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    Home » All Desserts » Muffins and cupcakes

    Published: Aug 19, 2022 · Modified: Mar 9, 2023 by Anthea

    Vegan Carrot Muffins

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    5 from 16 votes

    Bakery-style vegan carrot muffins with high muffin tops and a delicious streusel topping. These muffins are easy to make and come together in one bowl.

    Stack of vegan carrot muffins. One muffin has been bitten showing fluffy orange texture.

    Why you'll love this recipe

    This recipe was closely adapted from reader-favorite recipes for vegan carrot cake cupcakes and vegan banana muffins. Those recipes have received loads of positive reviews including:

    • "These were the best carrot cupcakes in my life."
    • "Highly recommend for vegans and non-vegans alike."
    • "A muffin I will make for forever!"

    Ingredients you'll need

    These vegan carrot cake muffins use common pantry staples including:

    Flatlay of ingredients for muffins.

    Notes about the ingredients

    All-purpose plain flour for the fluffiest vegan carrot muffins. For more wholesome muffins, you can use whole wheat or spelt flour.

    Brown or coconut sugar. The molasses from the brown sugar complements the spices and carrot! Coconut sugar is slightly less sweet and has a lovely caramel undertone which also complements this recipe.

    Grated carrot. I recommend grating your carrot coarsely for the best texture and to make sure the muffins aren't too soggy. Finely grated carrot will leak more water so you may need to bake your muffins for longer.

    Chopped walnuts which is optional but recommended for depth of flavor and texture! Alternatively, you can add raisins.

    Ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and LOTS of it! This recipe contains a little more spice than others as it's a quick and easy way to add flavor.

    A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Close up of one carrot muffin with crumb topping and drizzle of icing.

    How to make vegan carrot muffins

    These muffins come together in ONE BOWL! There's no fussing around with aquafaba, flax eggs or anything like that. You can mix the batter by hand, with an electric whisk or stand mixer.

    First, add all the dry ingredients (except the optional walnuts/raisins) to a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. Make sure there are no lumps of sugar!

    Add the rest of the ingredients (including the walnuts) and mix until just combined. Some lumps are fine, as long as they aren't lumps of flour!

    Your batter will be very thick, but don't worry! By the time you've divided the muffin batter, the sugar will start to liquify and carrots will leak water so the batter won't feel as thick.

    If you'd like to make the crumb topping but don't want to wash another bowl, divide the batter into your muffin tin at this stage.

    Four image collage showing how to prepare the muffin batter in one bowl.

    Optional crumb topping

    The crumb topping isn't absolutely necessary but it adds a wonderful layer of CRUNCH to these vegan carrot muffins.

    It comes together in one bowl and, while it doesn't look like much, there's enough to generously top all 12 muffins.

    Two image collage showing how to prepare the crumb topping in one bowl.

    TOP tips for high muffin tops

    Similar to my banana muffins, I tested a few easy techniques to get cafe-style muffin tops.

    The easiest and best method is to space out your muffins on the tray and bake only 6 at a time. If you have a 12-cup muffin tray, you'd space the muffins diagonally from each other and bake them in 2 lots.

    My other tip is to make sure your oven is 180°C (350°F). I recommend buying and using an oven thermometer as it's the most accurate way to see the true temperature of your oven, even if it's new! Baking muffins at a lower temperature causes the muffins to spread out rather than up. Either way, it's not a big issue!

    Two image collage of muffins in tray before and after baking.

    Extra tips and customizations

    How can I make healthier carrot muffins?

    Substitute the flour with whole wheat or spelt flour and use coconut sugar. I do not recommend maple syrup as it may be too heavy for this recipe. Granulated sweeteners such as erythritol and stevia will work but will not add a lovely caramel flavor to the muffins.

    Can I make these vegan carrot muffins smaller?

    Yes, you will get around 15 smaller muffins from this recipe (similar in size to my vegan carrot cake cupcakes). They'll take only around 20-25 minutes to bake. Or make them even smaller as snacks for kids!

    Can I replace oil with applesauce or mashed banana?

    I haven't tested this myself so can't 100% vouch for results. However, it should work though it'll make the muffins denser.

    Close up of one carrot muffin with bite taken out.

    More vegan muffin recipes

    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    • Vegan Banana Muffins
    • Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • Vegan Raspberry Muffins

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    Print Recipe
    5 from 16 votes

    Vegan Carrot Muffins

    Bakery-style vegan carrot muffins with high muffin tops and a delicious streusel topping. These muffins are easy to make and come together in one bowl.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 12 large muffins
    Author: Anthea

    Ingredients

    Dry ingredients

    • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose plain flour, whole wheat flour or spelt flour
    • 1 ¼ cup (240g) packed brown sugar, or coconut sugar
    • 3 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • Pinch of salt, optional

    Wet ingredients

    • ~2 ½ cups (250g) coarsely grated carrot, (around 3-4 medium carrots)
    • 1 cup (250g) dairy-free milk
    • ½ cup (125g) neutral flavored oil
    • ¾ cup (85g) chopped walnuts, or ½ cup (75g) raisins (optional)
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, regular vinegar or lemon juice, optional
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

    Oat Crumb Topping (optional, note 3)

    • ½ cup (65g) all-purpose plain flour
    • ¼ cup (30g) rolled oats
    • 3 tablespoons (45g) vegan butter, margarine or coconut oil, melted and cooled
    • 2 tablespoons (25g) packed brown sugar, coconut sugar or granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.

    To make the muffins:

    • Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix until there are no more lumps. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
    • Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to divide the batter into your muffin pan. The muffin batter should be close to the top of each cup (check the reference images above, note 2).

    To make the crumb topping (optional):

    • Using the same bowl, add all ingredients for your crumb topping. Mix with a spoon or your fingertips until combined and the mixture is flaky and crumbly.
    • Generously sprinkle the crumb topping onto your muffins.

    Baking and storing the muffins:

    • Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or into you can insert a toothpick in a muffin and it comes out clean. These muffins are very moist so a few crumbs on your toothpick are fine.
    • Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 15 minutes (or until they aren't too hot) then place them on a cooling rack.
    • Enjoy the vegan carrot muffins warm or at room temperature. They're perfect by themselves or with some vegan butter.
    • Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If the crumb topping softens over time, you can reheat them in the oven for 10 minutes at 160°C (320°F) or until heated through.

    Notes

    1. For healthier vegan carrot muffins, use whole wheat flour or spelt flour and coconut sugar.
    2. For the highest muffin tops, I recommend baking 6 muffins at a time in a 12-cup muffin tray. Spacing apart the muffins allows the hot oven air to bake them faster, resulting in higher tops. This means you'll need to bake the muffins in 2 lots.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 muffin without topping | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. ana says

      March 27, 2023 at 1:58 am

      5 stars
      excelent muffins. best ever tried. yumi

      Reply
    2. Kayla says

      March 20, 2023 at 9:26 am

      5 stars
      This is the best vegan muffin recipe I have found so far! All of my non-vegan friends/family/coworkers love these muffins! Healthy never tasted better than this! Thank you for the lovely recipe Anthea!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 25, 2023 at 4:31 pm

        Aw, what a compliment! I'm stoked that you and everyone loved this recipe, thanks so much for leaving a kind comment Kayla!

        Reply
    3. Amelia says

      March 13, 2023 at 5:01 pm

      Havent tried them yet but the batter was really tasty! Ill be eating one tomorrow morning and will update then. The only problem I had was with the crumb topping, i think i added too much butter so it wasnt crumbly enough. Added it on in slabs and they stayed slabs. Really neat though to be honest cant wait to try them!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 25, 2023 at 4:34 pm

        Glad that you enjoyed the batter! How did your muffins go? Yes, it sounds like your topping had too much butter which can be easily fixed by adding a spoon of flour. I hope you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    4. Ade-lyse says

      February 27, 2023 at 1:25 am

      5 stars
      Literally the best recipe I've tried!! The texture is perfect. Thank you for these delicious muffins

      Reply
    5. Leena Chan says

      February 20, 2023 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      Made these muffins yesterday. First time using the recipe and they turned out well and DELICIOUS! Thank you very much for sharing the recipe! Much love.

      Reply
    6. Emma says

      January 22, 2023 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      Used whole wheat flour (except for the crumbs). Turned out perfect!!!! So in love with this recipe. This was my first time making muffins! Love it! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        January 26, 2023 at 3:45 pm

        I'm so happy that you loved these muffins with whole wheat flour!! Thank you so much for your feedback 🙂

        Reply
    7. Neo says

      December 26, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      I’m so glad I’ve discovered your website, and I’m very excited to try as much recipes I can lay my hands on 🥹
      I was about to start baking this recipe till I noticed that you mentioned “3 cups” but only 375g.
      I thought 3 cups would be 750g and I almost messed up the recipe 🙈
      With the dry ingredients, would you advice we look at the “g” and not the cup’s measurement?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 27, 2022 at 10:28 am

        Hi Neo, welcome! I think the confusion is in the cups to grams conversion. 1 cup of water is about 240 grams (close to your measurement) but 1 cup of flour is about 125 grams. Either cups or grams will work for this recipe but I usually recommend using grams as it's more accurate and is the way I test my recipes. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    8. Vai says

      September 25, 2022 at 10:00 pm

      5 stars
      Do yourself a favour and double the crumble recipe! It's that good haha. Quick, simple, absolutely delicious.

      Reply
    9. Robyn says

      September 16, 2022 at 4:47 am

      Hi, I just made these and I was wondering if the crumb topping measurements were accurate? Mine was dry and didn’t crumble like yours.
      1/2 c of flour seemed too much.
      Otherwise they are yummy thank you

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 16, 2022 at 8:58 am

        Glad that you liked the muffins. Yes, the topping measurements are accurate. It sounds like you may have overpacked your cup with flour. Even 2 tablespoons of extra flour will throw off the crumble texture.

        Reply
    10. Sandy says

      September 05, 2022 at 2:50 am

      5 stars
      These are delicious! Highly reccommend giving this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed. I added some chopped pecans to the topping.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 05, 2022 at 9:55 am

        Aw that's amazing Sandy! Thanks so much for your comment and review 🙂

        Reply
    11. Marta says

      September 04, 2022 at 12:42 am

      Hi,

      How much of banana or applesauce should I use instead of oil? Or how much oil I can replace with that?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 04, 2022 at 11:00 am

        Hi Marta, I haven't tested it myself so can't 100% say. However, try substituting half the amount with applesauce or banana puree. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    12. Sonya says

      August 26, 2022 at 1:45 pm

      Hi can I make this with gluten free baking flour?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        August 26, 2022 at 5:00 pm

        I haven't tested it but normally I recommend a combination of 50% almond flour and 50% gluten-free all-purpose flour. Let me know how you if you make them!

        Reply
    13. Maya says

      August 25, 2022 at 6:09 am

      5 stars
      These came out looking amazing! Sprinkled some oats on the top. So moist and sweet!
      At first I was skeptical since there seemed to be so many dry ingredients compared to wet but everything mixed perfectly. The mix for me filled up to 16 cupcake papers to the brim instead of 12. Another little tip would be to take the muffins out on to the cooling rack as soon as you can because if they stay in the muffin tray the bottoms become soggy. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s absolutely perfect, will 100% make again 🙂 my mum approved as well

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 05, 2022 at 9:59 am

        That's so wonderful to hear Maya! Glad that you found the muffins to be perfect, even with the thick batter. The grated carrot always gives the muffins back some moisture! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂

        Reply
    14. Hanady says

      August 24, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      These are amazing! I have made them twice this week, perfect snack for my toddlers, myself and for hubby to take to work. The crumb ontop is to die for! Will definitely be making these again and again!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 05, 2022 at 9:56 am

        I'm so happy you loved these Hanady! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂

        Reply
    15. Fer says

      August 22, 2022 at 1:14 am

      Hi, thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. I was wondering if I could sub the all purpose flour for oat flour?? Thank you

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        August 22, 2022 at 5:42 pm

        Hi Fer, from experience, oat flour needs to be combined with other flours or starches to work in muffins and cakes. I hope that helps!

        Reply

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