These healthy vegan carrot cake muffins are probably my most favorite muffins, ever. Perfect for spring baking, or really any time of year when you’re craving cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg!
They are really moist and sweet, but without much added sugar. Plus, they contain lots of nutritional power from the whole wheat pastry flour, walnuts, raisins, carrots, and applesauce. Yum!
Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins
With this recipe, carrot cake is no longer just a dessert. It’s also a nutritious, portable breakfast or snack! Carrot cake for breakfast is definitely an ideal situation, just saying. 😉
The addition of the applesauce keeps the cake moist, and the walnuts add an extra crunch.
The shredded carrot, whole wheat pastry flour, and raisins kick up the nutritional value even more, and a little brown sugar and spices round it out with some sweetness.
These muffins are moist without being mushy, and oh-so-delicious. The perfect balance!
For another delicious carrot cake-flavored breakfast, check out these carrot cake overnight oats.
Recipe Ingredients
To make these delectable muffins, you’ll need:
- whole wheat pastry flour (don’t use regular whole wheat flour, or the muffins will turn out too tough!)
- brown sugar
- chopped walnuts
- raisins
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- baking powder
- baking soda
- unsweetened applesauce (if you only have sweetened applesauce, reduce the amount of the brown sugar you use in this recipe)
- shredded carrots (you’ll need a cup, which is equal to about 1 large carrot or 16 baby carrots)
- salt
That’s right – no eggs or butter needed, making these muffins vegan!
How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
For all you non-bakers out there, don’t worry: this recipe is super easy!
Just combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix them together (don’t overmix), pour into a muffin tin, and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes!
Use a toothpick or fork to check if they’re done – it should come out clean (with little to no crumbs).
Just look at that texture! Totally nom-worthy. Let cool the muffins cool, then enjoy!
What to eat with these muffins
For a healthy breakfast, pair one of these muffins with something that has some protein and healthy fat, like a thick smear of almond butter and a sprinkle of hemp seeds!
Not vegan? These also pair well with a couple hard boiled eggs, a whole milk latte, or some Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Or, enjoy them with a savory baked dish like my Goat Cheese Frittata with Spinach.
You’ll find the full vegan carrot cake muffins recipe at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
Love vegan baked goods? Here are some others to try:
- Almond Butter Banana Breakfast Bars (vegan)
- Banana Nut Quinoa Muffins (vegan & gluten free)
- Healthy Peanut Butter Power Cookies (vegan, gluten free)
- Red Lentil Granola Bars (vegan)
- Strawberry Scones (vegan)
- Vanilla Almond Biscotti (vegan)
- Vegan & Gluten Free Granola Bars (vegan, gluten free)
Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins (Whole Wheat)
These Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins are probably my most favorite muffins, ever — and they’re vegan, too! They are really moist, sweet but without much added sugar, and contain lots of nutritional power from the whole wheat pastry flour, walnuts, raisins, carrots, and applesauce.
Ingredients:
Dry:
- 1 & 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour (not regular WW flour)
- 1/2 C brown sugar
- 1/4 C chopped walnuts
- 1/4 C raisins
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Wet:
- 1 & 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1 C shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot or 16 baby carrots worth)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In two separate bowls, mix dry, then wet, and then combine, adding wet to dry and stirring gently until the mixture is uniform-ish. The batter will be pretty wet because of all the applesauce — don’t worry.
- Spoon the mixture into a non-stick or sprayed muffin pan. Bake 25 minutes — fork check near end to make sure they are done!
Notes:
