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What’s better than carrot cake or an apple dessert? Muffins made with both carrots and apples! These Apple Carrot Muffins are packed with shredded carrots and apples, with warm cinnamon, but made more nutritious with flax meal and egg whites for protein and applesauce and coconut sugar as sweeteners.

Apple carrot muffins on a serving dish.
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Most muffin recipes are high in calories and full of sugar, but this apple carrot recipe uses coconut sugar and unsweetened applesauce to lower the calories and amount of sugar. These muffins are also gluten-free and dairy-free, which is great for those who are grain-free or have special dietary needs. Grab one of these muffins as an afternoon snack or enjoy them with your coffee and breakfast in the morning.

If you like carrot dessert recipes, you will love my Gluten-Free Banana Carrot Bread and these Paleo Carrot Cake Cookies!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free: These healthy apple carrot muffins are both dairy-free and gluten-free while still being moist and fluffy.
  • Mixes in One Bowl: One of my least favorite things about baking is mixing ingredients in separate bowls and dirtying the kitchen. The batter for these apple and carrot muffins comes together in one bowl for easy cleanup.
  • Great for Carrot Cake Lovers: If you love carrot cake but wish it were a little healthier, this muffin recipe is for you!
  • Low Cal, High Fiber, and Higher Protein: These muffins are 180 calories each and each muffin has 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.

Ingredients

Ingredients for making apple carrot muffins in bowls.
  • Carrots: Peel and wash two carrots before shredding them into fine pieces to mix into the batter. 
  • Apples: You can use any type of apple you prefer for this recipe, but I find that crisp red apples taste a little better than tart green apples. You can also try these apple muffins with Greek yogurt.
  • Egg Whites: Egg whites have more protein and fewer calories than a whole egg, so this recipe uses egg whites to help bind the muffins.
  • Applesauce: These moist apple carrot muffins use unsweetened applesauce for added moisture and natural sweetness.
  • Gluten-Free Baking Flour: Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour or a gluten-free oat flour to achieve moist, fluffy muffins.
  • Flax Meal: The flax meal helps bind the batter and adds protein to the muffins.
  • Cinnamon: Bring out the flavor of the carrots and apples with a bit of cinnamon. This warm spice is found in most carrot or apple desserts and can’t be skipped.
  • Coconut Sugar: This sugar alternative has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. You could use monk fruit sweetener for a zero-calorie alternative.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations & Dietary Modifications

  • Try It with Zucchini: Make these muffins less sweet by substituting the carrots for shredded zucchini. You will want to squeeze excess water out of the zucchini before mixing it into the batter. You could also make these zucchini chocolate chip muffins instead!
  • Add Nuts or Raisins: Give these muffins a little crunch and add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before baking. Raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips also taste amazing in these muffins.
  • Make a Bread: Instead of muffins, make a loaf of apple carrot for a healthy bread. The rule of thumb when turning muffins into bread is to double the baking time. I recommend baking the bread for 55-60 minutes, then inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread to ensure it is fully baked. 

How to Make Apple Carrot Muffins

These are the best gluten-free carrot muffins because the apple and applesauce sweeten them naturally without adding much extra sugar. To make them, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350°F and place muffin liners into a greased muffin tin.

Shredded apples and carrots in a bowl.

Step 1: Shred the Apples and Carrots. First, peel your apples and cut away the cores. You also need to peel the carrots. Then, use your food processor to shred them in a few easy pulses. A box grater works too!

Wet ingredients for making these muffins combined in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients. Add the egg whites, olive oil, applesauce, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and mix them with an electric hand mixer until the eggs become frothy. You can also use a stand mixer to froth the eggs.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients in the bowl.

Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients. Add the coconut sugar, baking powder, and flax to the bowl and stir to combine. Slowly stir in the flour until just combined.

The shredded carrots and apples folded into the batter.

Step 4: Fold in the Carrots and Apples. Add the shredded carrots and apples to the batter and mix them until just combined. 

The muffin batter added to a muffin tin.

Step 5: Add the Batter to the Muffin Tin. Scoop the batter into each muffin cavity until they are all ¾ full. Then place the muffin tin in the oven and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.

The baked muffins in the muffin tin.

Step 6: Let Them Cool. Remove the muffins from the oven when they are fully cooked, and a toothpick can be removed clean from the center of each muffin. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin. Enjoy with egg white bites to go as you head out the door.

Expert Tips

  • Food Processor Saves Time: Using the food processor to shred your apples and carrots will save you a lot of time and effort. You can use a manual grater if you don’t have a food processor.
  • Measure the Flour Carefully: With gluten-free 1-to-1 flour, it’s important to measure the flour properly so the muffins achieve the ideal texture. I recommend using a spoon to fill your measuring cup with flour and then leveling it off, versus scooping flour straight from the bag and packing it in. See my tutorial for measuring flours properly for baking for more tips!
  • Frothy Egg Whites Matter: It’s important to mix the wet mixture with the egg whites until they turn bubbly because it will help the muffins rise and give them a fluffy, airy texture.
  • Storing: Keep these apple and carrot muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also wrap each muffin in plastic cling wrap individually and freeze them for up to 60 days. To enjoy warm muffins, heat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
A stack of apple carrot muffins on a plate.

Serving Suggestions

I love carrot muffins for breakfast, but these muffins don’t have enough protein to make a fulfilling meal. Pair them with protein-rich dishes or a protein smoothie to make a stellar, dense meal.  They also make a great sweet treat for lunches or afternoon snacks! 

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these apple carrot muffins with almond flour instead?

I haven’t tested these muffins with almond flour, so I can’t say for sure how they’d turn out. I do have a recipe for almond flour carrot cake that is tested and proven delicious for you to try!

Can I use something instead of flax meal to make apple and carrot muffins?

The flax meal is critical to the recipe as it binds the batter, and there is no replacement for it.

Why are my apple carrot muffins so dense?

Overmixing is the most common reason why carrot apple muffins won’t rise. Be sure you stop mixing immediately after the carrots and apples are folded into the batter.

Apple carrot muffins on a white plate.

More Delicious Healthy Muffin Recipes

If you tried this Apple Carrot Muffins recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.

Apple carrot muffins on a plate.
5 from 3 votes
Servings: 10 muffins

Apple Carrot Muffins

These moist and fluffy apple carrot muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, and only require one mixing bowl to combine the ingredients.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 5 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
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Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven 350 F. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners or spray with avocado oil spray or olive oil spray.
  • In a food processor, add the carrots and apples. Pulse a few times until shredded. Set aside.
  • In a standing mixer or using a hand mixer, add egg whites, olive oil, applesauce and cinnamon. Mix until eggs become frothy.
  • Add sugar, baking powder and flax and mix to combine. Then slowly add flour to the mixture while mixing on low.
  • Fold in the apples and shredded carrots into the batter.
  • Spoon batter into muffin cavities 3/4 full. Bake at 350 F 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick can be removed clean. Remove from the oven and cool muffins in the pan 10 minutes before removing from the baking pan.

Video

Notes

  • Don’t over mix the batter, or your muffins won’t rise and will be dense and gummy. Fold the ingredients together until they are just combined, then stop mixing.
  • Save time and effort by using the food processor to shred your apples and carrots to the desired consistency. 
  • Mix the wet ingredients until the egg whites are bubbly and frothy to ensure they rise and have the right consistency.
  • You can also use oat flour or whole wheat flour for this recipe if you are not gluten-free.
  • Note: the recipe makes 10 regular muffins or 12 small muffins (as pictured).
  • Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container up to 7 days or in the freezer up to 60 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 180kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 32mg, Potassium: 193mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 2162IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Megan

Megan is a nutritionist who coaches women 35+ lose weight sustainably. She is the author of the Low Calorie Cookbook, fitness instructor, host of the Dish On Ditching Diets Podcast and creator of Skinny Fitalicious where you get lighter, higher protein recipes. Follow Megan on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for the latest updates.

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32 Comments

  1. Dorothea Lander says:

    Apples vary SO MUCH in size! It would be really helpful if you’d give an amount in cups, like you do for the carrots, which also vary greatly in size. I want to make these but not until I know I won’t waste the precious ingredients.

  2. lauren says:

    Is it 350 or 375? It says both 🙂

    1. Megan says:

      It should be 350 F. Thanks for the catch!

  3. Don Spatola says:

    I bake your Perfect Paleo Bread recipe from Paleohacks often but didn’t find that recipe here. I see you add Flax meal to many of your recipes. My question concerns the the stability of flax oil in flax meal at high temperatures. We are all aware of how quickly flax oil breaks down (oxidizes). Doesn’t high temperatures speed up that process? Thank you.

    1. Megan says:

      Flax oil and flax meal are not the same. Flax meal does not turn into oil during cooking. Flax oil should never be used in baking. Only as a finisher on cooked meal or as a dressing. Flax meal is, however, safe for baking. Paleo Hacks recipes are their recipes which is why they are on their website only – not here.

  4. Annette says:

    I just made these using almond flour. Very tasty but after 30 minutes (toothpick test appeared clean) they seem too moist in the center. Back in the oven for 10 more minutes……better.

  5. Sherry says:

    what is GF 1 to 1 baking flour?

  6. Miss Polkadot says:

    Flax fiends unite! I like to eat bowls of shredded carrots with a little coconut milk [not the canned one] and a sprinkle of flax. So good!
    These muffins look delightful and pack in so much goodness.

    1. Megan says:

      Oh yum! It’s Oatless flax oatmeal! I need to try.