Make easy banana carrot muffins to keep you full and energized throughout the day. The muffins are an easy, grab-and-go treat, perfect for meal prep. Are you tired of the same breakfast and snack options? Try pumpkin protein balls, cottage cheese banana bread, or Kodiak cakes pumpkin muffins.
Key Ingredients
Banana carrot muffins are quick and easy to prepare with simple ingredients. Here is what you need to get started.
- Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter the muffins will be. Mash them in a separate bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients. If you don’t have overripe bananas but want to make the recipe, I’ve got your back. Preheat the oven to 250°F (121°C). Place the bananas (peel and all) on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until they darken. Let the bananas cool first before using them.
- Carrots: Finely grate the carrots to ensure they cook evenly and incorporate them into the batter.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together with eggs.
- Honey: Naturally sweeten the muffins with honey. You can also use agave nectar, sugar, brown sugar, or a sugar-free alternative like golden monk fruit.
- Olive Oil: Include olive oil in the batter for moisture or replace it with full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds more flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is a staple in most pantries, but use whole wheat or gluten-free flour to meet your dietary needs, though I haven’t tested the muffin recipe with those variations.
- Oats: Rolled oats add texture and a slightly nutty flavor.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that reacts to the heat of the oven, creating a chemical reaction that produces light and fluffy muffins.
- Spices: Flavor the batter with ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
How to Make Banana Carrot Muffins
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Mash the bananas and shred the carrots. Then, add them to a mixing bowl with the eggs, honey, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined, careful not to over-mix.
Step 3: Prepare a muffin tin with liners and use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly into the muffin tin.
Step 4: Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Opt for overripe bananas to enhance the flavor of the muffins – they are sweeter and easy to mash.
- Spoon and level the flour into measuring cups for baking accuracy.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best result, especially the eggs.
- Combine the batter ingredients, and be careful not to over-mix the batter, which can overdevelop the gluten, causing the muffins to be tough.
- Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray, oil, or butter before adding the batter if you don’t have muffin liners.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter into the muffin tin and reduce the mess.
- Insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. It will come out clean when the muffins finish cooking.
If you enjoy the sweet treat, try more muffin recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Consider adding mix-ins to the banana carrot muffins for more flavor. Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts and chocolate chips are a popular addition, or you can include raisins, nut or seed butters, chia seeds, dried cranberries, flax seeds, coconut flakes, and orange or lemon zest.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Let the muffins cool so condensation does not build up inside the container. Then, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and leave them on the counter for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Once the muffins are cool, wrap them individually with foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag for next time. Banana carrot muffins freeze for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the muffins on the counter overnight.
- Reheat: Warm individual muffins in the microwave for 20-25 seconds, or heat them in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe into a banana carrot loaf?
Absolutely! All you have to do is pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for one hour at 350°F (176°C).
More Recipes With Carrots:
Banana Carrot Muffins
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup carrots, finely grated, about 2-3 medium carrots
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Mash the bananas and shred the carrots. Then, add them to a mixing bowl with the eggs, honey, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined, careful not to over-mix.
- Prepare a muffin tin with liners and use an ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter evenly into the muffin tin.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Opt for overripe bananas to enhance the flavor of the muffins – they are sweeter and easy to mash.
- Spoon and level the flour into measuring cups for baking accuracy.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best result, especially the eggs.
- Combine the batter ingredients, and be careful not to over-mix the batter, which can overdevelop the gluten, causing the muffins to be tough.
- Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray, oil, or butter before adding the batter if you don’t have muffin liners.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter into the muffin tin and reduce the mess.
- Insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. It will come out clean when the muffins finish cooking.