Healthy Carrot Muffins (7g Protein, No Eggs, No Dairy)

These Healthy Carrot Muffins are simple, dairy-free, egg-free muffins loaded with over 7g of plant-based protein and made with no refined sugar.

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While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Healthy Carrot Muffins

These Healthy Carrot Muffins are simple, dairy-free, egg-free muffins loaded with over 7g of plant-based protein and made with no refined sugar.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 259.6 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 ½ cups Carrots - 6.5 ounces (190g) grated (note 1)
• ▢ 1 ¾ cup White Wholewheat Flour - (note 2)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ▢ ⅔ cup Unrefined Cane Sugar - (note 3)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 cup Almond Milk - (note 4)
• ▢ ½ cup Mild-Flavor Olive Oil - (note 5)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Optional for extra flavors

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Allspice
• ▢ ¾ cup Hemp Seeds - or walnuts

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-hole muffin tray with a paper liner. Lightly oil with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
• Trim the carrots, cut them into chunks, place them in a food processor, and pulse a few times to form carrot 'rice'. You can grate the carrots with a grater box too. Lightly pack the shredded carrots in the measuring cup to get 1 1/2 cups (190g/6.7oz.). Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and allspice if used. Whisk to combine evenly.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add milk, oil, vanilla extract, the carrots prepared earlier, and hemp seeds if used.
• Combine with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides of the bowl to bring all the ingredients together, and form a smooth batter.
• Fill the 12 muffin holes evenly, up to the top.
• Bake the muffins on the center rack of your oven for 30-35 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until they are golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let them cool down in the pan for 10 minutes, then on a cooling rack for 2 hours.

Notes

Note 1: I trim the carrots’ ends, wash, and keep the peel. You can peel yours if preferred. You can grate the carrots rather than pulsing, using a grater box. Make sure you lightly pack the grated carrots in the measuring cup to use the same amount.

Note 2: You can also use all-purpose flour if preferred. See my gluten-free converter to make them gluten-free.

Note 3: You can use coconut sugar or muscovado sugar. You can’t use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup. You can lower the sugar to 1/2 cup for a less-sweet muffin.

Note 4: Or soy milk to up the proteins, or any milk you love.

Note 5: Or any low-flavor oil you like. Oil-free swaps like unsweetened applesauce or yogurt make the muffins too wet. They stay gummy and won’t firm up well.

Note 6: Hemp seeds add 56 grams of protein to your batch. You can swap for chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or simply skip. Other ideas are dried raisins, chopped pieces of dates, or other seeds like pumpkin seeds.

Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15 °C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze in Ziploc bags for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge the day before.

Equipment

Muffin Cases

12-Hole Muffin Pan

Mixing Bowl

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Cooling Rack

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Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 259.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.3g | Protein: 7.2g | Fat: 15.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.4g | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 76.5mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2738.4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 100.7mg | Iron: 2.3mg | Magnesium: 2.3mg | Phosphorus: 160.8mg | Zinc: 0.04mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

• Carrots – These provide the main flavor, natural sweetness, and moisture to the muffins.
• White Wholewheat Flour – This flour gives the muffins their structure and adds fiber. All-purpose flour or spelt flour also work well here.
• Baking Powder – This helps the muffins rise and become light and fluffy, especially since we aren’t using eggs.
• Unrefined Cane Sugar – This adds sweetness and helps the muffins brown. You can also use coconut sugar or muscovado sugar.
• Cinnamon – This adds a lovely warm spice flavor that pairs perfectly with carrots.
• Salt – Salt is important for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors.
• Almond Milk – This is the main liquid that brings the batter together. Any plant-based milk, like soy milk or oat milk, is fine.
• Mild-Flavor Olive Oil – This provides moisture and fat, which is key to keeping the muffins tender. Melted coconut oil or canola oil are good substitutes.
• Vanilla Extract – This adds a nice background flavor that rounds out the sweetness and spice.
• Allspice – This is optional, but it adds an extra layer of warm, complex spice.
• Hemp Seeds – These add healthy fats and a good amount of protein. You can also use chopped walnuts, pecans, or dried fruit like raisins.

How to Make Healthy Carrot Muffins (in Pictures)

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips for perfect muffins.

• Carrot Texture – I prefer pulsing the carrots in a food processor because you get small “rice” pieces, which adds more texture. You can absolutely grate them with a box grater if you find that easier.
• Customize Your Mix-ins – The hemp seeds are great for protein, but feel free to swap them for chopped nuts (like walnuts), other seeds, or dried fruits (like raisins) if you want extra sweetness.
• Adjusting Sweetness – These muffins aren’t overly sweet, but you can reduce the sugar down to 1/2 cup if you prefer.
• Stick to the Oil – I don’t recommend swapping the oil for substitutes like applesauce or yogurt. I find it makes the muffins too wet and gummy, and they just don’t firm up properly.
• Muffin Toppings – Before baking, you can sprinkle some rolled oats or extra seeds on top for a nice look and a bit of crunch.

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