These carrot muffins are lightly spiced little carrot cake-like lovelies with a nutty whole-grain goodness. They technically may be virtuous, but they certainly don’t taste like it. The streusel topping lends these muffins more of a coffee-cake vibe.
Why Our Testers Loved This
Our testers gleefully devoured these carrot muffins. Some loved that they were “light and tender,” despite being made with whole grains. Others were also pleased that they were healthy and not cloyingly sweet, making them perfect for an anytime-of-the-day snack.
Tamiko L. said it best: “These are delightfully spicy, moist, and tender carrot muffins. They embody everything that a carrot cake should be, and the streusel just elevates them.”
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Spelt flour–This gives the streusel topping and the muffins a nutty flavor. If you don’t have any, you can substitute all-purpose flour, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Oat bran–The addition of oat bran gives these muffins a boost of fiber, making them hearty and helping you stay full for longer. You can substitute wheat bran if you prefer.
- Carrots–Use the side of a box grater or the large-hole dish of a food processor to grate your carrots.
- Buttermilk–This helps to give your muffins their airy texture. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then add enough milk to measure 1 cup.
How to Make This Recipe
- Make the streusel topping. Combine the dry streusel ingredients in a bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a muffin tin.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the carrots.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter.
- Divvy the batter between 8 muffin tin wells. Top with streusel.
- Bake the muffins until they are golden brown and smell nutty. Remove from the tin and cool slightly before serving.
Common Questions
Yes. Pour the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
Yes. Our testers had success substituting all-purpose gluten-free flour for the spelt and all-purpose flours in the recipe.
Helpful Tips
- Butter the muffin tins well to avoid having the muffins stick to the tin.
- The carrot streusel muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
More Great Muffin Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
For the streusel topping
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spelt flour
- 2 tablespoons oat bran
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) pieces
For the carrot muffins
- Butter, for the muffin tins
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots, about 2 medium
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup buttermilk, (regular or low-fat or nonfat is fine)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Make the streusel topping
- In a bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, sugars, and salt. Add the butter to the dry mixture. Quickly rub the butter between your fingers, breaking it into smaller bits. Continue rubbing until the mixture feels coarse, like cornmeal.
Make the carrot muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176 °C). Generously butter the muffin tins.
- In a large bowl, sift the flours, bran, sugars, allspice, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the carrots.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, and egg and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Using a spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Scoop the batter into 8 muffin cups using a spoon or an ice cream scoop. The batter should be slightly mounded above the edge. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the mounds of batter and press it into the batter slightly.
- Bake the muffins for 32 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The muffins are ready to come out when they smell nutty and their bottoms are a dark golden-brown (you can twist a single muffin out of the pan to check).
- Remove the tins from the oven, twist each muffin out, and place it on its side in the cup or on a wire rack to cool. Best eaten warm from the oven or later that same day. They can also be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen and reheated.
Notes
- Make it as a cake–Bake the muffin batter in a 9-inch round cake pan until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Avoid sticking–Butter the muffin tins well to avoid having the muffins stick to the tin.
- Storage and freezing–The carrot muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Baking with whole grains makes me feel smug with the superiority of my healthfulness, but I’m ultimately disappointed when the baked goods taste “healthy.” These carrot streusel muffins left me both smug and satisfied.
The spelt flour gives them a warm, nutty texture that’s especially perfect for fall. The crunch of the streusel is a nice complement to the soft crumb of the cake. I baked this in a cake pan as suggested, adding a few minutes to the baking time. Since it was nearly impossible to check the bottom of the cake for doneness, I used its nutty aroma as the indicator to take it out of the oven.
This is a great recipe for breakfast when you’re craving a muffin but don’t want something too sugary.
These are delightfully spicy, moist, and tender carrot muffins. They embody everything that a carrot cake should be, and the streusel just elevates them. I’d make these again in a heartbeat and would love to try the rustic cake version as well.
I made these gluten-free, and they adapted perfectly, although some may not be able to do this due to the oat bran. Next time, I might add some raisins, but that’s just because of my preference for raisins in carrot cake; they really don’t need anything else. Kudos!
These healthy carrot muffins were delicious, as well as light and tender—which is unusual for a whole grain muffin. The spices were perfect, and the topping dressed the muffin up for company.
My only issue was that it was a sweeter muffin than I typically like for breakfast, making it more like cake than a muffin. Of course, what’s a muffin other than an excuse for eating cake for breakfast?
These carrot muffins do a rather fine balancing act between sweet and savory. The streusel topping is wonderfully crunchy, and the muffins are soft and warm with spices. They’re a lovely treat for elevenses, breakfast, after lunch, or before dinner…
I’d wanted to try something from the Good to the Grain cookbook for a while, so these carrot muffins gave me the push I needed. I’d never used spelt flour before, so I was curious about its taste and texture in a muffin.
Even before I put them in the oven, I tried the batter and knew these would be terrific. The aroma during baking was incredible.
I had a little trouble getting them out of the pan after baking, but it wasn’t enough to put me off this recipe. The muffins didn’t disappoint: they were dense but not too heavy, nutty and flavorful, but also sweet and redolent of spice.
The streusel topping was excellent and had a great texture and taste (not too sweet). My kids loved these muffins—even my super picky 7-year-old devoured them, as did his even-more-picky best friend (who hates carrots).
The only change I’d make is adding more carrots. I thought 1/2 cup didn’t seem enough in the scheme of things.
Bottom line: These were a massive hit in our house and will go into our permanent rotation.
Don’t pass these by because they’re good for you—they’re also delicious as a breakfast treat or a snack with coffee or tea. The carrots add moisture and flavor to the muffins, and we really liked that they weren’t cloyingly sweet, like many other muffins. The topping is crunchy and adds a bit of sweetness, balancing everything out.
These carrot muffins had a tender crumb and a very delicate taste.
I substituted all-purpose flour for the spelt flour and used wheat germ instead of oat bran in both the muffin and the strudel topping. These were yummy.
So, another Emily Latella “never mind” my previous comments. Today the carrot cake dried out a bit and compressed a bit and the flavors intensified- its also got a nice crunch and toothsome without being dense. I wrapped it in parchment paper and left it out on the counter. My husband can’t stop eating it and has requested it be part of a regular weekly bake menu. He especially likes the streusel topping (I added a small amount of cinnamon to it but next time I may add some nutmeg as well). I also added about 1/2 cup of golden raisins so that may have something to do with how it long it took to bake. Other than that the only other thing I added was a tspn of vanilla to the wet mix. I’m thinking that some shredded coconut could be nice too so I may try it in the next go-round.
Marilyn, glad you liked it. but I think the biggest issue you originally had was that you were making a cake and not muffins. Muffins are done in about 20 to 30 minutes. Cakes can take anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes–or longer depending upon if there are any dense, moist ingredients.
I will make these again. I didn’t have spelt so I used an organic pastry flour. These were wonderful. They were easy. They are gone. We will make them again. 🙂
Grins. Many, many thanks for taking the time to let us know, KelleyB!
Is there a reason why you wouldn’t use muffin tin liners/papers? Also wonder if anyone made these without the streusel topping?
Hi Jacqueline, I think that you could certainly use liners if you prefer. I might give them a shot of cooking spray just so you don’t leave some of the muffin behind. As a streusel lover, I would never dream of omitting that topping but maybe someone has tried it that way? Anyone?