If you’re looking for a healthier take on the classic flavor of carrot cake, these fluffy vegan carrot muffins are going to be your go-to treat for breakfast and snacks. They’re fast and easy- but they’re not your typical dry, unappealing healthy muffin. These carrot cake muffins are moist, sweet, and packed with freshly grated carrot.
Do you know what my favorite kind of cake is? Carrot cake, for sure, all the way. While I could totally eat actual carrot cake for breakfast, these muffins definitely make me feel lighter and more energized than cake would.
the ingredients
The first step in making these fluffy vegan carrot muffins is gathering your ingredients. Luckily, you only need a few items and they are:
- grated carrot
- flour
- baking soda
- brown sugar
- shredded coconut
- ground flaxseed
- vegan butter
- applesauce
- almond milk
- vanilla
- spices! (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
vegan ingredient substitutions
Since these muffins are made with no eggs, I’m using ground flaxseed as the binder. You’ll mix the ground flax with water to create a “flax egg”. After it’s mixed, it will thicken up nicely and hold the muffins together.
I’m also using applesauce in this recipe. The applesauce has two purposes: the first is to help cut back on the amount of vegan butter we need to use (to add moisture), and the second is to also help bind the muffins!
If you don’t have applesauce on hand, you can substitute the same amount of mashed banana. This will also add some sweetness to the muffins, but please note that banana also makes the muffins denser.
how to make the carrot muffin batter
These muffins are so incredibly easy to make and are ready, start to finish, in under 30 minutes.
STEP 1: To make the vegan batter, first, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
STEP 2: We’re only using one bowl in this recipe, so next make a well in the center and add the flax eggs, vegan butter, applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. You’ll want to stir the mixture until just combined. The goal is to create a nice, thick batter like in the image above.
STEP 3: Once the batter is mixed, you can fold in the grated carrot, and if you’re using them, add in the raisins and coconut.
baking the vegan carrot muffins
STEP 4: Go ahead and prep your muffin pan by lining it with paper liners. If you’re not using liners, be sure to spray your pan well with non-stick spray.
STEP 5: Next, spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of batter into each cup, so they’re filled about ¾ of the way full with the batter. If you’d like, sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each muffin for a nice crunchy muffin top after baking!
STEP 6: Then you’ll pop them in the oven, and bake them up at 375F for about 18 minutes. The tops should be nice and golden brown when done, but the insides should be moist and fluffy!
dairy-free cream cheese glaze
To top off these fluffy vegan carrot muffins, I’m drizzling them with a dairy-free cream cheese glaze. For this glaze, I’m using vegan cream cheese from the brand GoVeggie.
I also recommend using Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese if it’s accessible to you. I prefer both of these brands because of their mild flavor which pairs well with sweet treats like these muffins.
fluffy vegan carrot muffin tips & tricks
I haven’t tried making these muffins with no oil, so I can’t recommend doing this. I suspect they won’t be as moist, or they won’t be as fluffy without the vegan butter.
You can definitely add in other flavors to these muffins, so long as you’re not adding any additional liquid to the batter. Chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins, or even dairy-free white chocolate chips would taste lovely in these muffins.
Yes, absolutely. Be sure to tightly wrap the muffins to prevent freezer burn.
I chose to top with a cream cheese glaze and coarse sugar. You can also sprinkle oats, grated carrot, cinnamon, or shredded coconut on top!
I recommend shredding your carrots yourself since they tend to give the muffins a better texture. If you have a food processor, you can quickly grate your carrots with the grating blade.
Looking for more scrumptious vegan baked goods? Check out these recipes!
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Leave a rating and comment below!
Fluffy Vegan Carrot Muffins
These fluffy vegan carrot muffins are fast & easy, moist, and packed with freshly grated carrot. A sweet treat for any breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
Dry
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (170g)
- 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar (70g)
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda (9g)
- 2 tsp cinnamon (6g)
- ½ tsp ground ginger (1g)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (0.5g)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (22g)
- ⅛ tsp salt
Wet
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)
- 2 flax eggs , 3 tbsp ground flax mixed with 5 tbsp water, (57g)
- 1 cup grated carrot 115g
- 4 tbsp vegan butter, melted, Earth Balance (53g)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened smooth applesauce, (140g)
- 1/2 cup plant milk, I used Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk (71g)
- ½ cup raisins (optional)
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 oz vegan cream cheese, cold (see notes)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, (28g)
- ½ tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract (2g)
- 2 tsp almond milk (14g)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (including the coconut). Make a well in the center and add the flax eggs, vegan butter, applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Stir until just combined and the mixture forms a thick batter.
- Fold in the grated carrot. Then, add the raisins if using.
- Line your muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each cup ¾ of the way full with the batter (about 2-3 tablespoons).
- Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 18 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack before putting the cream cheese glaze on top.
To make the Cream Cheese Glaze:
- In a small bowl, combine the vegan cream cheese, maple syrup, lemon zest, vanilla, and plant milk. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain.
Notes
For the flax egg:
- Mix the ground flaxseed together with the water. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken before adding it to the batter.
For the vegan cream cheese:
- I prefer GoVeggie or Trader Joe’s in this recipe for their mild flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 3g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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