These healthy gluten-free carrot banana muffins are made with gluten free flour, carrots, bananas and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup. They’re an easy, healthy quick breakfast or snack recipe that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Are you looking for a tasty and nutritious breakfast or delicious snack that won't take hours to prepare? Look no further than these delicious and healthy gluten-free carrot banana muffins! These fluffy and moist muffins are not only incredibly delicious but also quick and easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have the best ever carrot banana muffins that are healthy, satisfying and ready to eat in no time.
The combination of natural sweetness from the bananas and earthy flavor from the carrots are sure to leave your taste buds wanting more. You can serve the banana carrot cake muffins with butter, peanut butter, almond butter or your favorite spread. So whether you're busy on the go and looking for a meal prep breakfast or snack idea or just looking for a tasty and nutritious treat, this recipe is perfect for you.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are so many reasons to love this carrot banana muffin recipe, here are just a few:
- Perfectly moist and fluffy texture.
- Wholesome ingredients
- Quick and easy to make with simple steps.
- Can be enjoyed as a healthy breakfast or a satisfying snack.
- Perfect to use up those bananas or carrots that you don’t want to go to waste.
- A guilt-free treat that satisfies your sweet tooth without the added sugars.
Equipment You’ll Need
Here are some equipment and tools that will be helpful to make the banana carrot muffins:
- Muffin Tin - to make the muffins in. You can also line the tin with muffin liners for easy cleanup.
- Mixing Bowls - one small mixing bowl for the wet ingredients and one large mixing bowl the dry ingredients
- Whisk - to mix the batter
- Box Grater - you’ll need this if you decide to shred your own carrots.
- Measuring Equipment - 1/4 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, ¼ cup, ⅓ cup , ½ cup, 1 cup
- Cooling Rack - to let the muffin cool before serving
Ingredients You’ll Need
This Banana and carrot muffin recipe uses wholesome ingredients, that many are probably already in your kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Carrots - pre-shredded carrots were used for this recipe. You can also use a box grater to add your own grated carrots. You can also place chopped carrots in a food processor and lightly pulse them until broken down.
- Gluten free all purpose flour - these muffins are gluten free. White flour will also work if you are not concerned with gluten.
- Baking powder and baking soda - both help the texture of the muffins.
- Warm Spices - ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, salt to add flavor and warmth to the muffins.
- Bananas - around 2-3 large bananas. Just like banana bread, the darker and more ripe the bananas, the sweeter they get, which makes them perfect to bake with!
- Coconut oil - melted. If you prefer to use butter, that will work as well.
- Eggs - room temperature eggs always work best.
- Vanilla extract - make sure it’s real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Coconut sugar - you can also use light brown sugar.
- Maple syrup - you can also use agave or honey.
- Add-ins - raisins and chopped pecans . you could easily substitute walnuts, cranberries or chopped dates. You can also leave out the add-ins if you prefer.
How to Make Banana Carrot Muffin Recipe
These are the most simple banana and carrot muffins you’ll find to make and they’re ready in less than 20 minutes.
- Peel and shred the carrots, if you’re using whole carrots. Measure out 1 cup, packed. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
- Mash the ripe bananas, measure out 1 cup, and set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil in a microwave-safe large bowl, then add in eggs and vanilla extract and mix.
- Add coconut sugar and maple syrup, and mix again. Then stir in the mashed bananas and shredded carrots.
- Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and raisins. This is optional.
- Fill the liners with the muffin batter ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 15-19 minutes or until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
How to Store and Reheat
To store any leftover banana carrot raisin muffins, place them in an airtight container for up to 2 days and then store them in the fridge. You can also opt to store them in the fridge right away.
To reheat the muffins before enjoying them, place a muffin in the microwave and heat for 5 - 10 seconds until warmed through.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Flour - if you don’t have a gluten allergy, you can use regular white flour if you prefer instead of gluten free flour.
- Sweetener - the coconut sugar used can be substituted for brown sugar. You can also use white sugar if preferred.
- Nuts - if you prefer another type of nut instead of pecans feel free to substitute them in. Walnuts work great in this recipe as well.
- Add-ins - raisins are used in these healthy banana carrot muffins. You could also substitute the raisins for cranberries or chopped dates.
Recipe Tips
Here are some tips and tricks that I found helpful for making these Healthy banana carrot muffins:
- Use parchment paper muffin liners. I love using muffin cups when baking because it helps to eliminate the mess of cleaning and also helps for ease in removing the muffins after baking.
- Make sure the bananas are ripe. Your bananas should have dark brown spots. The darker and more ripe the bananas, the sweeter they get, which makes them perfect to bake with. Using bananas that are green or barely ripe will lead to less sweet muffins.
- Don’t over mix your batter! Over-mixing batter when baking can lead to a tough and dense final product. It's important to mix the batter only until the ingredients are just combined. You want to mix enough to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Let banana carrot muffins cool for at least 15 minutes. When baked goods are first removed from the oven, they are still hot and very delicate. If you try to remove them too soon, they may fall apart, break, or lose their shape. Let the muffins sit in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack. And then let them cool there for another 10 minutes before enjoying.
Is It a Thyroid-Friendly Recipe? Yes, carrots can be good for the thyroid. They are a rich source of several nutrients that are important for thyroid health, including iodine and vitamin A. Iodine is a key component of thyroid hormones, and a deficiency in iodine can lead to hypothyroidism. Vitamin A also plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy thyroid function and helps regulate the production of thyroid hormones.
Recipe FAQ
- Can I freeze these muffins?
- Yes. I recommend wrapping each muffin individually in freezer friendly plastic wrap and storing them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat them you can let them thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
- What can I replace the pecan chips with?
- You can use chopped walnuts, chopped brazil nuts, sliced almonds, or omit the nuts altogether.
- What are the health benefits of carrot muffins?
- They are rich in vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants and they’re a good source of beta-carotene.
- Is Carrot Good for Thyroid?
- Yes, carrots can be good for the thyroid. They are a rich source of several nutrients that are important for thyroid health.
- Can I use this recipe to make banana carrot bread?
- Yes. Instead of using a muffin tin, you can pour your batter into a loaf pan. The loaf will need to bake a little longer than the muffins, for about 50 to 55 minutes or until the center of the loaf is done. Test the loaf with a toothpick or a knife, it should come out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing to let it continue cooling on a cooling rack.
More Recipes You May Like
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Chai Spiced Vegan Oatmeal Bars
Healthy Gluten-Free Carrot Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded carrots or grated, packed
- 1⅔ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed bananas 2-3 large bananas
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅓ cup raisins optional
- ¼ cup pecans chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a muffin tin by spraying it with a light coating of cooking spray or lining it with muffin liners.
- Peel and shred the carrots, if you’re using whole carrots. Measure out 1 cup, packed. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
- Mash the ripe bananas, measure out 1 cup, and set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil in a large microwave-safe bowl, then add in eggs and vanilla extract and mix.
- Add coconut sugar and maple syrup, and mix again. Then stir in the bananas and shredded carrots.
- Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and raisins. This is optional.
- Fill the muffin liners ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 15-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool on a cooling rack for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Although HalfPastHungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on which products you use, the brand that was purchased, or in other unforeseeable ways. HalfPastHungry.com will not be held liable for any reliance on given nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your physician first.
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