Easy homemade Banana Carrot Muffins baked fresh out of the oven, are moist, fluffy, and loaded with sweet bananas and carrots!
My whole family loves a basket of freshly-baked muffins, and truth be told, so do I! If I have leftover bananas, I am usually making healthy banana rhubarb muffins, banana zucchini muffins, or these banana carrot muffins because of how simple and scrumptious they are. Once you’ve grated your carrots and mashed your bananas, the hardest part is figuring out how not to eat them all at once!
Table of contents
I love all kinds of muffins! Especially when they come from an easy homemade recipe that takes no more effort than gathering a few pantry staples, like lemon blueberry muffins and chocolate banana muffins. When made with a healthy lifestyle in mind, a batch of muffins can make a great breakfast packed with protein and fiber and they’re also perfect as a grab-n-go snack. School-age kids enjoy coming home to these which works out because hangry kids aren’t so much fun. They also work for toddlers who can pick up little morsels.
Of course, a fancy treat muffin loaded with sugary deliciousness (think chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, or a sprinkling of sugar on top of the muffins) is also a longtime favorite. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve met a muffin I didn’t like!
These banana carrot muffins are definitely one of my favorites. They are a cross between banana bread with a delicious carrot cake twist. They’re a soft, moist muffin, thanks to the brown sugar, ripe bananas, and freshly grated carrots. The cinnamon adds a signature warmth that pairs with both flavors. You can pack them with your choice of oats or nuts for added texture, but they’re amazing without it as well. If you didn’t know banana and carrot pairs well together, you’re in for a sweet surprise!
Why we love this recipe
- Customizable to be vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free.
- Quick and easy means they can be ready first thing in the morning, for an after-school snack, or when the late-night cravings hit.
- A guilt-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- A healthy alternative to other quick and easy snacks.
- Can be nut-free which is great for school lunches.
- They taste amazing! Like a banana bread and carrot cake got married.
- If you love the idea of carrot cake in muffin form, check out my mini carrot cake muffins.
Ingredients list
This customizable recipe allows you to use alternate ingredients for different dietary needs. Vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free options are available.
- Mashed bananas – You’ll need about 3 bananas. The riper the better.
- Grated carrots – Have at least 3 carrots on hand. If you don’t use all of your grated carrots, add them to a smoothie!
- Wet ingredients: Eggs, Canola oil, Vanilla extract. You can also use vegetable or coconut oil instead.
- Dry ingredients: Brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Optional add-ins – Chopped nuts or oats.
How to Make this Recipe
This easy recipe will come together in 5 easy steps and will be ready in under 25 minutes.
Step 1: Preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with paper liners or cooking spray.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix to combine. In a medium bowl, add the bananas, eggs, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the carrots but be careful not to overmix.
Step 4: Fill each muffin tin about 3/4” full and top with pecans, walnuts, or oats, if desired.
Step 5: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
Variations/ Substitutions
- Top with a slice of banana prior to baking.
2. Fold in 1/4 cup of raisins
3. Add 1/4 cup of grated zucchini, making sure to squeeze all the water out.
4. Substitute white whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour. This type of flour is still a whole grain but milder in taste than regular whole wheat. If you use regular whole wheat flour, they may turn out dry.
5. Substitute maple syrup or honey for the brown sugar. You could even use a combination of two. as long as it equals 3/4 cup of sweetener.
6. For a vegan option, use applesauce instead of eggs. You could even use flax eggs which is a mixture of ground flaxseed and water.
7. Gluten-free is definitely an option. Just replace the all-purpose with a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
8. Add a little indulgence with a cream cheese frosting on top!
Tips
- 3-4 overripe bananas will give you approximately one cup of mashed bananas. The riper the better! It will give the muffins the perfect sweetness and fluffiness.
- Grating your own carrots is better than buying pre-shredded carrots. The muffins turn out much moister when they are freshly grated. 3 medium-sized carrots should be plenty.
- Use a food processor to quickly shred your own carrots. It’s a lot faster and easier than a box grater.
FAQ’s
You can keep these muffins stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, covered.
If you still have some laying around after a few days on the counter, you’ll want to freeze them. They keep in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight and reheat just to warm through if desired.
Yes! As long as it’s full fat yogurt, otherwise you’re not going to get the rich texture you would with the oil. You can also you unsweetened applesauce too! Just use the same amount of either instead of the oil.
If you plan on making these muffins in a couple of days, place bananas in a brown paper bag along with an apple. Keep it on the counter and in a day or so they should be ready to use.
If you plan on making them in a couple of minutes, well then try this! Keeping the skin on, place bananas on a baking sheet. Heat in the oven at 300 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes. The entire exterior will turn black. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle. The inside will be soft, mushy, and ready to use.
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Banana Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup freshly grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped nuts or oats optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with non-stick spray
- In large bowl, add in the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, add the mashed bananas, eggs, brown sugar, canola oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the we ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until the flour is mostly mixed in.
- Then, add in the carrots and fold them into the batter combining well but do not over-mix.
- Evenly divide the batter between the muffin tins, filling each one about ¾ full.
- Top with chopped pecans or walnuts or whole oats, optional.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Move the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
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