. 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!!5 stars

    1. 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!

  12. 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”.5 stars

      1. 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?

        1. 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!

  13. These muffins are so tasty. I substituted oat flour for the whole wheat flour and they still turned out nicely.5 stars

  14. 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?

  15. 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!

    1. Hi Carol! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!

    1. 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!

  16. 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!).5 stars

  17. 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.5 stars

    1. 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!

  18. I used all purpose flour & replaced 1/2 c. of all purpose flour w/ whole wheat flour, use oat flour w/ millet flour (1/2 c. each) in place of rolled oats, toasted pecans, mixed raisins, used 1 granny smith & 1 pink lady shredded & squeezed of moisture, 1/2 t. cardamom, just egg (egg replacer), 1/2 honey & maple syrup, 1/2 c. coconut sugar & dark choc chips

    1. Thanks for the feedback on how you made them, Deena. Let us know if you give the original recipe a try!

    1. Hi Heidi, I haven’t tested this out using almond flour. You’ll have to experiment with it. Let us know how it goes if you decide to give it a try!

  19. I just made these. Found out good friend was dropping by in the morning and I needed something to serve with coffee. I had most of the ingredients available so decided to try. Unfortunately I was all out of coconut and cooking oil! I only had olive oil. I was concerned olive oil might affect taste, so only used 1/4 c, but added 1/2 c of applesauce for moisture. Other than this one substitution, I followed the recipe. Used toasted walnuts, no raisons for stir ins, and added a pinch of cloves to the spice. These were exactly what I wanted; a healthy breakfast muffin. taste and texture were excellent and everyone devoted them. Only issue I had was that they stuck horribly to the paper cups. Idont know if this is because I didn’t use the coconut oil? But next time I will lightly spray the paper cups, or skip the paper cups entirely and butter the muffin tins to get a crisper outside.

    Prep ahead tip: the night before I measured out all my dry ingredients in one bowl, all my wet ingredients minus eggs in another bowl, fresh grated carrot and finely copped apple in another bowl. So at 8 in the morning, all I had to do while my oven was preheating: was crack eggs and whisk up wet ingredients again. stir carrots and apples into dry ingredients, add wet to dry and stir, add the toasted nuts, and fill in muffin tins. So only 5 min total to finish up.5 stars

No comments (yet). Help our readers and give a thumbs up to any comment you found helpful!

  1. This sounds like muffins my husband and I would enjoy. Pinning this so I can easily find your recipe when I make them. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!

  2. Hello! We’re a plant based household. Do you think the Greek yogurt and eggs be replaced with soy or almond yogurt and flaxseed egg replacers without substantially altering the texture or flavor profile?

    1. Hi Dana! I haven’t tested this recipe that way, so I can’t say for certain, but I do think you could experiment with those swaps. If you do give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes!

    1. Hi Anu! I would not recommend instant oatmeal in this recipe. You can use any other vegetable or nut oil that you like. I hope you love the recipe!

        1. Hi Jess! 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!

    1. Hi Chris, I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I (and many other readers) have had success with these muffins, so I’m not sure what might’ve gone wrong. I know it can be frustrating to try a new recipe and not have it turn out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed them!

  3. Hi, sorry for asking the question…but what’s the substitute of greek yogurt..u mentioned in a post coconut yogurt…that’s not available too..anything else ?

  4. Awesome!!!! Me and my picky 15 year old loved them. Thank you so much for posting this. 
    I used everything but the ginger (didn’t have any)5 stars

  5. These were moist and really delicious. I used chopped pecans instead of raisins. They taste healthy but still really good!5 stars

  6. Apple carrot muffins are definitely 5 stars. Used olive oil instead of coconut oil with no problem. Got thumbs up from everyone here Easter Sunday.5 stars

  7. I only have vanilla greek yogurt on hand… how will this affect the taste? Do I need to include the vanilla extract if it’s already “flavored” yogurt?

    1. Hi Erin! The vanilla Greek yogurt should work fine, but you may want to reduce or omit the vanilla extract so it’s not overpowering. I hope you enjoy the muffins!

  8. 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!5 stars

  9. 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!5 stars

  10. 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!5 stars

    1. Hi Ania! Instead of dairy yogurt, you can experiment with a coconut-based yogurt or another non-dairy yogurt. I hope this helps!

  11. 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!!5 stars

    1. 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!

  12. 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”.5 stars

      1. 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?

        1. 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!

  13. These muffins are so tasty. I substituted oat flour for the whole wheat flour and they still turned out nicely.5 stars

  14. 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?

  15. 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!

    1. Hi Carol! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!

    1. 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!

  16. 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!).5 stars

  17. 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.5 stars

    1. 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!

  18. I used all purpose flour & replaced 1/2 c. of all purpose flour w/ whole wheat flour, use oat flour w/ millet flour (1/2 c. each) in place of rolled oats, toasted pecans, mixed raisins, used 1 granny smith & 1 pink lady shredded & squeezed of moisture, 1/2 t. cardamom, just egg (egg replacer), 1/2 honey & maple syrup, 1/2 c. coconut sugar & dark choc chips

    1. Thanks for the feedback on how you made them, Deena. Let us know if you give the original recipe a try!

    1. Hi Heidi, I haven’t tested this out using almond flour. You’ll have to experiment with it. Let us know how it goes if you decide to give it a try!

  19. I just made these. Found out good friend was dropping by in the morning and I needed something to serve with coffee. I had most of the ingredients available so decided to try. Unfortunately I was all out of coconut and cooking oil! I only had olive oil. I was concerned olive oil might affect taste, so only used 1/4 c, but added 1/2 c of applesauce for moisture. Other than this one substitution, I followed the recipe. Used toasted walnuts, no raisons for stir ins, and added a pinch of cloves to the spice. These were exactly what I wanted; a healthy breakfast muffin. taste and texture were excellent and everyone devoted them. Only issue I had was that they stuck horribly to the paper cups. Idont know if this is because I didn’t use the coconut oil? But next time I will lightly spray the paper cups, or skip the paper cups entirely and butter the muffin tins to get a crisper outside.

    Prep ahead tip: the night before I measured out all my dry ingredients in one bowl, all my wet ingredients minus eggs in another bowl, fresh grated carrot and finely copped apple in another bowl. So at 8 in the morning, all I had to do while my oven was preheating: was crack eggs and whisk up wet ingredients again. stir carrots and apples into dry ingredients, add wet to dry and stir, add the toasted nuts, and fill in muffin tins. So only 5 min total to finish up.5 stars