Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins Recipe

Perfect for breakfast, brunch or snacking these Banana Carrot Muffins are lightly sweet and full of nutritious ingredients.

banana carrot muffin with grated carrots.

Think of banana bread with carrot cake and optional nuts in muffin form and you'll know what you're getting here. They're quick and easy to make and have been favorites with everyone who tries them.

Because they're just a little bit sweet, these easy muffins make a great breakfast treat.

Jump to:

Why you'll love them
Ingredients Needed
How to make Banana Carrot Muffins
Expert Tips
Substitutions and Variations
Storage Tips
What to serve with carrot banana muffins
Recipe FAQs
Need more muffin recipes?
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Sweet Breads

Why you'll love them

This delicious banana carrot muffin recipe makes enough to have some now and some to freeze for later.
They're made with simple ingredients that you'll most likely already have in your pantry or refrigerator.
It's an easy way to get some fruits and veggies in the kids' diets.
They're equally delicious at room temperature or warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.
They're customizable! Add nuts if you like and leave them out if you don't. Cinnamon is a fun spice to add, but if you're not a fan - leave it out.

Ingredients Needed

Butter - salted or unsalted is fine.
Bananas - very ripe or overripe bananas work best.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar - for the brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar or dark.
Self-rising flour - if you don't have any, use the formula for subbing all purpose flour outlined in this post: Easy Buttermilk Biscuits.
Shredded carrots - to get moist delicious muffins your carrots must be freshly shredded so be sure to grate your own carrots instead of buying pre-shredded carrots.
Vanilla extract - always use pure vanilla extract, paste or scrape a vanilla bean yourself.
Eggs - large is the standard for baking.
Cinnamon - an optional but recommended ingredient

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

How to make Banana Carrot Muffins

Begin by mashing the banana. We like to put pieces in a plastic bag and mash with our hands and use this method on the recipes for Banana Bread Bundt Cake and Banana Buttermilk Pancakes.
Now grate the carrots. That moisture you see is what helps to make your muffins extra moist.
Cream the butter for 1 minute in a large mixing bowl.
Add the sugars and cream 1 minute.
Add the mashed banana, eggs, vanilla and mix for 1 minute.
Stir in the flour, carrots, cinnamon and nuts if you're adding them, and stir until well blended.
Fill muffin cups about ¾ full with the muffin batter and then bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool in muffin tin 2-3 minutes and then move to cooling rack to complete cooling.

Expert Tips

Use the medium size holes on your box grater. Too fine and the carrots will disappear. Too big and they won't get cooked and will be crunchy in your muffins.
For baking it's always best to start with room temperature eggs. If you don't remember to set them out in time you can just let them sit in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
At the minimum baking time lightly tap the top of a muffin with your fingertip. If it springs back and doesn't leave an indentation, your muffin is done.

Substitutions and Variations

Customize your muffins by incorporating various add-ins such as chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans. These additions will bring extra texture and flavor to your muffins.
Experiment with different warm spices to enhance the flavors. Cinnamon is already included, but you can also try ground nutmeg, cloves, or a pinch of ginger for a spiced twist.
If you want to indulge a bit, drizzle your muffins with a cream cheese frosting or a simple glaze made with powdered sugar and a touch of milk or citrus juice.

Storage Tips

Storing

Store your healthy banana carrot muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.

For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Freezing

If you need to keep them fresh even longer, you can freeze the muffins. Store muffins individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag. They'll stay good in the freezer for up to three months.

When you're ready to enjoy them, simply thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for a quick and tasty treat.

What to serve with carrot banana muffins

Some more great brunch ideas would be:

Recipe FAQs

What is a good substitute for pecans?

If you want to include nuts but don't care for pecans or don't have access to them you can use walnuts. The texture is the closest to pecans. Hazelnuts would also be great!

How to ripen bananas fast?

The quickest way is to put them in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. The skin will turn black, but inside they'll be perfect for baking.

Do you spray cupcake liners?

It really does help the muffin release from the paper neatly if you spray paper liners. If you have a spray that combines flour and grease, like Bakers Joy, use that. If not, any non-stick cooking spray will work.

Need more muffin recipes?

Check out Hummingbird Muffins, Sweet Potato Muffins with Crumb Topping, and Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins!

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If you love those colored muffin liners you can order your own here. We always keep a supply of them on hand, just for fun!

one banana carrot muffin in orange liner.

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