Spiced Carrot Muffins {Moist and Delicious!}

There are some muffin recipes that I find myself going back to again and again, even though I have a collection of well over 30 varieties. These easy carrot muffins, with their moist and fluffy texture, light crunch, and not-too-sweet-but-oh-so-satisfying flavor, fall into that small but distinguished group. I've made them four times in the last four weeks, and have no intention of stopping now.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things (About My Carrot Muffins)

• Complex flavor: Packed with sweet coconut, tangy pineapple, crunchy pecans, spices and of course carrots, these muffins taste like carrot cake, just not as sweet.
• Easy to make: The hardest part is grating the carrots! No electric mixer is required. Mix these muffins by hand in a large bowl.
• So moist and fluffy!: Ingredients like buttermilk, oil, coconut, and pineapple make sure there isn't a dry muffin in the batch.
• Makes a big batch: This recipe yields quite a few muffins at 22-24.  They are one of my go-to recipes for things like bake sale requests or snacks to bring to my daughter Gigi's sports practices. They disappear long before the other treats!

Top Tips for Creating Crave-Worthy Carrot Muffins

1. Grate the carrots using a fine grater: Grating carrots on a box grater can be a bit of a chore.  If you have a food processor with a grating disk with a fine grater, use it to save a little time. Finely shredded carrots ensure even distribution into the batter and contribute to a softer, more tender muffin texture.
2. Drain the pineapple: Squeeze excess moisture /pineapple juice from pineapple to avoid and overly wet batter.
3. Mix well: Make sure the flour mixture is thoroughly mixed in so no white clumps or streaks show. Mix the "add-ins" like carrots, pineapple, and coconut so that they are evenly distributed and every muffin gets their fair share!
4. But don't overmix: Overmixing can create muffins that are too dense or tough and prevent them from rising properly.

Ingredients and Special Equipment

Carrot Muffin Ingredient Notes

• All Purpose Flour: For a gluten free muffin, substitute an equal amount of your favorite GF flour blend.
• Spices: I love adding either cinnamon or a blend of warm spices to muffins for a little added flavor, but feel free to omit any or all that are not to your liking.
• Eggs: Large eggs, room temperature so they mix easily into the batter.
• Light Brown Sugar: Try to remove as many lumps as you can when mixing it with the wet ingredients, or you could have noticeable sugar pockets in your baked muffins.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil like canola, sunflower, safflower, or vegetable oil.
• Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, make some! Mix ¾ cup milk with 2 teaspoon lemon juice and let it sit on the counter 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
• Shredded Carrots: For best results, use finely shredded carrots vs. the thicker "matchstick" variety.
• Crushed Pineapple: Drain the pineapple before measuring and adding it to the batter to avoid excess moisture.
• Coconut: Depending on how sweet you like your muffins, you can use sweetened or unsweetened flake coconut. I've used both, depending on what I have on hand.
• Pecans: Chopped and lightly toasted.

Recommended Special Equipment

• 12-Cup Muffin Tins: One or two. If using one, you will need to bake two batches.
• Paper Liners: Make removing muffins from the tin much easier!
• Box grater or food processor fitted with the grating disk: See Top Tips, above.
• ¼ cup or 2 ounce ice cream scoop: Good for creating evenly sized muffins, but you can also spoon the batter into the tins.

Step By Step Photos and Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F and line 1-2 muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk your dry ingredients: Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. Lightly beat or whisk the eggs in a separate large bowl.
3. Whisk in the oil and brown sugar. Make sure that the brown sugar is free of lumps before continuing, or you will end up with little pockets of sugar in your baked muffins.
4. Add the remaining wet ingredients, buttermilk and vanilla extract, and whisk to blend.

5-6. Add the dry ingredients to the batter, stirring until just blended with no white streaks of flour remaining and the batter is smooth.

7-8: Stir the carrots, coconut, pineapple and pecans, mixing until even distributed in the batter.

9-10: Using a ¼-cup or 2 ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon, transfer the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about ¾ full. 

11. If you have two muffin tins, fill them both with batter. If you just have one tin, then you can bake the muffins in batches.

12. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.  Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pans and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (or serve them warm!)

Make Ahead and Storage Tips for your Carrot Muffins

• Make Ahead: You can prepare the muffin batter up to one day in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Bake the batter directly from the fridge -- no need to bring it to room temperature -- although baking time might be a few minutes longer.
• Storage/Freezing Tips: Leftover muffins keep for 2-3 days at room temperature, tightly covered. Seal extra muffins tightly in zip-top bags or an airtight container and freeze them for up to one month.  Take one out in the morning (or the night before) to defrost on the counter for an easy, portable breakfast.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Can I make These Without Using Paper Liners?

Yes, you can bake the muffins directly in the baking tins. Be sure to first spritz the cups with nonstick baking spray like Baker's Joy or Pam for Baking to ensure that the baked muffins don't stick. Using a lighter colored baking pan, like this one, helps to keep muffin bottoms from burning.

Can I use Pre-Shredded Carrots in my Muffin Batter?

Yes, but try to find the finely shredded variety as opposed to the thicker, "matchstick" sized, carrots. As mentioned above, adding finely shredded carrots will result in even distribution into the batter and contribute to a softer, more tender texture. Thicker carrots might not bake thoroughly and could end up still crunchy and raw.

Why Were My Muffin Tops Flat or Sunken After Baking?

• Overmixing: Overmixing develops gluten, and can make the muffins tough, preventing them from rising properly. Mix until just blended.
• Oven temperature: Baking at too high or too low a temperature can cause muffins to rise unevenly or collapse. Check your oven temperature on occasion with an oven thermometer to verify it is correct!
• Opening the oven door: As excited as you are to enjoy the muffins, try to avoid repeatedly opening the oven door to check them. This causes baking temperature fluctuation and may result in collapsed muffins.

Enjoyed My Carrot Muffins? Here are Some More Baked Breakfast and Brunch Treats for you To Try

• Blueberry Crumb Cake with Streusel Topping
• Homemade Pop Tarts Recipe (You Choose The Filling!)
• Butterscotch Scones with Cinnamon Swirl
• Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins
• White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

Tried this recipe and loved it? Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or give it a review!