Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins are soft, moist and filled with warming flavors just like traditional carrot cake. Ready in 30 minutes using classic baking ingredients!
Since Easter is coming up and spring is on the horizon, what better muffin to make than vegan carrot cake muffins?
There's nothing I love baking more than muffins. From vegan banana muffins (and even zucchini banana muffins!) to strawberry lemon muffins, you can find some of the best vegan muffins here.
Recipe features
- Quick & easy: Ready in less than 30 minutes using classic baking ingredients, just without the dairy or eggs.
- Carrot muffins take the sweet, warming cinnamon flavors of carrot cake and combine them with the moist texture of zucchini bread.
- Complete with a crispy, golden oat topping that adds a sweet, extra-delicious factor.
- These muffins freeze well and are perfect as a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
These muffins use classic baking ingredients with a few swaps to make the recipe vegan. No expensive ingredients needed, just pantry staples that you probably already have on hand:
- Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg.
- Soy milk is my go-to non-dairy milk, but any kind of vegan milk works. Almond milk or oat milk are two good options.
- Flax egg: This is made by mixing ground flaxseed with water. The fiber in the flaxseed creates a viscous egg-like consistency that replaces eggs in baking.
- Olive oil is my go-to oil for these muffins, but any neutral oil works.
- Carrots: I like to grate my own carrots from whole carrots, but you can cut back on prep time with a bag of matchstick carrots.
Customization and Substitution Ideas
Make this recipe your own by trying out these easy swaps:
- Replace half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for an earthier flavor
- Nuts: Add chopped pecans or walnuts for extra nutrition (protein and healthy fats) and texture
- For a richer bakery-style muffin, try using melted vegan butter in place of olive oil
- Sub any kind of unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk
- These muffins can be made with or without cupcake liners
Step by step instructions
- Prepare carrots: Peel the carrots using a potato peeler. Shred using a box grater (the ¼ inch hole side). Set aside.
- Make the chia egg by combining 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water. Let rest for 5 minutes before using. You can also use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed in place of chia seed.
- Make the oatmeal crumb topping. To do this, simply combine melted vegan butter, brown sugar and oats in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
5. Combine all wet ingredients (non-dairy milk, oil, chia egg) in a small bowl. I usually measure everything into the same liquid measuring cup to cut down on dishes.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to mix until just combined. It's okay if a few small dry bits remain.
7. Fold in the shredded carrot until just combined. The batter should be thick enough to scoop and thin enough that it slides off a spoon.
8. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or lightly oil with cooking spray. Evenly divide muffin batter between the 12 tins using a ⅓ cup measure.
9. Sprinkle the oat crumble on top of each muffin.
10. Bake on the middle oven rack at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack to cool fully.
Expert tips and customization ideas
- Muffin batter consistency: Muffin batter should be on the thicker side. It should be closer to scoopable than pourable. If the batter is too thin, add ¼ cup all-purpose flour at a time until thickened If the batter is too thick, add 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk at a time.
- Oil vs butter: For a richer bakery-style vegan muffin, try using melted vegan butter in place of olive oil. I find that oil gives muffins a more tender crumb, but melted butter provides a richer flavor.
- Muffin liners: These muffins can be made with or without muffin liners.
- Freezing instructions: Muffins can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them cool to room temperature before freezing. They thaw quickly at room temperature.
- I recommend using an oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can vary widely which may effect how quickly the muffins bake.
Looking for more vegan baked goods?
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Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded carrot from 2-3 large carrots
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (see note)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup soy milk preferably unsweetened and unflavored
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners or lightly spray with cooking spray.
- To prepare the carrots, peel the carrots using a potato peeler. Shred using a box grater (use the side with ¼ inch holes). Set aside.
- In a small bowl, make the flax egg by stirring together 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons water. Let rest for 5 minutes before using.
- To make the crumb topping, mix together rolled oats, vegan butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Stir together dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt) in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl or in a large liquid measuring cup, mix together the wet ingredients (soy milk, olive oil, chia egg).
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir until just combined. It's okay if some small dry bits remain. The batter should be thick enough to scoop but not dry. Use a spatula to fold in the shredded carrot until just combined.
- Evenly divide muffin batter between the 12 tins using a ⅓ cup measure. Divide the oat crumble evenly across the twelve muffin tops.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack to cool fully.
Video
Notes
- Store at room temperature for 3-4 days in a closed container, or keep refrigerated for 4-5 days.
- Flour: These muffins can be made with half whole wheat in place of white wheat. It will yield a slightly denser muffin. Use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Take a spoon and scoop flour into the measuring cup until overflowing. Use the back of a knife to wipe excess flour off the top. Do not pack flour into cup.
- Add-ins: Fold in up to ½ cup chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or your other favorite add-in to the batter.
- Sugar: I don’t recommend replacing white sugar with maple syrup or any other liquid sweetener, but you can add ¼ cup brown sugar in place of ¼ cup white sugar for a richer flavor.
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