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    Home » Baked Goods

    Banana Carrot Muffins

    Posted: Apr 29, 2021 · Updated: Aug 10, 2021 by Tonje

    Jump to Recipe

    These moist banana carrot muffins taste like a combination of banana bread and carrot cake formed into individual little muffins. They are so easy to make, and perfect as a healthy snack or breakfast.

    Banana bread carrot muffins.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love it
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Top tips
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • Leftovers
    • Frequently asked questions
    • You might also like these recipes
    • Recipe

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    🍳 More BREAKFAST RECIPES from Hint of Healthy

    Why you'll love it

    • Easy muffins
    • Hidden fruit and vegetables
    • Dairy free banana muffins
    • Like carrot cake and banana bread combined
    • Kid friendly
    • Refined sugar free
    • Perfect as a snack, dessert or breakfast

    Ingredients

    Banana: Use a really ripe banana. If it has a few black spots on it, even better! The banana should be mashed thoroughly with a fork or food processor.

    Carrots: Finely shred carrots with the smallest side of a vegetale grater.

    Eggs: These will make the muffins fluffy, and help the muffins keep their shape.

    Honey: Honey adds a little sweetness to the muffins. You can replace this with maple syrup or agave nectar if you prefer.

    Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely vanilla flavor. This ingredient is optional.

    Olive oil: Makes the muffins moist, and keeps them fresh for longer.

    All-purpose flour: Flour serves as the base for the muffins. You can replace this with whole wheat flour to make them a little more filling. I have not tried substituting for any other flours, but if you decide to try it, let me know how it goes!

    Baking soda + baking powder: Allow the muffins to rise. You have to use a combination of the two to achieve the best results.

    Cinnamon: A hint of cinnamon works really well with the flavor in these muffins. You can also use gingerbread spice, or pumpkin pie spice instead.

    Salt: Improves the overall flavor in the muffins.

    Banana and shredded carrot muffin ingredients.

    Instructions

    You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page

    One: Mash the banana with a fork or food processor. Finely grate or shred the carrots.

    Two: Mix shredded carrot, mashed banana, olive oil, honey, vanilla extract and eggs in a bowl. Stir the wet ingredients with a whisk until just combined.

    Step by step images showing how to make banana carrot muffins.

    Three: Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Use a spoon or spatula to combine. The muffin batter will be quite thick.

    Four: Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin liners. Divide the batter equally between the liners.

    Five: Bake the banana carrot muffins for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins come out clean.

    Uncooked muffins in a muffin pan, some topped with diced nuts.

    Top tips

    • Don't over mix the muffin batter. Instead, simply stir until the ingredients are just combined.
    • To prevent chunks of banana or carrots in the muffins, you should make sure that the fruit is completely mashed, and that the carrots are finely shredded.
    • Line your muffin tin with muffin liners, or use a silicon muffin tray. You can use reusable silicon liners, or buy single use ones made from parchment paper.
    • Allow the warm muffins to cool down on a cooling rack for a few minutes before you serve them.
    • To check that the muffins are cooked through, you should insert a toothpick, cake tester or a skewer into the middle of the muffins. If the stick comes out without any batter on it, the muffins are done.
    • If your oven cooks unevenly, you might want to turn the muffin tray around halfway through cooking. This is particularly helpful for older ovens.

    Serving suggestions

    Serve the muffins with a cup of Iced Whipped Coffee for breakfast, or enjoy them as a healthy dessert or snack through the day. There is never a wrong time to serve muffins!

    I love serving them plain, but you can also slice them in half, and top them with butter, cream cheese, or a spread like Whipped Feta, Rhubarb and Apple Jam or Sugar Free Grape Jam.

    Four muffins with banana and carrots on a plate.

    Variations

    Banana carrot cake cupcakes: Add your favorite frosting or icing to the muffins to make amazing cupcakes. These muffins pair really well with cream cheese frosting, or vanilla buttercream.

    Apple banana carrot muffins: Replace ½ cup mashed banana with apple sauce. This is an excellent alternative which incorporates a bigger variety of fruit.

    Garnish: Top the muffins with diced walnuts or almonds, rolled oats or desiccated coconut before you bake them. This will add a little crunch to the muffins, and also make them look really nice!

    Zucchini banana muffins: Replace the shredded carrots with shredded zucchini.

    Vegan: You should be able to make these vegan by substituting the honey with maple syrup, and the egg with a vegan egg replacer. I haven't tried this myself, so please let me know if it works for you!

    Leftovers

    Store leftover healthy banana carrot muffins in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 6 months.

    You can defrost or thaw frozen banana bread muffins at room temperature for a few hours before serving. I love to freeze a batch of these, and have them available for easy snacks on the go.

    🍳 More BREAKFAST RECIPES from Hint of Healthy

    An opened carrot cake banana muffin.

    Frequently asked questions

    Why did my banana muffins not rise?

    If your muffins don't rise, most likely you didn't use the correct leavening agent, you didn't use enough of it, or it might be old and have lost its potency. This could also happen if your oven wasn't warm enough to activate the leavening agent. I recommend buying new baking powder and baking soda, and following the instructions accurately.

    What's the secret to making moist muffins?

    If your muffins come out dry, they are most likely over mixed or overcooked. Use olive oil in the batter to make muffins really moist, and make sure to only mix the batter until it's just combined. Follow the baking instructions accurately as well.

    How do you get bananas to ripen quickly?

    If your bananas aren't quite ripe enough to mash yet, you can place it in a warm oven for a few minutes. The increased temperature should make the banana really soft, and ready to mash.

    You might also like these recipes

    • Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
    • Banana and Date Loaf
    • Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
    • Blueberry Protein Muffins
    • Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
    • Healthy Banana Oat Muffins with Raisins
    • Healthy Banana Bread with Blueberries

    If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!

    Recipe

    Banana carrot muffins.

    Banana Carrot Muffins

    Banana carrot muffins are a combination of banana bread and carrot cake, cooked together in the shape of muffins. This easy and delicious recipe is an excellent healthy snack, breakfast or dessert, and nobody can guess that they contain hidden fruit and vegetables.
    5 from 1 vote
    Created by: Tonje
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 muffins
    Calories 192 kcal

    Equipment

    • Muffin Pan
    • Mixing Bowl
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 bananas)
    • 1 cup finely grated carrots
    • ½ cup honey
    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Pre heat your oven to 375 F / 190 C / 170 C fan oven.
    • Mash bananas with a fork or a food processor. Peel and finely shred the carrots.
    • Combine the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl: mashed banana, shredded carrot, olive oil, honey, vanilla extract and eggs. Stir or whisk until the ingredients are combined.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet. This includes the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Use a spoon or spatula to combine, as this mixture will be quite thick. Stir until the ingredients are just incorporated.
    • Live a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners, and divide the muffin mixture between the liners. Try to make them evenly sized.
    • Optionally: top the muffins with a garnish, such as diced nuts, seeds or rolled oats.
    • Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins come out clean.
    • Leave the muffins to rest for about 10 minutes to allow them to cool down before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    • Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
    • Add cream cheese frosting to turn these muffins into cupcakes!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 225mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1834IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword banana bread, bananas, carrot, carrot cake, dairy free, easy, healthy, muffins
    Tried this recipe?Mention @hintofhealthyfood or tag #hintofhealthy!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. lloyd

      January 22, 2023 at 9:31 pm

      5 stars
      i used this formula for banna carrot muffins but iadded 2more ingeedents i put wheat brand in with rhe flour and also about a quarter cup molasses they turned out very good

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Tonje! I make easy and healthy everyday recipes that your family will love. Browse my recipe collection to discover new favorites, and make sure to let me know what you think!

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