Apple & Carrot “Superhero” Muffins
This apple carrot muffin recipe is naturally sweetened and gluten free! These hearty apple-carrot muffins make a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
In the mood for some fall baking? Me, too! I’m cozying up with these apple carrot muffins and a cup of coffee. My dog, Cookie, is hoping for some crumbs.
My sweet publisher sent me a cookbook called Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. a few months ago. The cookbook was co-written by Olympian/NYC Marathon champ Shalane Flanagan and chef/nutrition coach Elyse Kopecky.
I should confess that I hate running and only qualify for the “hangry” portion of the book’s subtitle, “Quick-Fix Recipes for Hangry Athletes.”
Nonetheless, the book is up my alley because it’s full of energizing, whole foods-based recipes. I haven’t been able to get this hybrid apple-carrot muffin recipe out of my mind. They didn’t disappoint!
The authors call these muffins “superhero” muffins because they are muffins that sustain. They offered three versions in the book, and I chose the muffins featuring grated fresh carrots and Granny Smith apples.
These muffins are very hearty and wholesome, which makes them perfect grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks. I think they would freeze well for several months, if you want to keep them on hand for hangry moments.
Bonus? These muffins are gluten free and naturally sweetened, and easy to mix up by hand. Apple carrot muffins for the win.
I have recipes for apple muffins and carrot muffins, but I love this combination of the two. Warming cinnamon brings the fruity apple and earthy carrot flavors together.
This recipe uses almond meal instead of whole wheat flour, which yields a nutritious and moist interior. These muffins are a little dense, in a good way, rather than light and lacking in substance.
Watch How to Make Apple & Carrot Muffins
You can easily change up the mix-ins, or leave them out if you’d rather. The authors suggest walnuts, raisins or chocolate chips, and note that Shalane likes to sweeten them up with chocolate chips. I opted for pecans in lieu of walnuts, and I think you could substitute any dried fruit for the raisins (chopped if large).
I easily grated the carrots and apple with this box grater (affiliate link). The authors suggested lining the muffin tin with paper liners, but I have full faith in the non-stick silicone finish on my muffin tin. It worked great.
The authors report that these muffins are a hit with kids, too. Please let me know how they turn out for you in the comments, and be sure to check out Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. if it sounds like it’s up your alley.
Apple & Carrot “Superhero” Muffins
This apple carrot muffin recipe is naturally sweetened and gluten free! These hearty apple-carrot muffins make a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Recipe yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed almond meal or almond flour (10 ounces)
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats (certified gluten free if necessary)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Optional mix-ins: ½ cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans), or raisins or chocolate chips
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 3 eggs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup grated Granny Smith apple (about 1 ½ apples)
- 1 cup peeled and grated carrots (about 3 carrots)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups (I didn’t because I have full faith in my muffin pan, but use them if you’re uncertain).
- In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and optional mix-ins, if using.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs and butter. Whisk in the grated apple and carrots. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool completely before storing.
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. If you like them warm, reheat them on low power in the microwave.
Notes
Recipe from the Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. cookbook by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky.
Make them nut free: (The muffins will no longer be gluten free with this variation, which was provided by the recipe author.) Whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour can be used as an alternative to the almond meal. Increase the butter to 8 tablespoons (1 stick), since wheat flour is much drier, and reduce the oats to 1 cup.
Whole wheat flour option: See above!
Make them dairy free: I haven’t tried, but I’m confident you could substitute coconut oil for the butter. Please report back if you give that a try!
Egg substitution note: I don’t think you can successfully replace the eggs with any substitutes here. I tried with a similar almond meal-based recipe, and it was an epic fail. However, you can use flax eggs in my carrot muffin recipe (and you could even use half grated apple, half carrots to make those muffins more similar to this recipe).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
May I ask what brand of muffin pan you use? Made them today and they were fabulous!
Hi! Check out my shop page for the exact one! https://capital-fly.pro/healthy-kitchen-essentials/%3C/a%3E. Happy you liked the muffins.
sooo yummy. i whipped up a batch after dinner and planned on only having a taste, but wound up eating the whole muffin. I nearly halved the amount of maple syrup and they were sweet enough thanks to my CA market fresh carrots. thanks. I am LOVING all of your recipes.
Love it, Ali! Thank you!
These were so yummy – they are now my favourite muffin – not too sweet but very tasty and the texture was great. I made a batch 2 days ago and unfortunately the last one went this morning. Will definitely be making these again.
Good you liked them so much, but bad they are all gone! Thank you for sharing, Gail.
I just made these. They are so delicious and my whole house smells like butter and cinnamon. I have never worked with almond flour and it works really well. I actually used Earth Balance instead of real butter and that worked well too. I was wondering if applesauce could replace the butter. I might try that next time. Great recipe!
The best smell! Thanks for sharing, Leah.
I just made these yesterday and loved them! So delicious! My husband loved them and so did my toddler. A friend who came for coffee also loved them and asked for the recipe. It was my first time baking with almond flour and Irealized I like it so much, that I am going to try to find more recipes using it. Thank you for posting this recipe!!!
You’re welcome! Hit for the entire family, that’s great. I appreciate the review, Georgia!
These are lovely. I normally make muffins that are a lot sweeter so the kids took a bit of time to get used to them as they are more dense, but yummy nonetheless.
Thank you, Kathy for sharing your experience.
Yum! I went for the whole wheat option. Did not realise until too late that our carrots are not equal – estimating I used 2.5 cups at least. Still turned out great, maybe a bit crumblier than normal. Moist and delicious. Might need to get that cookbook.
So glad they turned out well, Catherine! For future reference, I offer the most precise amount first (1 cup grated carrots) but often offer more details like (about 3 carrots) so you know about how many you’ll need to buy. Sounds like you had some really large carrots!!
These muffins are fantastic! Even my picky hubs who refuses to eat anything that’s not “real food” (read: made with white flour!) really liked them. He was eating one at his desk when a co-worker stopped in and snagged one – he was crazy about them! Thank you, Kate!
Than you, Lee!
Thanks Rachel. I will give those ideas a try!! Really appreciate it!
Cheers!
I wasn’t sure I liked these muffins the day they were made, but after a night on a cooling rack, WOW! The crumb improved and the flavors melded. I am almost sorry I gave most of them away to my favorite little superhero six year old twin boy neighbors. Used honey crisp apples, raisins and chopped crystallized gingerand a pinch of fennel pollen on top.Perfect for fall. Thanks for another winner.
I’m glad to share it, DeeDee!
These muffins came out perfect! My daughter is into superhero’s so the name resonated with her. We followed the recipe adding some Lily chocolate chips. They were a hit with my 20 month old son too. Froze the extras to throw for a quick and healthy morning snack.
Great all around! Thank you for sharing, Beth.
Hi!
I am a bit new to this. The recipe calls for 2 cups of flour however 10 ounces is only 283 ml. The cups that I use are normally 250 ml or 200. Can anyone advise on this? :)
Maria
Hi Maria! The ounces are by weight, not by volume. So you could measure 10 ounces on a scale, or pack the almond flour into U.S. measuring cups. Hope this helps!
Great muffins!
Added chopped walnuts and used Macoun apple (didn’t have Granny Smith). Will definitely make again!
Thank you for sharing, Fran!
This is great. However, I goofed. I used my mini muffin pan, and it would have worked except for the fact I did not have a paper liner. So, they stuck to the pan. But, they are delicious, and I will make them again and use a paper liner. Thank you for the delicious recipes.
Oh no! That is the worst. Thanks for sharing, Sharon! Let me know what you think when you make them again.
Hi was anxious to make these muffins but they are soooo dry. Not as good as I hoped. Should there be some liquid such as almond milk?. The batter was extremely dry also. What did I do wrong?
Hi Diane, I’m sorry to hear that! Are you sure you didn’t accidentally leave out the honey, eggs or butter? Those, combined, provided the proper moisture level for my muffins. Just checking–you didn’t accidentally use coconut flour, did you? Coconut flour is crazy absorbent.
OMG. These are so good. I used Agava as the sweetener as I didn’t have any honey and a gala apple as that is what was in the fridge. A hit with the family
Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
I’ll have to try a re-do of these as I made them this weekend and had some trouble (which is actually my fault :) ) but I’m posting my process so people can see what may happen when you improvise. So I used the whole wheat flour and adjusted the oats and butter as was suggested. Instead of grating the apples (I used what I had which was Macs) I chopped them to a kind of roughly minced situation, and I used pre-grated “matchstick” carrots that I had on hand though I did mince those up as well so they weren’t so thick. The muffins came out very dense and without a lot of flavor. I ran out of liquid when mixing my ingredients, so I think reducing the flour a little, in addition to reducing the oats, may work as well. Also, might try quick cooking oats, as I have really good luck with those when baking. I don’t want to mangle the original recipe because it’s meant to be healthy so I’ll have to see if I can figure it out. I’ve found that so as not to waste the muffins a quick zap in the microwave and a few tablespoons of peanut butter make them salvageable. Overall I think the recipe is a great idea, hopefully I can make it work.
Thank you, Heather for sharing! It’s fun to see you trying out various approaches.
Thank you Kate! These were perfect! I followed the recipe exactly as you posted it. Hearty,moist, and just enough sweetness. A winner! Too bad my dog smells the carrots, guess I’ll have to share!
What is it with dogs and carrots! I will be sure to let Cookie know there is another carrot fan :) I appreciate the review, Karen.
I don’t usually bake but gave these a try, and really enjoyed them. Tried one before it cooled completely (because I have no discipline!) and it was wonderful. I used mini-muffin tins and added a few caramel chips to the mix – would recommend!
I’m happy you tried these too, Amy! Thanks so much for your review.
I’ve been making these muffins for a while! They are SO yummy. I add 2 or 3 squares chopped unsweetened chocolate, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, a big handful of dried cherries, a handful of sunflower seeds and I substitute melted coconut oil for the butter. Yum, yum!
Thanks for sharing, Holly!
They just came out of the oven. I followed your recipe as in and added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and a 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. They smell delicious and taste even better. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Laura!
you are the best kiness to share all the recipe I had see and everyone have see I will share what is your kiness giving us
thank you very much wish you alway happiness
You’re sweet! Thank you.
VEGANIZED!
My son and I had fun making these together. We made them VEGAN and they turned out more like baked oatmeal but really delicious. Once they sit for a couple minutes, I think they’ll firm up like muffins but we couldn’t wait that long. :-) We made the following substitutions:
– In place of 3 eggs we used 1 smashed banana and 2 flax eggs
– We subbed 1/4 c of date sugar for the maple syrup
– Earth balance in place of the butter (I’d love to reduce this next time)
These are worth the effort. Yum. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing, Marie!
I just made these – so so so good! I made them exactly as written except used coconut oil instead of butter. They’re perfectly sweetened per the recipe. Thanks Kate for sharing this!
You’re welcome, Alice!
I made these today and I added golden raisins as suggested. They are so tasty! Thank you!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Megan
Kate would it be possible to add fresh or frozen blueberries?
Thank you so much for your lovely website and wonderful recipes!
You inspire me to cook!!! Yeah!!
Have a wonderful day,Ally
I haven’t tried it with the recipe! But, I do have a blueberry muffin recipe on the blog if you would like to try that one!
I just tried this recipe and it was absolutely delicious. I loved it. I substituted the butter for olive oil and it came out just beautifully. I went overboard with the mix ins and loved it. I did dark chocolate chunks, walnuts and chopped up medjool dates, they all made these muffins over the top. I also sprinkled a little bit of raw sugar on top (me and my family have a sweet tooth :D) and i really liked the way it turned out. Thanks Kate for this amazing recipe :D
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Kate! These have become my go-to muffin! Love the low sugar/carrot/apple combo!
Great to hear you love the combination, Sam!
The kids went wild for these, and we also couldn’t believe how good they taste. I made two major subs, one suggested by you and one that I usually do on my own: (1) I used coconut oil instead of butter (seems to work great) and (2) I used an equivalent amount of dates blended in water to replace the sweetener (I feel like it adds a bit of nutrition and, with the water as part of it, decreases the overall amount of sugar while still being incredibly sweet). Looks like Sophie did so to.
Thank you for the review, Thera!
The BEST Muffins EVER !! Thank you so much for this recipe.
Followed exact recipe and added pecans ….so moist . Thinking about making more and gifting them to friends .
You’re welcome, Marilyn!
Just made these today and they are delicious! I added 1/4 t. each of nutmeg, ginger, and allspice to make them taste even more like fall and used 1/2 cup of pecans. Great recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sonja!
I made these last night and they were awesome! Grating the apple and carrot was kind of a pain, but the end result is totally worth it. Super moist, flavorful, and a great way to start the day.
I’m glad you like these so much! Thanks for letting me know.
Hey Kate,
I notice that both your carrot muffin and apple muffin recipes use baking powder but not in this one. Will it result in any differences? Thanks a lot.
Since this recipe has a different base, it has different requirements and isn’t needed like it is for the recipes you note. This recipe uses almond meal instead of whole wheat flour, which yields a nutritious and moist interior. These muffins are a little dense, in a good way, rather than light and lacking in substance. H
I had these recently at my sisters – so delicious from the freezer. So my little chef and I made these at home today and WOW! He gobbled it up super fast! Definitely a new staple in our home. If you readers haven’t made these muffins yet, what are you waiting for?! Thanks Kate!
Thanks for the plug, Holly!
May I ask how you defrost?
Kristin, I take a muffin straight from the freezer to the microwave and heat for about 45 seconds (I like to eat them warm). Kate might have a recommendation in her blog for defrosting, I can’t recall off hand. Have you made the muffins?
Hi! Is there any way these could be made without added sugar (no maple syrup/honey)? Has anyone tried erythritol, xylitol, stevia or bananas? I assume other proportions would have to be changed but I wouldn’t know how. They do look great though!
Mine turned out so crumbly they were breaking apart even getting them out of the muffin tin – I didn’t use muffin papers (since I have non stick pan) and I used coconut flour rather than almond flour but other than that followed the recipe. Wondering where I went wrong here..
Hi Nicole! I’m sorry these didn’t work for you. Unfortunately, coconut flour is really hard to work with and soaks up a lot of moisture. That is likely the issue!
That’s good to know! Thanks for the response and the tip. I love your recipes!!
Made these “superhero” muffins this morning. My great-grandson and I declare them PERFECT for a hearty muffin on a cold day. Great because they will freeze well, and therefore, I can make several batches to store for later! Keep those great recipes coming.
I’m so glad he loved them! Thanks for sharing, Gail. Happy that you are freezing them and it works out so well for you!
I absolutely love this recipie. I’m on my fourth time making it! The texture of the almond meal and the apple and carrot are wonderful! My whole family loves these! Even my husband likes them and he usually doesn’t like anything healthy. This is a great muffin to have on hand for breakfasts, snacks and lunches especially if you have young children! They are child and husband approved!
Thank you for sharing, Katrina! I’m glad it’s fully family approved.
I just made this as a cake in a rectangle glass dish- turned out great!!!
Thank you for sharing, Laura!
Hello, I’m definitely going to try this with my son who is a very picky eater so would love to use it as a base to grate in other veggies. Do you think i could substitute the carrot or apple with zucchini or even squash?
Thanks x x
Hi Amani, yes, I do think that would work well! Please report back if you give it a try.
These were delicious and very adaptable to substitutions (listed below). I brought them when staying over at my in-laws and they were devoured! Thank you for having them on your site!
Substitutions/adaptations:
1. I did half ww flour & half almond flour (this made the batter a little dry, which I expected, but the end result was still great)
2. Two flax eggs and I banana to sub the 3 eggs (I think the banana helped add some moisture to my ww flour sub)
3. 6 T of coconut oil to sub butter
Thank you for sharing, Jodi! I’m happy to hear they were devoured.
Delicious!!! Used less butter but still worked well. Can’t wait for my toddler to try one.
Thanks for sharing, Liat!
I don’t bake because every time I do, it turns out terrible. However, this recipe was easy, delicious, and came out awesome! I brought a dozen into work, and my coworkers all agreed!
I did up baking about 10 minutes longer, but I did also have pretty full cups of shredded carrot and apple, so they needed it with theil increased moisture. Also was out of baking soda, so used 4x baking powder.
Great this recipe was easy for you, Kate! Thanks for the review.
Made these for my little guy and he loves them!!
I am so glad I found your recipe. Thank you!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you both love these.
I just made these (first muffins ever) with the whole wheat flour substitute as you noted and they’re SO GOOD. Also added 1/2 teaspoon ginger and a tablespoon-ish of homemade apple sauce. Love all your recipes!
Thank you, Zina!
I have diabetes so I made this recipe but cut the honey in half to 1/4 cup. Delicious! ❤️
Thanks for the review, SME!
I made these and the flavor is so good. I used a few raisins as the “add-in”. The muffins were a little crumbly, but very moist. I wonder how they’d do as small cookies? Maybe get more of that crispy-muffin top part? Anyway -they are for the win and will definitely make again!! :-)
These came out perfectly! They were moist and delicious, the texture was so good you barely noticed it was almond meal. Often these things can come out a bit dry or crumbly but I didn’t have any issues at all, everyone in my house loved them!
Thank you for sharing, Cassie!
Loved these! Great for grab n go when I need something healthy, hearty, and quick. I reduced to 1/4 honey, added cacao nibs, and used coconut oil instead of butter, baked as directed and I though consistency and sweetness was perfect.
Great to hear you love them, Emily! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Kate,
We absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made several batches since discovering your blog last Fall – great breakfast/snack option to have on hand over the holidays too! Enjoy your blog and just received your cookbook this week! We’re not vegetarian, but your recipes adapt well with or without meat. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us all!