We recently took a trip to Portland, Oregon where I visited several of our favorite bakeries and coffee shops. Perhaps my favorite is Crema – home of the biggest, fluffiest, most perfectly sweet zucchini muffin I’ve ever had.
Since I’ve already mastered the art of the Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake (<- OMG have you tried it yet?), I wanted to venture into the land of carrot cake. This recipe would certainly work as a cake, but I wanted to go the healthier route that didn’t require frosting.
Muffin tin, loaf pan, cake pan: Whatever route you choose this 1-bowl, vegan, gluten-free recipe is going to blow you away! I literally couldn’t stop eating these (always a good sign).
The recipe starts with some of nature’s best sweeteners: Banana, apple and carrot.
You can either use applesauce or grated sweet apple (a tip I got from a friend). I’ve tried both and they work well. Plus, it replaces some of the oil to provide plenty of moisture.
Top these muffins with crushed walnuts for an extra kick of healthy fats, protein and Omega 3 fatty acids.
In an ideal world I would eat a handful of walnuts every day; sometimes on top of a muffin, sometimes in granola, sometimes straight from the jar. It doesn’t always happen but it’s a personal goal of mine. Can’t get enough of these nutrient-packed nuts.
Not only do these muffins require just one bowl, they’re also vegan and gluten free and surprisingly healthy!
The only exception to the “healthy” label is the brown sugar (which I don’t mind in reasonable amounts). But if you’re looking to keep this recipe more natural, I’ve included muscovado (an unrefined brown sugar) as a substitution suggestion.
You’re going to love these wholesome, fruit- and veggie-packed muffins. They’re
Tender and light
Fluffy
Golden brown
Perfectly sweet
Loaded with carrot and apple
Wholesome
Hearty
Satisfying
Healthy
& Simple
Keep these muffins on hand for a quick, on-the-go breakfast or snack. I love packing these when we’re going on trips instead of having to buy super sugary and processed alternatives.
If you make this recipe be sure to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! I love seeing what you guys cook up. Cheers!
1-Bowl Carrot Apple Muffins (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
- 4 Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup mashed very ripe banana
- 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or finely grated apple)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (or sub muscavado)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 heaping cup (packed) grated carrot
- 2/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 heaping cup gluten-free flour blend
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts (chopped // for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- Prepare muffin tin with liners or lightly grease them.
- To the flax eggs, add mashed banana, agave or maple syrup, olive oil and whisk to combine.
- Next add applesauce, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
- Add almond milk and stir.
- Add grated carrot and stir.
- Add oats, almond meal, and gluten-free flour blend and stir.
- Divide evenly among 12 muffin tins, filling them all the way up to the top, and top with crushed walnuts (optional).
- Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you press on the top it shouldn’t feel too spongey, so don’t be afraid of over baking! The GF blend just takes longer to bake.
- Remove from oven and let set in the pan for 15 minutes. Then flip on their sides still in the pan to let cool completely.
- If you try to unwrap them too quickly, they have a tendency to stick to the wrappers.
- Once cooled, store in a covered container or bag at room temp to keep fresh. Freeze after that to keep fresh.
Video
Notes
*If baking in a loaf pan or cake pan (8×8), bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour and check every 5 minutes thereafter for doneness.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Ro says
Yummo. I made these muffins and love them and so does hubby. Great breakfast option. I made a few substitutions: honey instead of the syrups and 1/4 cup coconut sugar instead of 1/2 cup brown sugar. I increased slightly the amount of cinnamon and banana, and added a few raisins and chopped pecans. Used my own gluten free blend and so baked for an extra 5 minutes. They are so nutritious and tasty. Will be making these regularly. Thanks for the recipe.
Arlene Boright says
Soooooo good! My picky 7 year old gobbled it up. Perfect texture and flavor. Thank you for this recipe. I doubled it to make 36 muffins. I did some modifications: 1) omitted the maple syrup and brown sugar, and subbed 12 oz of deseeded medjool dates with a little water, like 1/4 cup to make a date paste. 2) I used 2 lg red peeled shredded apples. 3) I added 2 t vanilla extract. 4) since I had a bag of frozen cranberries to use up from Thanksgiving I threw those in. 5) used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 blend. 6) cooked at 325 for about 45 min, kept checking the last 10 min. Can’t thank you enough!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the lovely review! xo
Lucy says
I made them like this and loved these substitutions the date paste worked amazingly! My picky toddlers loved them! I didn’t have cranberries and used a 50/50 mix of oat and brown rice flour as my gluten free flour, but otherwise same as the recipe with your date sub and baking time.
Oh! and I accidentally put in baking powder instead of soda XD
Honestly I was amazed how good they turned out and will be writing down the recipe!
Thank you Arlene and Minimalist Baker!!
Yay! So glad to hear the modifications worked out for you, Lucy! Thanks so much for sharing!
Rhianna Thurber says
LOVE LOVE LOVE these! I have made these muffins multiple times for different occasions, and they are a total crowd pleaser (even for non vegans and gluten/sugar lovers)! I follow the recipe as is except for a couple minor tweaks — For a healthier alternative to the brown sugar I substituted it with 1/2 cup medjool date paste (chopped/seeded dates soaked in warm water and then pureed with an immersion blender) and I also added 1 tsp of vanilla extract. The second time I made these I didn’t have any walnuts on hand so I used chopped almonds on top and they were equally as good! I have really good luck with the King Arthur gluten free flour blend in this recipe! They always turn out fluffy, moist, and packed full nutrients and flavor! For anyone wanting a healthier alternative to delicious carrot cake don’t search any longer because this recipe is it! Thank you for creating such satisfying and healthy recipes!
Thanks for sharing!!
Ellie says
These muffins are soooo great. I’m no baker and I suck at following the recipe, but mine still came out beautifully ( I used regular flour ) my husband and I love them. Filling and delicious!
SOPHIA says
Hi Dana,
I’m looking forward to making these delicious muffins.
My question is about a quantity. How much is a “batch” of flax eggs? I see the note on making one of the eggs, but a batch???
thanks!
Sophia
Hi Sophia, 1 batch is 1 flax egg. So 1 1/2 batches would be 1 ½ Tbsp (10 g) flaxseed meal + 4 Tbsp (60 ml) water.
Audrey says
The aroma is enough to get a child off her computer. These are going to be dinner. It is pouring out and a trip the store is off my agenda.
I whizzed the oats in the processor.
Subbed shredded coconut for the almond flour.
And used regular eggs.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Audrey. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Charmaine says
Delicious! I used half a cup of whole wheat flour and half a cup of buckwheat flour. I skipped the sugar and just used 1/4 cup raw honey to sweeten. I also added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon not half a teaspoon, and 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract.
Kate says
These muffins are on constant repeat in our kitchen! Kid’s love making just to eat these!!
I love all of the ingredients and have modified here and there with raisins, more nuts, currants, and blueberries! So grateful for this site and all of your wonderful recipes! Thank you, K
Thanks for sharing, Kate!!
Milla says
These are incredible! I omitted the brown sugar, but did all else to the recipe. It was sweet enough for our taste buds with just the banana, apple sauce and maple syrup. We added raisins and walnuts as well.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Milla. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Mercedes says
SO GOOD! This really satisfied my carrot cake craving.
I subbed gluten-free flour for all-purpose and it seemed like the outsides cooked too quickly, making them look (but not taste, luckily) burnt and the insides were just barely done. Next time if I use all-purpose flour again I’ll try lowering the baking temperature and lengthening the time. Hopefully, that will help. Either way, these were SO delicious.
Ah, thanks for sharing, Mercedes!
DeVonna Taylor says
Am I able to use All purpose flour and have excellent results? Non of us are GF.
Hi DeVonna, we haven’t tried that, but another reader has done so with success! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
amelie says
can i make these without the gluten free flour blend?
Hi Amelie, we haven’t tried these with other flours and can’t say how they would turn out. Other readers have used a variety of flours and reported back on their results in the comments. We would recommend doing a search in the comments for “flour”. Hope that helps!
Frances says
I’m always amazed how easy, 1bowl Love that, recipes I find. I have made over 15 and have some I bake weekly. My favourite is the zucchini loaf. My kids Ate them both within 24 hours . My kids eat them up and I love the opt of egg free and gluten. Thank you so much. And I look forward to continuing to follow you on Instagram too.
Thanks, Frances!!
Pearline Dunn says
I made these, but substituted grated carrots with the pulp from my daily fruit juicing. I also added raisins. They came out really good and tasty. I juice daily and use the pulp to make these muffins.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Kaelyn says
These muffins were fantastic!! I only added 75 mL of sugar and 1 tblsp of maple syrup and they were perfectly sweet. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Reni says
Another great recipe! You would never know these are gf. I only had 1/2 tbl of ground flax so I used this, with a little water, and 1 egg. I used 1/2 coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar. The muffins are moist, light and not bitingly sweet. I used the applesauce option and honey as the liquid sweetener. I baked for about 30-32 minutes and they came out quite dark, but they taste great, not overbaked. I cannot taste the banana in it at all, it just adds to the balanced overall flavour.
Julia Walton says
SOOOO GOOOD!!!!!
I subbed oat flour for both the almond meal and gluten free blend as well as extra applesauce instead of the banana and they turned out AMAZING. Best GF muffins I’ve ever had! Thank you for your recipes, they are always winners!
Julia Walton says
But I also only baked them for 19 minutes, maybe my muffin tins are smaller than the ones used for the recipe
Whoop! So glad to hear it, Julia! Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Chelsey says
I don’t eat banana so can I sub it for more apple sauce?
Hi Chelsey, we would recommend adding a touch more sweetener and subbing in extra applesauce for the mentioned amount of banana! Hope that helps!
Cayla says
Soooo delicious. I used real eggs instead of flax because I didn’t have any flax. I doubled the recipe to have some to freeze later. I doubled the recipe (I cook by weight) and it made 24 muffins and a whole loaf. But I’m not going to complain, because I’m sure we’ll put them to good use. ;) Thanks for another winning recipe!
Lynn says
Wow! I made these for breakfast for my daughter’s vegan friend, and we all (non-vegans) ate them up. I used a chia seed egg (following your recipe, Dana–thanks!) and all-purpose flour for the almond meal and gluten-free flour, because that’s what I had on hand, and it took about 20 minutes to bake to perfection. I’ll definitely make these again! Thank you!
Tanya Day Laplante says
I’m not gluten-free. Can I use AP flour in place of the gluten-free flour mix?
Thanks!
Yes, that should work! Let us know how it goes! Hope that helps!
Dana says
These look AMAZING!!
My question is it possible to do without the oats?
I’m grain free.
Thx
Hi Dana, though we haven’t tried it, we think you might be able to replace the oats with additional almond flour. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Emaleigh Downey says
Really good! Made a crumble topping and my sister ate them up! Grilled on a pan with some butter or simply spread some PB on them… so good!
Vera F says
We had bananas and apples that needed to be used so I searched last night and found this recipe (and the one for the pb&j muffins). Couldn’t decide which to make so did both! Amazing! Delicious! My husband ate 2 of each. Used unsweetened cashew milk (I was out of almond milk) and regular all purpose flour (no gluten issues) and they were perfect. Will definitely be making both recipes again.
Becky says
I love the idea of these muffins! Unfortunately, instead of the GF flour blend, I used what I had on-hand, which was organic all-purpose GF flour. I baked it at 375 for 35 minutes, and lo and behold, the walnuts (and added chocolate chips) and muffin top all burned! Any thoughts? Maybe it’s just my oven… or maybe it was because of the flour? I tried another batch for only 30 minutes and they look at lot tastier. They don’t look like the gorgeous muffins in the photo, though! Any thoughts are welcome… Thank you for this recipe!!
Jamie says
Hi,
I made these with all purpose flour & 2 eggs (& still want to try the Vegan, Gluten-free variety too), & they turned out FABULOUSLY! My 1st time ever baking homemade muffins, but am now hooked on baking!
Question: what are the calories for the muffins for the non-Vegan & GF variety (all purpose flour & 2 reg. eggs)?
Thank you & I love your recipes!!
Jamie
Hi Jamie! We’re glad you enjoyed these muffins! I am not sure what the nutritional facts are on a non-vegan version but you’re welcome to calculate that yourself using this tool!
Nancy Hill says
Made mini muffins. Cooked them for 16 minutes and they were perfect! Used one egg and whole milk. They were perfect. I made them previously with coconut oil, egg and almond milk and I think I liked the taste better…but both got good reviews from the family. Thank you!
Yay!
Kareema says
Wow!! I had a lot of fruit to use before it went of and this recipe was awesome for it!! I swapped the flax eggs for 2 hen eggs (might try 1 next time) and swapped the gf flour to just plain flour as I didn’t have those ingredients and wasn’t bothered to go to the shops lol. But this was delicious!! Usually when I make super healthy stuff like this it tastes plain and gross so this was an amazing find!! Going to print the recipe to add to my collection of good finds on the net!
Saucytomayto says
Made this as a loaf and used whole wheat flour instead of gluten-free and only half the sweeteners as I think the fruits added enough sweetness. They tasted absolutely delicious, although the cooking time was way longer, like over an hour – maybe because of the flour?
Yes, that may have been the reason!
Lok says
could I opt out the brown sugar ?
Yes!
Ingrid S. says
Exceptionally moist and addictive! I’ve made it twice and somehow it came out even better the second time. Have given mini-loaves (instead of muffins) and the printed recipe to friends, who also really loved it.
Thank you!
Toni says
Has anyone tried putting less sugar/honey? I’d appreciate any suggestion.
Hi Toni! Others have cut the sugar down by up to half and have had success with it. Have a scan through the comments above (use Control F or Command F on a Mac) to search keywords on the site :)
Heather Miller says
I didn’t have almond meal so I increased the the GF flour to 1 1/4 c and used 1/4 c oat flour. I also used Bob’s red mill all-purpose GF flour blend and added xanthan gum. The texture is a little spongy and chewy, but they still taste delicious! I also used vanilla unsweetened almond milk which works well. I’d like to find a healthier replacement for the sugar in the future, perhaps more banana instead of brown sugar? I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be packed, but I left it loosely measured because I try to minimize sugar intake. And it worked out great!
Kyle says
I find that I have to bake mine much much longer than what is listed in the recipe. What do you suggest to not have to cook them for what seems like forever? I seem to have this issue with every vegan recipe I make. The inside is always wet.
Thanks!
Jacqueline Mosquera says
Hi there what if I substitute the banana with an advocado?
Yes, that could work though we haven’t tried it ourselves. Report back if you give it a try!
sandra weggeman says
Hello!
I cannot wait to make this recipe! Unfortunately, I cannot eat any kind of flour- other than almond flour. I will try these with almond flour only, I’ve never cooked with almond flour before. Do you think that would be ok?
Thank you so much!
Sandra
Hi Sandra, Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend using just almond flour for this recipe, but if you experiment with the recipe, report back on how it goes. Good luck!
Monika Patel says
Hey there! What are your thoughts on combining tapioca flour + ground oats in replace of the GF flour blend?!
Hmm we haven’t tried that combo and can’t say for sure, but if you experiment with it, report back on how it goes. Good luck!
Kendra says
My two boys love an after school snack, and they love muffins. I’ve made many different types, some healthy, some not so healthy. There are few I keep in regular rotation… but this is definitely one of them. It is healthy, and they LOVE it! It is one of their absolute favourites (and they are picky eaters). Go figure…
We are not gluten free, so I use regular flour, but I don’t make any other changes.
Thanks, Kendra!
Seema Chouhan says
Love the recipe— very simple and straightforward to follow. Turned out delicious and soft. I substituted all purpose flour instead of the gluten free mix. I baked them for 20-25 minutes. Checked on it every 10 minutes to see how they were browning.
I’ve made a few different recipes from your website. All turn out very well. Thanks.
Julia Kanter says
Hi Dana — do these freeze well? If so, for how long? Thank you!
Yes, these will freeze for up to a couple of weeks.
Megan says
I had a similar problem with the time. Mine started to burn at 27 minutes. The whole every-oven-is-different is v. true and I strongly suggest folks start checking them at 25 minutes. They would have been toast at 32 mins. Made another batch with much shorter time and they’re great.
Claudia says
I substituted the almond meal and gluten flour with all-purpose flour, and the banana with some pumpkin puree. I also threw in some more cinnamon and about a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. Very fluffy and moist! Delicious with vegan butter and a small sprinkle of salt. I think they need a bit more spice though!
Thanks for sharing, Claudia!
Eva says
I was very happy with this delicious recipe – made these substitutions, based on what I had on hand:
– chia “egg” instead of flax
– coconut oil instead of olive
– canned pumpkin rather than applesauce
– canned pumpkin rather than carrot (I had a lot of pumpkin to use up!)
– ground half of the oats (left the other half whole)
– added 1/4 tsp ground ginger and 2 ground cloves (which I’d make sure to grind finer next time)
– chocolate chips rather than walnuts
– topped the muffins with sunflower seeds before baking
– used Convection Bake at 355 degrees for 33 minutes
– used silicone muffin forms on a cookie sheet
They came out perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing your changes, Eva!
McKell says
Did everything the recipe called for… muffins did not cook on the inside, but started to get crusty on the outside ;( not mad, just confused and want to solve this problem. Not sure if it is where I was placing the muffins in the oven of if I was using a muffin thin that is smaller then the” normal” size? I thought there was only one size.
Miranda says
These muffins were fabulous! I followed the recipe with one exception: I used all purpose flour (not GF) in the same measurements, as it’s what I had on hand. Baked at 375 F for about 28 min and they were just wonderful. Doubled the recipe to freeze for later eating. Our kids love them too! Thanks so much :)
Alexandra says
Made these this evening and am a bit confused as to why they didn’t work. Baked them for 25 minutes more than the suggested time at 180 as the tops were starting to burn and allowed to cool in the tin etc but still completely sticky inside. The mixture is delicious but it just did not want to bake!
Followed the recipe exactly, apart from omitting the brown sugar and I also added orange zest and a few sultanas. I used fresh finely grated apple instead of apple sauce. Any ideas why it went wrong?!
McKell says
Same thing happened to me ;(
Dee says
These look amazing! I am allergic to apple- any ideas for a sub? Maybe more banana or more oil? Thanks!
I’d recommend just making this recipe in that case, Dee!
Dee says
Thanks for the recipe, I will try that too, though I was really hoping to make carrot muffins for fall. Do you think I could sub extra carrots & banana for the apple?
Kate says
For the apple replacement: how about a mix of extra grated carrot and grated zucchini? Maybe the zucchini will mimic the wetness of the apple.
J says
I have made these a few time now, they are delicious! Everyone in my family loves them, including my 3 year old who often asks for them for breakfast. I make double batches and freeze them. Thanks so much for this great recipe, it will continue to be my go to.
We are so glad to hear that, J! If you could leave a star rating in the future, that would help us out a ton :D
Mara says
Another winner for our half vegan-half gluten free family!
Woot woot!
Eliana says
Since it’s beginning to get colder outside i’m finding myself waking up and craving warmer and more comforting foods. Carrot muffins are on the top of that list and so I was delighted to find a healthier version of them!
The only item I didn’t have this morning was almond flour and so I had to improvise a little bit. I followed your suggestion of adding more dry ingredients and it worked! The muffins smelled amazing while cooking and they tasted even better!
The only suggestion I have to fellow bakers is to watch the rim of the muffin tops. Since it took longer for the muffins to bake I by accident burned parts of the edges :( So, next time i’ll just add foil to the outside so they don’t burn.
5 stars!
Thank you for sharing, Eliana! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed them!
Leah says
Apologies if this has already been asked but as I’m not GF and dont have the ingredients for the GF flour blend on hand, what can I use instead? Normal plain flour?
You can use whole wheat or all purpose! See comments above for tips!
Eli Marshall says
Can I omit the brown sugar and use raisins instead?
Yes, that should work!
Jodie says
I made these yesterday and they are delicious – flavoursome, moist, really yummy! Quite soon after making them though they turned a suspicious green colour! Still taste great but I’m wondering what happened? I followed the recipe except subbed in coconut oil instead of olive, lactose free milk instead of almond, sunflower meal instead of almond meal & a mix of spelt/GF SR flour instead of GF Flour blend. Could any of those ingredients/combinations resulting in green? Also just checking is it baking soda or baking powder that I should be using? Thanks!
Carmella says
These are so delicious! I always double MB recipes now because there is never enough when they taste this good! I topped them with a thawed vegan cream cheese I found leftover in the freezer and sprinkled with walnuts. Seriously.. I’ve had way too many and the kids are loving them too, have to freeze so I keep them for lunches. (they freeze really well and if you want them soon just pop them in the microwave on defrost for 2 minutes or so or just put them on the counter for a half hour or so before eating) I used the almond meal that I make from the leftover pulp from almond milk- so not the nice white meal that you can buy at the shops and it worked great! I used all purpose spelt flour, and used half wholemeal and half white. Another winner! Thank you so much!
Kate Howard says
Hi can I use blanched almond flour in place of gluten-free flour?
Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend using just almond flour, but scan through the comments above for tips on replacing the GF flour. Good luck!
Miranda Richardson says
Thank you for the wonderful recipe! I cannot wait to make it for my kiddos!
I was wondering if I could use dates in place of bananas. I have dates , but no bananas . Thank you!
Hi Miranda! While we haven’t tried that substitution and can’t say for sure, we’d love to hear if you experiment with it! Typically we like to use applesauce or pumpkin puree in place of bananas but let us know how it goes. Good luck!
Charlotte Akiyama says
I edited the recipe to include zucchini:
*I changed a few other things in the recipe as well, so it is no longer vegan, but just substitute with the original ingredients if you prefer.
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Prepare muffin 12 sheets in tins, and lightly grease with coconut oil or butter. Mash ⅔ very ripe, or thawed frozen banana. Whisk 2 eggs, and add banana, ¼ cup maple or date syrup, and ¼ cup coconut or olive oil. Then grate, shred, or finely chop 1 medium apple. Add to mixture along with ½ cup muscovado, brown, or unrefined sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt and stir. Add ½ cup unsweetened almond milk and stir. Grate 2/3 heaping cup of carrots, and 1/3 heaping cup of zucchini, then stir into mix. Mix in ⅔ cup oats, ½ cup almond meal, and 1 cup + 2 tbsp coconut or whole wheat flour and stir. Divide evenly between muffin tins, filling all the way to the top. On top add crushed walnuts, or almonds (optional). Bake for 30 min, then check, and add 5 min if needed. When done, a toothpick should come out clean from the middle of the muffins. Let set in pan for 15 min. Then remove from pan and let completely cool. Store in a covered container at room temp after cooled, and then freeze afterward to keep fresh.
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Charlotte!
Morgan Biggs says
I tweaked a few things. I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, bran for almond meal, and just straight almond flour. However it was the most delicious vegan muffin I have ever tasted. Next batch I want to see how it cooks without the oil.
belelele says
Hey! Just wanted to share what I did… didn’t quuite work out how I imagined it would but hey.. you live and you learn.
I used normal wheaty flour, hens eggs and instead of using almond meal I used LSA cause thats all I had.. I’m a student so often can’t afford all the ingredients used in these recipes..
Aanyway, I ended up having to bake them for about an hour and a half (turned the oven down after about 40-50 mins to stop the outside burning).. Eventually took them out because I got bored of checking the oven every 5-10 mins.. They’re definitely tasty its just the outside is super tough and the inside is still kind of sticky.. Yum.. different.. my flatmate said she loves them like this.. but yeah..
Much love to you Dana, love your work.
<3
Arthur says
I’ve got to say I love this recipe! As someone who is intolerant to egg, lactose and gluten! Ha, these have been great I’ve made them a couple times and they have turned out great everytime.
Not at all like some gluten free stuff can be like.
And! My family loves them too, I usually double up the recipe and do 12 jumbo muffins, I’ve also done the zucchini bread and muffin form to! So good.
Chase says
Could I use whole wheat flour instead of the gluten-free blend you think? Thanks
Yes! Other readers have had success with this. Scan the comments above for tips!
Susan Marlan says
These muffins sound delicious. I’m vegan, GF and do not eat sugar, brown sugar, etc. Can I substitute honey or maple syrup?
Thanks
Hi Susan! While we haven’t tried that sub, you can generally sub up to half of the sugar in any recipe with maple syrup or agave nectar. If you give it a try, report back on how it goes!
Liza says
I’ve made this couple times now and it always turns out great! I take these to work or serves to guests and they all love it. Even my 7 year old son eats it too and he’s a picky-eater. Thank you , Dana, for sharing this healthylicious recipe! ?
Stephanie says
5 muffins were gone as soon as these came out of the oven. We’re gf df and the moist deliciousness of these really hit the spot for a bread-y treat. I added raisins, walnut halves, and a bit of crushed pineapple to the last 3rd of the muffins balancing the extra moisture with a little more gf flour. Still a touch damp in the middle, but otherwise Perfect! I love all the protein from the almonds and walnuts. Fantastic! Thank you.
Great additions to the recipe, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing!
Jess says
I made these and they taste great but SUPER dense, not light and fluffy as described. I’m wondering if I did something wrong? What is it in the recipe that makes it light and fluffy?
Hi Jess! It may just be the nature of these muffins – they are a little bit more dense than some.
Tawnya says
If using spelt flour do I still use rolled oats and almond meal? Or do I sub spelt flour for it all?
If you are using spelt flour, keep the rolled oats and almond meal as well!
Gabby Foley (Virginia Beach, VA) says
Saw this recipe on instagram on my way to church this morning. Luckily I had all of the ingredients back at home. I whipped these guys up in 45 minutes right before supper! They wowed the whole family. One picky little cousin went for seconds! Why knew you could make vegetables taste so good! Thank you for sharing 10/10 would make again!!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Gabby!
Nerissa says
Can you use less sugar or would it change the consistency?
You can cut down the sugar! Check the comments above for tips.
Lauren Green says
Mine didn’t come out great unfortunately! They didn’t rise and were very dense and undercooked :( The mixture seemed quite dry, would adding more almond milk solve this?
Yes, I would add more almond milk next time and that should help.
Jeanne Stewart says
Anyway one can leave out the banana? I made it and all I tasted was the banana, which I happen to hate. My hubby loves banana and loves this, but I was hoping for carrots yummyness
Hi Jeanne! I would recommend adding a touch more sweetener and subbing in extra applesauce for the mentioned amount of banana!
KJohnson says
I’d consider removing the vegan comment about honey. I’m a vegan, and honey is vegan. The subjective reasoning behind honey not being vegan is extreme and applies only to certain ways honey is obtained, having nothing to do with honey being vegan.
In CA, we have a bee shortage due to them being killed off by insecticides. Raising bees does two things; increases the number of bees and the amount of honey, which is way too much for bees to use.
Thoughts?
belelele says
I know a lot of vegans who dont eat honey.. It is still a product that comes from a living creature I guess? I’m not vegan, and if I was I would eat honey.. But yeah just food for thought :)
Othelea says
Hi! What can I replace almond meal with? This recipe is perfect for him except for the almond meal because he’s allergic to them. Thanks!
Hi Othelea! Another nut meal would work well (maybe walnut?). Otherwise, just up the amounts of the other dry ingredients to compensate. Hope that helps!
Othelea says
My son is allergic to most nuts including walnuts. Thats why this recipe is good for him except for the nut part. Will try with taking up the other dry ingredients. Thanks
That should work well, hope he loves them!
Leslie Cancilla says
Might there be a substitute for the oats? Been suggested I stay away from oats, even gluten free right now and would love to make this recipe! Ideas?
Hi Leslie! You can try and sub more almond meal, quinoa flour, or more GF Flour blend!
Donna says
I tried these and they came out great! Just wondering how soon after cooling must they be frozen? And best way to defrost after freezing? Thanks!
Let them cool until they are completely cooled and then freeze! To defrost after heating, you can either leave them on the countertop to defrost, or pop them in the oven/microwave for a couple seconds.
Chantel says
I made these yesterday! I love them. I added raisins, and sprinkled sliced almonds on top as well in addition to the walnuts. I am a huge carrot cake fan, and I liked these… but my only feedback is I wish they had a stronger carrot flavor. I think next time I will add more carrots maybe 1 and 1/2 cups of shredded carrots packed down instead of the one cup. These are great though! I will make these again!
Jen says
I don’t have any brown sugar. Can I leave out the brown sugar altogether, or should I add more maple syrup?
Hi Jen! Other readers have left out the brown sugar entirely, but you could always add a bit more maple syrup if need be.
Stephanie says
Ah-mazing!!! Thank you for your recipes, this is probably the 5th I’ve made and they have been delish. I love this recipe bc it allows me to use the pulp leftover from carrot juice I made in another one of your recipes.. I see what you did there ;) haha but really, tasty, moist and makes me feel great! Pinned and sent off to others to enjoy!
Oshrat says
Thank you for a great recipe. Kids loved it and so do my husband and me.
Great for breakfast!
I put 2 eggs and put more apple sauce instead of sugar and it is very yummy!
Teneeka says
These are delicious, I’ve made them multiple times. I make carrot juice a lot and was looking for a way to use the pulp and this is it!! Thank you for this recipe and all the other delicious recipes that you share with us!
Carmella says
Loved the muffins, but I did alter a few things, only because I didn’t have certain items, and I’m playing around with a few new ingredients. I’m only posting the alterations in case anyone else wants to try them- the original recipe looks perfect! So I used some crushed fresh (frozen) pineapple instead of the apple because I was craving it with carrot muffins! And then I used close to a 1/2 cup of white spelt flour and the rest chickpea flour (that I milled in my thermomix), in place of the oats I used quinoa flakes.I couldn’t add wants sadly as they are for school lunches and it’s all nut free these days, but to some muffins I put sultanas and that was a nice addition as well! The muffins took about 30 minutes and were so moist and delicious. I find MB’s recipes always so easy and delicious- even when I have to alter some things! Never ever disappointed. Not ever. Thanks for being such a big part our family meals!
Thanks so much for sharing the changes you made, Carmella! This is a huge help to others when they are looking to sub out ingredients. Glad you enjoyed the muffins!
TropiCarla says
Delicious breakfast muffin! I found this when looking for a recipe to use up some delicious organic carrots in my fridge. Made these with my 5 y.o.’s help.
Even with modifications, recipe produced a beautiful texture and rise. Needed vegan, but not GF, so I substituted some whole wheat and regular AP flour as another reviewer suggested. I also reduced the sugar and honey a touch, left out the nuts/topping, pulsed the carrots and apple in my food processor instead of grating (bum shoulder), and added a splash more milk during mixing because I soaked the oats in the 1/2 cup of milk.
Thanks for a wonderful recipe, Dana!
Mis says
I’m unable to have almonds. Is there a gf option that you could suggest?
Gf-Vegan-almond-free muffins are tough to find. These look like they just might work with the sub:)
Twyla says
The first time I made these, I misread 1 1/2 flax eggs to be 1 1/2 cups of flax eggs. So I made them with a mixture of 1 1/2 cups of flax and hen eggs and they actually turned out really good and I liked how much protein and omega fats they had in them!
Isis says
what can i use in place of almond meal?
thanks!
Hi Isis! Just sub it with some other dry ingredient if you’d rather. Hope that helps!
Candice says
Actually scratch that, they’re raw inside still?
Candice says
I made these & cooked them at 190c for 32 minutes exactly and the tops are now covered in burnt walnuts! Hopefully I can pick them off because the rest of the muffin turned out great!
Janet Kuchinski says
These muffins are delish!
I added and extra tsp of cinnamon, some ginger, and 2 tsp of tumeric to add spice and make them more anti inflammatory.
Subbed coconut sugar for the brown sugar!
Used 2 free range eggs from my chickens.
Thanks for the GF, veggie and fruit packed recipe!
Elizabeth says
I wanted to make these muffins for breakfast this morning and my husband and I, new vegans, are still figuring out how to stock our pantry so I didn’t have a few of these items. I had to substitute half a cooked sweet potato for the banana, blended some firm tofu with water for the almond milk, used a combo of reg and whole wheat pastry flour, subbed corn for almond meal. Oh and I didn’t have walnuts (for shame!) :-). The texture is great but next time if I’m lacking bananas and making this, I will add vanilla or some additional spices to boost the flavor profile a bit.
Valerie says
These were so yummy! Definitely making it again!
Bettyann says
This is a fantastic recipe. Im not vegan but really enjoy the imaginative and yummy ideas vegans often present, combining ingredients I might not have considered. I confess to adding 2 eggs, upping the oats to 1 cup, and exchanging the almond meal for gf flour; I used garbanzo bean flour to up the nutrient density.
They are wonderful. Thank you.
amber says
Omg I m frist time baker
I didn’t had four flour blend or almond meal
But I didn’t Which flour to use
But I took 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
I was pissed off the I was so nervous n scared
I get feel bad wen u try n dish get ruined (I don’t give up keep trying to make it right)
But I do believe that practice make perfect
Thnk you soo much
Please keep updated some recipes for cupcakes
Red velvet cupcake vegan
Chocolate cupcakes
I m can’t use vanilla extract
What is the substitute if vanit exact
Thnk u once again
Amber says
Hi
I m frist time baker I never bake before
I need to make this carrot muffin vegan
For my mother
I have question
What if I can find flour blend flour
What else available in grocery store I can find it…?
Janice says
OMG these are one of the best muffins I have made in a long time. Super moist, tasty, easy and I love the flax seed egg, I have never tried that before and I’m amazed by the finished product. Thanks, I am a follower now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Darby Bundy says
This recipe is super easy!
For the carrots I just processed about 3-4 small ones versus grating (because I am lazy) and luckily I had apple sauce on hand from making your corn bread last week. Ingredients were all staple items that you use often in your recipes so I appreciate your cohesiveness!! I never find myself buying 1 random thing that I won’t use again – so thank you! Only thing I did differently is use pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon (and put a little extra) since I have wayyyy too much leftover from a pie I made.. so it’s gonna go in everything till it’s gone. XD
Haven’t tasted them yet but I am sure they are glorious – they are cooling down at the moment but the house smells great and they look just PERFECT! :)
Joanne Acquadro says
I made these tonight with carrot cake in mind so I added a dash of cloves and nutmeg, and then raisins. I did not have applesauce so I finely shredded the apple in and I used maple syrup. They are so delicious and decadent. I took powdered sugar and water stirred them up to look like a white glaze that I drizzled on top. Absolutely delicious!
Kristy says
Hi There,
What is almond meal? Is there another term for it? Not familiar with this product. Is it this sam as ground almond flour? Recipe sounds super yummy, can’t wait to try it! Oh, and what exactly do you mean by “sweet apple”?
Hi Kristy! Like almond flour, almond meal is made from ground almonds, though typically has a more coarse texture and contains the skins. It’s commonly used for baked goods like cookies and quick breads, and because of the coarse texture it can be used as a substitute for breadcrumbs for coating meat and topping vegetables and casseroles.
Secondly, by sweet apple we recommend either Gala, Rome Beauty, Stayman, or Golden Delicious which all tend to be sweeter options!
Hope this helps!
Kristy says
Perfect, thanks, that’s what I figured. I have that in my pantry now. Don’t have any of those apples though. Also, the apples I had to use were very small. How many should I use to equal what is asked for and should I do anything else to make up for lack of sweetness in my apples? I have applesauce, but want to use up these apples I have on the counter so they are not wasted. ;)
Thanks for the super quick reply! Plan on making these while kids are at school today so they have them for snack when they get home. PS, I have made your zucchini chocolate loaf recipe and we all loved it!
Hi Kristy! You just need 1/2 cup of grated apple!
Carter says
Is almond meal the same as almond flour? Idk what almond meal is.
Can I use gluten free oat flour in place of the gluten free flour blend?
Has anyone tried date nectar in place of the brown sugar?
Thank you!
Rico says
Hi
I made these muffins and they turned to be great! Thanks for the recipe :)
How long does it last when I freeze them?
Hi Rico! They should last for a couple weeks!
Brooke says
I halved the sugar and they were still amazing! I also used coconut oil.
Monica says
I am so thrilled! Made this this morning and my toddler and I loved them. Just enough sweet and moist !
Kathleen Novell says
Hi!
This looks like a great recipe. Can I use regular wheat flour instead of almond meal?
Thanks
Hi Kathleen! Yes you can!
knovell says
Thank you so much for responding. I’m going to make these tomorrow. Can’t wait.
Kathleen