Carrot Cake Vegan Muffins
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Carrot Cake Vegan Muffins
Carrot cake vegan muffins is one of those desserts that people either love or aren’t so fond of. But today, these Carrot Cake Vegan Muffins deserve a category all their own. They’re soft, fluffy, and perfectly moist, capturing all the delicious flavors of carrot cake in a convenient, shareable muffin size. And just so you know, I’m a big fan of carrot cake, so I’ll be enjoying these muffins all season long! Feel free to mix in your favorite add-ins like sweet raisins or walnuts, or keep it simple to stay budget-friendly. Either way, you’re going to love these tasty carrot cake muffins!
Carrot Cake Vegan Muffins
Ingredients For Carrot Cake Vegan Muffins
I used my beloved zucchini muffins recipe as inspiration for these carrot cake muffins. I adjusted the measurements and added a few extra spices to capture the classic carrot cake flavor, and the results were absolutely amazing! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Carrots: The star ingredient! You’ll need about 3-4 large carrots, finely grated.
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides structure to the muffins. You can substitute up to half with whole wheat flour without affecting the texture or flavor too much.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Both leavening agents help the muffins rise. I use both due to the added acidity from the applesauce.
- Eggs: They help bind all the ingredients together.
- White Granulated Sugar & Dark Brown Sugar: The combination balances sweetness, moisture, and texture.
- Applesauce & Oil: Together, they keep the muffins moist without being greasy, while the applesauce adds extra flavor.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Ginger: Classic carrot cake spices that bring out a warm, rich flavor in the muffins.
- Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract enhances the richness of the muffins.
- Golden Raisins: My favorite part! They add a subtle sweetness and extra texture. Feel free to use regular raisins if that’s what you have.
- Turbinado Sugar (optional): Sprinkling turbinado sugar on top adds a sweet, crunchy finish. If you don’t have it, don’t worry—these muffins are still delicious without it!
How To Grate Your Carrots
As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to grate fresh whole carrots for this recipe. While it might be tempting to buy pre-shredded matchstick carrots from the store, they’re not moist enough and aren’t grated finely enough to blend well with the batter. Grating fresh carrots yourself is definitely the way to go!
Most box graters have coarse, medium, and fine grating options. I tested these muffins with both medium and finely grated carrots, and the finely grated ones were the clear winner! They mixed more smoothly into the batter and added a bit more moisture than the medium-grated carrots.
Carrot Cake Vegan Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely grated carrots 3-4 large carrots
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 tsp turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash, peel and grate the carrots using the small/fine holes on a box grater. Set the grated carrots to the side.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla extract) until well combined.
- Add the grated carrots to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger) until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the same bowl as the wet ingredients. Stir together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this point.
- Add the raisins to the bowl and fold them into the batter until just combined.
- Divide the batter between ten greased or lined muffin wells. Sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on top of each muffin, optional.
- Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and puffed in the center. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes, then carefully loosen the edges with a knife and transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Very easy to cook it