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These banana carrot muffins taste like carrot cake and banana bread had the healthiest, most delicious baby. Moist, wholesome, and full of real ingredients, they’re a family favorite you’ll find yourself making on repeat.
Why You’ll Love These Muffins
With over 80 five-star reviews, these banana carrot muffins are truly tried and true family favorite loved by parents and little ones alike! As a pediatric dietitian and mom, I’ve baked countless muffin recipes over the years, and these continue to stand out for their perfect balance of flavor, texture, and nourishment.
They’re soft, perfectly moist, and naturally sweet without any refined sugar, making them an easy, feel-good choice for babies, toddlers, and grown-ups.
Here’s what others are saying:
“I make these at least twice a week—they’re one of our household favourites! Both my 3-year-old and 1-year-old absolutely love them. So moist, tasty, and healthy! Super easy to make and perfect as a grab-and-go snack for adventures and outings.”
“This recipe was simply perfect, thank you for sharing! I made it without maple syrup but it was still delicious, my 18 month old went crazy for it. (My 5 year old as well as husband loved it too, so it was perfect for the whole family.)”
If you enjoy cozy, naturally sweet flavors, try these banana apple muffins or healthy sweet potato muffins next. Both are wholesome, easy to make, and perfect for breakfast or snack time.
Want even more variety? Check out all of my dietitian-created muffin recipes for toddlers and kids. They’re nutritious, freezer-friendly, and made with simple ingredients families love.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
- Eggs – use room temperature
- Flour- you can also use all purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flour mix
- Applesauce – Can use homemade unsweetened applesauce or store-bought
- Maple syrup – can also use honey
Step-by-Step Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe card with all the exact measurements at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
Step 2: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Step 3: Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Be careful not to overmix!
Step 4: Scoop batter evenly into a 12-cup muffin tin. I like to use a silicone muffin pan because there’s no need to grease and the muffins just pop right out! Bake until golden and inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- Use over ripe bananas – Your muffins will turn out sweeter and moister.
- Use room temperature eggs – This will help the muffins rise more.
- Pre-shredded carrots are convenient but I don’t recommend using them for this recipe as they tend to be thicker and drier.
- Grate carrots using the large holes of a box grater or shred in a food processor. You can finely grate if you want to add even more moisture to your muffins.
- DO NOT over mix the batter! Prepare the wet and dry ingredients separately. Once added together, use a spatula (instead of a whisk) to gently combine until all the flour is wet. The less you stir the mixture, the lighter and fluffier your muffins will be.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Best Way to Store
Place in an airtight container for up to 2 days on the counter or up to 4 days in the fridge. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave briefly.
These banana carrot muffins also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Here’s the best way to freeze muffins! Simply thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Healthy Muffins to Try
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Healthy banana carrot muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (150g)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (50g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet
- 1 cup mashed overripe banana (240g), 2 medium
- 1 cup grated carrots (120g), 2-3 medium carrots
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (70g)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Be careful not to over mix. Use a spatula (instead of a whisk) to gently stir together until all the flour is wet. The less you stir the mixture, the lighter and fluffier your muffins will be.
- Scoop batter evenly into a greased, lined or silicone 12-cup muffin pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If after trying the recipe as is, you feel they need more sweetness, you can add more maple syrup or honey
- Egg-free? Use an egg replacer or flax eggs.
- To store, place in an airtight container for up to 2 days on the counter or up to 4 days in the fridge. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave briefly.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Made these today, they were delicious! My 17 month old and adult friends loved them. Will definitely be making these again!
So happy to hear that everyone loved these muffins! Thanks for sharing!!
My family and I love these! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad! Thanks for sharing!
This is a staple we have in the freezer. Sometimes we will jazz it up by adding flaxseed meal & blueberries- always a hit! (4.5 & 1.5 year olds)
Aww I love that!! Thank you for sharing!
Yummy recipe and great use of the extra bananas for something other than banana bread. 14 month old and parents enjoyed!
My one year old loved them and I think they’re very tasty too!
I’m so glad!
I make these almost weekly for my family! My toddler loves them (so does dad 😆) the ingredients/nutrition are great. Perfect option for breakfast/snacks.
These are one of our favs too! Thank you for sharing!
Can I substitute the wheat flour for almond flour?
I’m afraid almond flour won’t work for this recipe. But if looking for a gluten free option, I recommend using oat flour!
These were fantastic!!
For the flour I mixed 1/2 cup of iron fortified baby oatmeal and 1/2 cup of all purpose flour to give a boost of iron for my 11 month old. They came out moist and fluffy. I did not use maple syrup and they were still very from the over ripe bananas.
Yay! So happy to hear that!
Hello, I’m unsure about the amount of flour as I didn’t get 170g for 1 cup. Mine was around 110g.
The muffins are still baking in the oven so I’m not sure how it’d turn out.
Should I use 170g in future?
Hi! Sorry I remeasured and it’s actually 150g. Are you using whole wheat flour? It will weigh more than regular. Also, be sure to use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping the flour out of the container or bag with your measuring cup.
Added some walnuts and the muffins turned out delicious! Thank you for the recipe!! 😋😋
I’m so glad! Love the addition of walnuts!
Delicious! I left out the maple syrup for my 10mo, and it was honestly sill plenty sweet even for me. Thanks!
Agreed!!