Apple Carrot Muffins
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These fluffy Apple Carrot Muffins are made with real carrots and apples, maple syrup, and warm winter spices. They’re wholesome enough for breakfast but sweet enough for a treat!
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
The best fall muffins – Fresh apples, sweet carrots, and warm spices come together for a cozy autumn treat.
Double the apple goodness – I used both shredded apples and applesauce to double the apple flavors and make the muffins extra moist and naturally sweet.
Kid-approved – The fresh fruits and veggies pack these muffins with hidden nutrients, but all the kids will taste are the warm, sweet flavors.
Table of Contents
Too many fruits and veggies in your fridge? Just took a trip to the apple orchard? In the mood for some fall baking? These are all signs it’s time to make my Apple & Carrot Muffins.
Packed with real apples, shredded carrots, maple syrup, and warm winter spices, they’re wholesome enough for a quick breakfast and sweet enough for an after-school treat. They’ve quickly become one of my daughter’s favorite snacks, and I totally get why she’s obsessed.
Along with my apple oatmeal cookies and these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, they’ve earned a permanent spot on my fall baking list.
Apple Carrot Muffin Ingredients
Flour – I used white whole wheat flour to give these muffins a more wholesome, rustic vibe. All-purpose flour works, too.
Apples and carrots – Fresh, of course! Grate them on a box grater before mixing them into the batter. Any kind of apple will work, but I like baking with Pink Lady and Honeycrisp apples best.
Applesauce – I bake with unsweetened applesauce all the time. Most of the time, like in these applesauce cookies, it comes in handy as an egg or oil replacement. But in these muffins, it takes the moisture and apple flavors to another level.
Sweeteners – Real maple syrup and brown sugar sweeten the muffins.
Spices – The muffins get most of their coziness from a mix of cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- Gluten-free option – I haven’t tested it, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work just as well as the whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour here.
- Nut-free option – Omit the nuts from the recipe or replace them with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds.
- Egg substitute – Again, I haven’t tested it, but 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons water) might work as a substitute for the real eggs.
- Out of applesauce? Use one medium mashed banana or 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree instead.
How to Make Apple and Carrot Muffins
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs, milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add the cooled melted butter.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices together.
Step 3: Combine. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet until the flour is absorbed. Fold in the apple, carrots, and walnuts/pecans.
Step 4: Bake. Divide the batter into the muffin tin, sprinkle extra brown sugar on top, and bake. Wait for the muffins to cool slightly, then enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overmix the muffin batter when combining the wet and dry ingredients. You’ll know it’s good to go when all of the flour is absorbed and the mix-ins are evenly distributed.
- Do you love bites of apples in your muffins? Grate half of the apple, then chop the other half into small cubes.
- The muffins are done baking when a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- You can also use this recipe to make mini apple carrot muffins. Just divide the batter between a greased 24-count mini muffin pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
My Pro Tip
Decorate the Tops Before Baking
A sprinkle of brown sugar over each muffin adds extra sweetness and a sparkling, crisp top. But if you’d prefer to skip the extra sugar, top the muffins with more chopped pecans, walnuts, rolled oats, chocolate chips, or the buttery crumb topping from my apple coffee cake recipe.
Storage
Room temperature: Store the baked and cooled muffins in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for 3 to 4 days.
Refrigerator: You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, but they might dry out faster this way.
Freezer: Wrap the muffins individually in plastic or store them in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for up to 2 months. Thaw them on the counter or warm them in a toaster oven before serving.
More Fall Muffins To Try
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Apple Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup milk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour, or sub all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¾ cup apple, grated (about 1 apple)
- ¾ cup carrot, grated (about ½ large carrot)
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with muffin liners; set aside.
- Melt the butter and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla together. Last, add the cooled butter.
- In a separate bowl, stir the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, then use a rubber spatula to combine. Once you can barely see the flour, add the apple, carrots and walnuts/pecans and continue stirring until combined (but don’t over-mix!).
- Divide the batter into the muffin tins, then if you’d like (this is optional), sprinkle them with a little brown sugar. Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes. Wait a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
