These carrot muffins are soft, sweet, and full of cozy carrot cake flavor—without trying to be health food in disguise. I originally posted a very healthy version in 2018 (nice try), but this classic-style update from 2021 is the one I actually make… and it just got a fresh glow-up with some new photos and better text! You’re welcome 😉🐰🥕
🥕 Carrot Muffins, but make them worth it
One can never have too many muffin recipes—and yes, I’m saying that as someone who has enough of them to fill a brunch buffet (blueberry muffins, strawberry muffins, lemon muffins, banana muffins, you-name-it-muffins – I’ve got them all because my kids eat them like there’s no tomorrow!).
These carrot muffins are a rework of an older healthy version I published back in 2018, back when I was apparently trying to make “muffins” that tasted like good intentions. Turns out: you didn’t want that. I didn’t want that. So here we are.
(FYI, print the old recipe here, in case you’ve successfully made it before and are looking for it.)
This version is everything a carrot muffin should be: soft, sweet-but-not-too-sweet. Warm spices because carrot muffins without cinnamon? A crime. Basically: carrot cake energy, muffin form, 100% normal ingredients.
🧁 Why my carrot muffins deliver
These aren’t health food muffins in disguise—and they’re not sugar bombs either. Here’s why this version works:
- Freshly grated carrots only – bagged shreds stay stringy. Please don’t. Raisins and pecans add even more flavor and texture (and for the record: carrot muffins are the absolute only place I’ll ever allow a raisin to touch a carrot—and even then, it’s with supervision).
- Eggs, oil, and just enough sugar – soft, moist, and snackable.
- High oven temp trick – for those golden domes that say “I didn’t forget the baking soda this time!”
This recipe makes exactly 12 full-size muffins with beautifully domed tops. You’ll think the cups are too full—but they’re exactly right, just trust me.
👉🏻 Note: How to bake muffins
If you want to create that nice, rounded dome on your muffin, you need to do two things: Fill the muffin cups almost entirely (none of that half full business!), and bake the muffins correctly.
Here is how I bake muffins for that perfect dome:
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F
- Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F just before putting the muffins in the oven
- Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5 minutes
- Reduce the oven temperature to 360°F WITHOUT opening the oven door!
- Finish baking the muffins for around 15 minutes at 360°F, until a toothpick inserted comes out without liquid batter stuck to it (baked crumbs are fine)
Printable recipe
Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and levelled!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 2 ½ cups freshly grated carrot
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F (420°C) and line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners. Gather your ingredients.
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- Whisk together wet ingredients in a large measuring jug until smooth.3 large eggs, ⅔ cup sugar, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir mix-ins into wet ingredients.2 ½ cups freshly grated carrot, ½ cup raisins, ¼ cup chopped pecans
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold together JUST until combined. Lumps are fine, do not overmix.
- Evenly divide batter between muffin cups (I use a cookie scoop/ice cream scoop for convenience).
- Reduce oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) and bake muffins for 5 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce heat to 360°F (180°C) and finish baking muffins for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
- Cool muffins in pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
⚡ TL;DR – Muffin magic in 5 seconds or less for those ultra-pressed for time
- Measure your flour right (or suffer the dry consequences).
- Don’t overmix. I mean it. Fold like a gentle woodland creature.
- The muffin cups will be full. That’s on purpose. Big domes or bust.
- Toothpick test = crumbs good, batter bad.
- Cool them in the pan for 5–10 so they don’t collapse in your hands.
- Store loosely covered or freeze for muffin joy later.
FAQ – Carrot Muffin Edition (a.k.a. how not to ruin them)
🧁 Muffin batter rules I live by
How do I make sure my muffins are soft and fluffy, not dense and sad?
First, measure your flour correctly. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife—no scooping straight from the bag like you’re digging a trench. Too much flour = dry muffins.
Can I use a whisk to mix the batter?
Absolutely not. That’s how you get gummy muffins. Use a spatula or wooden spoon, fold gently, and stop mixing the second things come together. Carrots are delicate, not gym bros—go easy.
Why do the muffin cups seem so full?
Because they’re supposed to be. This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins and fills the liners almost to the top so you get those bakery-style domes. Trust the process.
Any tips for getting the batter into the pan without losing my mind?
Cookie scoop. Ice cream scoop. Whatever you call it—it’s your muffin-making BFF. Clean, quick, and saves you from carrot-fingered chaos.
🔥 Baking + cooling intel
How do I know when they’re done?
Toothpick test = your friend. Moist crumbs are fine. Wet batter? Not done. Don’t overbake, or they’ll turn into sawdust in a muffin wrapper.
Can I take them out of the pan right away?
Nope. Give them 5–10 minutes to cool in the pan or they’ll fall apart. They’re too soft right out of the oven to handle your excitement.
🥕 Ingredient Drama
Can I use bagged shredded carrots?
Nope. Not even a little. Pre-shredded carrots are dry and weird. Freshly grated only.
What if I hate raisins?
You’re safe here—just leave them out. (But for the record: this is the only carrot-adjacent recipe I allow them in.)
Can I skip the pecans?
Sure. Your muffins might not rise quite as tall, but they’ll still be delicious.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
Yes! Use melted butter if you’re feeling fancy. Oil keeps bake goods a little moister, butter adds a richer flavor—so keep that in mind if you decide to swap.
🧊 Storage + freezer life
How should I store these?
Once they’re fully cooled, wrap ’em or store loosely covered (not airtight!)—on the counter for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for 3–4 days.
Can I freeze them?
Absolutely. Wrap individually, freeze in a bag or container, and label with the name and date. To defrost, let them sit on the counter until they’re no longer frozen, then warm them up for peak muffin joy.
🥕 Ready to bake your new favorite carrot muffins?
Drop a comment or rating below and let me know if you’re also a carrot cake person at heart (and if you too only allow raisins near a carrot when muffins are involved).
📌And hey—don’t forget to pin this recipe so you’re never more than one click away from muffin greatness. ✨
First published on 03/26/2018. Updated with a new recipe, new photos and new text on 03/30/2021. Updated again with new photos and text on 04/11/2025. Print the old recipe here.
Chris says
Could you please add a drop down menu on your recipes which one can alter to a more universally accepted measure, ie grams or ounces – a cup measurement can be any sized cup and is not that accurate, and is only American. I am a bit worried about the American practise of adding baking powder and bicarbonate of soda to everything baked. We have self-raising flour in the UK, which already includes a bit of baking power, but the American additions seem excessive, especially if you have high blood pressure you tend to avoid bicarb. If I used our self-raising flour can I get away with leaving out the additives in this recipe (I ask, because of health reasons it takes a lot of energy for me to make one recipe, so I don’t want to have to try and do it again another day). Thank you.
Edith Lafon says
I used about 3 1/2 c shredded carrots and substituted 1/4 c of the oil with sour cream and used brown sugar instead of white.
Instead of raisins I used fresh chopped cranberries. I put the chopped pecans on top and sprinkled with sugar.
They turned out great!
Nicky says
These muffins came out perfectly! I had to read the instructions several times to make sure I got all of the details, but it was worth it! I will definitely make these again.
D, says
Too dry , should add pineapple or applesauce to reduce dryness. The shredded carrots should be chopped a bit.
Nora says
There are quite a few tips and notes in the recipe that sound like they may have led to a different outcome for you:
“Measure your flour correctly: Spoon it into the cup, then level off with the back of a knife. Do not scoop the flour with the cup, this yields too much flour and your muffins will be dry and dense.”
“Do not overbake the muffins, or they’ll be dry. ”
“Please do not use the bagged, shredded carrots. Grate fresh. The pre-shredded carrots do not have the right texture for this recipe, and they will stay stringy instead of soften during baking.”
Bagged carrots will also release less moisture and yield drier muffins, so I’m wondering if this was the issue here?
Denise says
Made them about 5xs in the last 2 months oh so good. Best recipe ever. Can’t go wrong. Thank you and I use walnut s instead of pecans. Yummy
CjShulll says
I was so amazed by this scrumptious muffin! Was concern when I didn’t have applesauce and replaced with plain greek
Yogurt ! To my surprise no eggs I reread the recipe 3xs them saw in reviews these were Vegan! I was searching for morning glory muffins and I am so delighted I came upon this wonderful recipe !
Marie Propp says
I liked these but did find them a little bland. I would double the nutmeg and cinnamon and maybe use apple sauce for at least half of the oil called for.
Nora says
Marie, appreciate your honest review! I think spices can be a little tricky in baking – it always depends on the exact brand, how recently they’ve been opened and how much flavor is right for your personal taste. I have three young children so I tend to go more moderate on spices, but you can obviously always up the ante to better suit your taste!
Joanna says
Is there a modification to make them chocolate carrot?
Nora says
If you want to hide veggies in a chocolate muffin, I would always go for zucchini over carrot. If you genuinely want to make chocolatey carrot muffins, I honestly don’t think this would be a good flavor profile. Maybe with a white chocolate frosting, or white chocolate chips. Hope this helps, Joanna!
Esther says
Should I soak the raisins in hot water before adding to the wet ingreds.?
Nora says
I never do, Esther! If your raisins are extremely hard and very very dry (mine were softer), you may consider it. Otherwise, no need!
Chris says
I use organic raisins, sultanas and currants in various recipes, and having made large, fruit heavy Christmas cakes, scones, etc, for over 50 years I can confirm soaking them in cold tea for about an hour definitely improves the texture of the fruit and makes them more succulent, just drain thoroughly. Chris
Lauren says
Tried them for the first time and modified slightly with my own ground flour. Put 1 and 1/2 cups Alberta red wheat flour instead of 2 cups all purpose. Loved them and will bake again. Thanks!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Lauren!
Precious says
My kids and I absolutely love these muffins. The recipe is so easy to follow also easy to memorize which is an added bonus. This is definitely going to be one of my go to recipes. Thank you for sharing it.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Precious! My kids love them as well, so I’m happy to hear this.
Susan says
I love the convenience of muffins. We love to bake and freeze them to reheat in the toaster oven later. I really love all the flavor in this recipe. I must have done something wrong. When I took these out after testing for done they were still way to wet in the middle. I grind my own wheat flour. I chose to use a soft white wheat. What wheat flour are you using in your recipe? Does it say in the flour ingredients whether it’s soft or hard wheat? Thanks so much for the great recipes.
Nora says
Hi Susan! I’m sorry the muffins didn’t work out for you. I grind my own flour as well, but I didn’t use it for these muffins (because most people don’t grind their own!). I do think this could be the issue, I find in certain recipes freshly ground flour bakes very differently than store-bought. I’ve been thinking about adding more recipes using freshly ground flour to the blog, I might start with these muffins!
Susan says
Could you tell me the brand and name of the flour you used. Thanks a bunch.