Banana Carrot Muffins

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These banana carrot muffins are a healthy treat that is perfect for a weekday breakfast or a midday snack. They are light, fluffy and moist and taste like a cross between banana bread and carrot cake.

These banana carrot muffins are an easy-to-make breakfast idea that are made with hidden veggies (carrots) and packed with nutrients for a filling snack.

For other healthy muffin recipes, try these banana date oat muffins, these banana and pear muffins, or these chocolate sweet potato muffins.

For fruitier muffin recipes, try these blueberry & sour cream muffins or these almond flour raspberry muffins.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• The banana + carrot + brown sugar combination of flavors makes these muffins incredibly delicious.
• They are packed with fall spices — cinnamon, ginger, cloves & nutmeg.
• The carrots give the muffins natural sweetness and moisture at the same time as adding in healthy nutrients in the form of hidden veggies.
• This is a great recipe for using up overripe bananas that have begun to brown.
• They are made with toasted walnuts that give them an extra crunch.

Ingredients

• Carrots: Shredded carrots give the muffins flavor, moisture and sweetness. Grate your own carrots rather than using pre-shredded carrots. Pre-shredded carrots tend to be thicker and drier. You can use baby carrots, but these can be more difficult to grate.
• Banana: Use overripe, brown bananas. Bananas that have brown spots or are fully brown are the best type of banana to bake with. They add more flavor and are also easy to mash smoothly.
• Flour: This recipe is made using all-purpose flour. For a healthier option, you can substitute up to half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Note that this may slightly alter the texture of the muffins. For a gluten-free variation, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
• Spices: These muffins are flavored with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. A dash of salt brings out the other flavors.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Baking powder and baking soda act as leavening agents to make these muffins rise. They are essential in this recipe and can’t be substituted for each other. 
• Butter & Vegetable Oil: The butter and vegetable oil give the muffins moisture and richness. You can use vegan butter as an alternative. For the vegetable oil, you can substitute it for another neutral-flavored oil, such as canola oil or sunflower oil. 
• Eggs: Eggs act as a binding agent to hold the muffins together as they are baking.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives a delicious, rich, slightly caramel flavor to these muffins. You can substitute it with granulated sugar if needed. For a healthier version, decrease the amount of sugar by up to half.
• Greek Yogurt: Use plain Greek yogurt. As a substitute, use sour cream.
• Vanilla Extract: A dash of vanilla extract adds a hint of sweet vanilla.
• Walnuts: Toasted walnuts give these muffins a bit of crunch. You can substitute these for pecans.

Equipment

You will need the following equipment to make these muffins:

• A set of mixing bowls to mix the batter in.
• A grater to shred the carrots.
• A muffin tin and muffin liners to bake the muffins.

Instructions

Step 1: Sift the flour, spices, baking powder and baking soda together.

Step 2: Beat the butter and brown sugar together. Then mix in the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt and mashed bananas. 

Step 3: In two parts, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing only until just combined. 

Step 4: Gently fold in the grated carrots and toasted walnuts.

Step 5: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins and bake until golden brown.

Storage

• Room Temperature: Store these banana carrot muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Fridge: Store muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Freezer: Store muffins in a freezer safe container or in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw the muffins overnight in the fridge before consuming.

Expert Tips

• Use overripe bananas. Bananas that are starting to go bad and have a few brown spots or are entirely brown are the best types of bananas to use for baked goods. They add more moisture, sweetness and flavor than green or yellow bananas.
• Use parchment paper muffin liners. Since these muffins are healthier and lower in fat than other muffins, they are more likely to stick to the muffin liners. Parchment paper liners are less sticky than other types of muffin liners.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Only mix the batter enough to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Overmixing the batter will result in tough, dense muffins.
• The batter will be lumpy. Once combined, the batter will have some lumps. This is normal. Don’t overmix the batter trying to remove them.Add in chocolate chips. For a bit of chocolate flavor, add in ½ cup of chocolate chips.

FAQ

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📖 Recipe