Banana Carrot Muffins are a healthier cross between banana bread and carrot cake in the best way possible. They’re light, fluffy, and moist from the mix of extra ripe bananas and freshly shredded carrots. Meal prep them for a quick on-the-go breakfast or enjoy them for a relaxing weekend brunch. Either way, you’ll fall in love with these muffins!
Prepare to fall head over heels for a muffin, one that’s loaded with ripe bananas and shredded carrots, at that. Yes, that’s right, you’re about to fall in love with a muffin made with fruit AND vegetables. This is happening, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
We’re taking fruit in muffins to a whole other level. Maybe one that’s out of this world?
Banana Carrot Muffins are definitely changing the easy breakfast game with their light, fluffy, moist texture that’s unrivaled. You’ll love that you can sneak in some veggies and enjoy a quick on-the-go breakfast when life gets hectic, or lounge around on a Saturday morning with a hot cup of coffee and a plate of warm muffins.
They’re freezer-friendly, too, so there’s no worry about any going to waste (but once you try them, you’ll know that’s not possible anyway. With many ways to enjoy these muffins, you truly can’t go wrong. They’re so easy to make they will be on REPEAT. So let’s get to baking now, shall we?
What You’ll Need to Make these Muffins
These muffins are made with simple pantry ingredients that you likely already have. No need to worry about running to the store when the craving strikes – or when those bananas need to be baked with ASAP.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated and Brown Sugar – see the note in the recipe card regarding sugar if you’re looking to reduce sugar.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – both help give us the beautiful texture of these muffins.
- Cinnamon – adds such a subtle warmness to the muffins.
- Butter – I always recommend using unsalted butter so we can add our own amount of salt to the batter.
- Eggs – best incorporated at room temperature (but if I’m being honest I’m not always that prepared and it’s been ok).
- Vanilla Extract – make sure it’s real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Shredded Carrots – I highly recommend buying whole carrots and shredding them using a box grater for the best texture. Read more about this below in my recipe tips!
- Ripe Bananas – just like banana bread, the darker and more ripe the bananas, the better!
- Pecans – texture for the top of the muffin, you could easily substitute walnuts or almonds. You can also omit if you prefer, too!
How To Make Banana Carrot Muffins
The joy of making these muffins is how quick and easy they are to throw together. Which makes them perfect for lazy weekend mornings, or quick meal prep during the week.
Like any basic muffin recipe, you’ll start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. This recipe includes the sugars as part of the dry ingredients that will be mixed together. Combining the dry ingredients ensures they all are properly mixed with the wet ingredients without overmixing the batter, so it’s definitely recommended to do so.
Then, in a separate bowl, beat together the room temperature eggs, butter, and vanilla extract. Once they are combined, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients – gently. Don’t want to overmix the muffin batter or they may end up with a tough texture.
The batter will seem extra-thick at this point but don’t panic!
As it does seem thick initially, there is so much moisture coming from the bananas and carrots that it evens out in the end. So instead of continuing to stir in the dry ingredients, add in those fruits and veggies and gently fold them into the batter.
With the batter just mixed, fill 12 muffin tins about 2/3rds of the way full. If desired, top the muffins with chopped pecans before baking for added texture and health benefits.
If you’re not into pecans, you can use walnuts or almonds, or simply omit them altogether. While I do love a classic streusel topping, the muffins are sweet enough and I don’t think they don’t need a boost. The pecans on top contribute a burst of texture and crunch.
Bake the muffins until the edges are golden brown and the tops bounce back when lightly touched. You can also stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, your muffins are ready.
Enjoy them warm with a smear of creamy whipped honey butter and a hot mug of coffee for THE COZIEST breakfast results!
Tips for Making Carrot Muffins
While Banana Carrot Muffins are easy to make, there are a few key tips to ensure your success and to make sure the muffins are every bit as delicious as possible!
SHRED YOUR OWN CARROTS
Yes, grab your whole carrots and shred them yourself. I use the fine shred on my box grater to create a thin, grated carrot. It provides extra moisture to the muffins and blends seamlessly into the muffins creating a wonderful texture. The fine shred is also perfect for hiding veggies into the muffins if you need to sneak them in for your little ones!
If you’re looking for more carrot texture, use the larger holes on a box grater, or shred them using a food processor to shred them. I don’t recommend pre-shredded carrots, but they will work if needed in a pinch.
USE OVERRIPE BANANAS
The riper your bananas are, the more flavor, moisture, and sweetness the muffins will have. I recommend waiting until your bananas are really quite brown before making the muffins.
Want to be sure you always have bananas on hand for when the craving strikes? You can freeze whole bananas and then use them in baking recipes. Just thaw them in the peel, then remove the peel, and use the bananas AND all the juices that are released from the thawed banana.
DON’T OVERFILL THE MUFFIN CUPS
The batter for this recipe can fill 12 muffin tins without any remaining batter when they’re filled all the way to the top. However, I don’t recommend filling the tins that full. When you add the pecans to the top of the batter and fill the tins completely full, the tops don’t quite bake all the way through.
Instead, I recommend filling the tins about 2/3 of the way full, leaving enough space so they will rise and bake completely on the top. This does result in slightly smaller muffins, however, it’s definitely not a deal-breaker.
What is the best way to store the muffins?
I love making this Banana Carrot Muffin recipe on Sunday morning, enjoying them at a leisurely pace in bed with coffee and sunshine, and then savoring them all week long for a quick on-the-go breakfast.
Oh, how perfect it is to find a recipe that’s so versatile for the weekend and for the week ahead. So if we don’t happen to enjoy them all on day one…they save well, too!
To store any leftover muffins, place them in an airtight container for up to 2 days and then store them in the fridge. You can always go ahead and store them in the fridge right away, too.
I always reheat the muffins before enjoying them by placing the muffins in the microwave for a few seconds, but then again, I’m a sucker for warm baked goods. You can absolutely enjoy them at room temperature, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m happy to report that these muffins freeze beautifully! I recommend wrapping each one individually in freezer paper or plastic wrap. They also do well in Stasher Bags with as much air squeezed out as possible. Once ready to enjoy after being frozen, thaw the muffins in the fridge or on the counter the night before.
You can use chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, or simply omit the nuts altogether.
Yes, see the note section in the recipe card for more information. Many readers have reduced the amount of sugar with success.
Absolutely!
Yes, you could mix the nuts into the batter or add raisins if you’d like!
More Muffin Recipes to Love
- Pear Muffins with Oat Streusel
- Apple Cider Muffins
- Mini Pumpkin Coconut Muffins
- Small Batch Banana Chocolate Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Banana Carrot Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup carrots, finely shredded (~2 medium)
- 3/4 cup mashed bananas, ~2 large
- 1/2 cup pecan chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line approximately 16 muffin tins.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter (slightly cooled), eggs, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just incorporated. The batter will seem extra thick at this point but don't worry, that's normal! Gently stir in the shredded carrot and mashed banana until fully combined, but don't overmix.
- Scoop batter into muffin tins, approximately 2/3rds full. Top each muffin with approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons pecan chips, or as desired. Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes until muffins bounce back when lightly touched and/or a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve once the muffins are cool enough to handle, yet still warm. Let any leftovers cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the fridge.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
Veronik
These are amazing! I’m so happy I made them! Thank for you another great recipe 🙂
Becca Mills
Yay, I’m so glad to hear! Thanks so much, Veronik!
Vivian
This is one of the best muffin recipes ever! So moist so delicious so healthy even though it has butter I just cut back on the sugar a little bit and everyone was raving including my very fussy son!
Becca Mills
I am so glad to hear everyone loves them! Thanks so much, Vivian!!
Dorothy Leonard
We all loved these. I was just going to make banana muffins when my sister said can you add carrots so I googled and found your recipe. So glad I found yours. I did put in half the white sugar. I grated the carrots too finely which I think was harder than doing the larger grate- I’ll do that next time. I only have a 12 tin pan so I used a small aluminum pan for the extra batter. That worked out perfectly – it did take an extra 5 min to cook fyi. Today I am going to make a cream cheese icing and frost them although my husband and brother in law enjoyed one each last night without it. I did not add the nuts. I did mix together the carrots and bananas cuz I thought that would mean less stirring of the batter. I’m trying to make things my brother-in-law can eat as he has bone cancer and has been stuck in a hospital bed here in the casa for a year now. We came down to Mexico to help them as much as we can. We are all in our 70s and are all great friends praying for a miracle. Thank you!
Becca Mills
Thank you so much for sharing, Dorothy. A cream cheese icing sounds amazing. They are lucky to have you (for more reasons that just making delicious food it sounds like :)), I’ll be thinking of your family and sending you well wishes. Take care!
Niamh
These were really great, although I tweaked the recipe a bit. I completely excluded the sugar and just put in about a tablespoon of agave instead . They were sweet enough for me and my baby son and his friends adored them. I also replaced the flour with spelt flour, half normal, half wholemeal. And left out the nuts to avoid baby choking! They were fluffy, moist and not a single one was left over 😉 (I got 13 out of it, 16 would have made very small muffins)
Becca Mills
So glad you enjoyed them, Niamh! It makes sense that there would be fewer muffins with the sugar left out. Thanks for sharing your review and adjustments!
Ralph @ Bakell Edible Glitter
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I substituted the brown sugar for maple syrup and they turned out great! Thank you for this.
Becca Mills
So glad to hear! Thanks, Ralph!
Fay brereton
I made these muffins. Double the recipe before I realized my sister (spending summer with her) only has 1 muffin tin (6); so that were made quite large and the left overs were baked in small foil pans. They turned out wonderfully and her guest enjoyed them. Thanks for such a lovely recipe
Becca Mills
I’m glad to hear you were able to make it work with the foil pans, too! Thank so much for commenting, Fay!
Lori Barry
These are our favorites! I make a batch every week and we use them for our something sweet. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Yum! Sooo good! Sometimes I add in some raisins or a chopped apple to change them up a bit, but they are delicious just as the recipe states.
Becca Mills
Oh I love that! Thanks so much for sharing, Lori, I’m so glad you enjoy them!
Annetta
I used 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and a 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup butter and 1;2 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1/2 cup carrots and a 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots.
Becca Mills
Yum, thanks for sharing!
Jess
I’ve made these several times and they are a family favorite! I usually use 1/4c each of brown sugar and granulated and that is plenty. Sometimes if I have oats to use up I will grind them into oat flour and substitute about 1/2 of the flour, but that works best if I substitute by weight not volume so it can be a bit more work. Doesn’t change the texture at all. If I want a really even texture (my toddler can be a bit picky) I use a microplane for the carrots and you genuinely can’t even tell they are there.
Becca Mills
Thanks for sharing, Jess! I’m glad your family enjoys them!
Kirsten
Sooo delicious and following the recipe exactly made the texture great! (I don’t usually let the eggs get to room temp etc). My 1 year old loves them too!
Becca Mills
Awesome! I love that these are both adult and kid approved! Thanks, Kristen!