The Best Carrot Muffins. Soft and tender, with a lovely orange and almond flavor, these carrot muffins are great for breakfast, snack, and also dessert with a dusting of icing sugar. Try them, they will become your next favorite muffin!
Song of the day: Guarda che luna - Dora Cardone
Truly, I don't know why most carrot sweets are limited to Easter time, when Fall is also the time you harvest them. We have been gifted many pounds of carrots from friends that are now digging them out of their gardens. A few recipes came to mind, but first, we are making Italian carrot muffins.
The Best Carrot Muffins ever!
In detail, this is an Italian recipe that I've been enjoying for years and that truly makes the best carrot muffins ever. You puree carrots with vegetable oil and orange zest in the food processor, then add one egg at a time. The dry ingredients are a combination of 00 flour, almond flour, potato starch, salt, and baking powder. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together and bake the muffins at two temperatures. The result is a soft, tender, bright, delectable muffin!
Ingredients for the Best Carrot Muffins
- carrots - usually organic, scraped, washed, and cut into chunks;
- vegetable oil - I use peanut oil or sunflower oil;
- eggs - we only use organic free-range eggs;
- orange (or lemon) zest - I've tried with either one and it's always delicious;
- flour type 00, or all-purpose;
- almond flour - I usually use whole almonds that I grind in the food processor;
- potato starch - makes for a super soft texture. You can omit and replace with the same amount of 00/all purpose flour;
- cane sugar, or caster/granulated sugar;
- Italian lievito vanigliato or baking powder - the Italian lievito vanigliato has a vanilla aroma. Add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract if using regular baking powder;
- salt - you can omit, if you wish;
- icing/powdered sugar - a dusting at the end, optional. Avoid if freezing some of the muffins.
Two-bowl recipe
As a matter of fact, you need a food processor for the carrots and wet ingredients and a large bowl for the dry ingredients.
- Scrape the carrots, chop them, and place in a food processor. Add the orange (or lemon) zest and the oil. Mix for 2-5 minutes, or until they become creamy. Next, add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated and creamy.
- In another bowl, combine the 00 flour, almond flour, potato starch, sugar, a pinch of salt, and baking powder (or Italian lievito vanigliato). Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the carrot cream mixture into the flour mixture, mix with a fork or a spatula just until the mixture has no streaks of flour visible.
- Preheat the oven to 340°F/170°C. Place the parchment muffin cups in a muffin tin. Fill the cups almost up to the brim.
- Bake in the preheated oven for the first 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325°C/160°C and bake for another 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden on top and have formed the classic dome. Check with a toothpick inserted in the center, it has to come out clean.
Carrot muffins
I find carrot muffins to be underrated, and often overlooked. Indeed, carrots are an amazing ingredient that gives baked goods great texture and flavor. Especially in Italian recipes, when carrots are often paired with orange. Infact, when you break one of these muffins open, you are hit by a wonderful fragrance of citrus and almond. Then, you look at that incredibly soft texture and all you want to do is bite in. Truly a heavenly combination of flavors and delightful crumb. A hit every time I make them.
Serving suggestion
In the end, if you want to take these carrot muffins to the next level, turn them into cupcakes and make a cream cheese or buttercream icing/frosting. Slather, or pipe away, and enjoy!
Hope you will give this recipe a try. If you do, please let us know in the comments how you liked it. And if you want, take a picture and share it on our social media with the hashtag #sugarlovespices.
PrintThe Best Carrot Muffins
The Best Carrot Muffins. Soft and tender, with a lovely orange and almond flavor, these carrot muffins are great for breakfast, snack, and also dessert with a dusting of icing sugar. Try them, they will become your next favorite muffin!
Ingredients
- 375 g carrots
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- the zest of 1 orange or lemon
- 145 g flour type 00
- 50 g almond flour
- 45 g potato starch
- 180 g cane sugar
- 1 package lievito vanigliato (16 g baking powder)
- a pinch of salt
- icing sugar for decoration, optional
Instructions
- Scrape the carrots, chop them, and place in a food processor.
- Add the orange (or lemon) zest and the oil. Mix for about 2-5 minutes, or until they become creamy.
- Next, add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated and creamy.
- In another bowl, combine the 00 flour, almond flour, potato starch, sugar, a pinch of salt, and baking powder (or lievito vanigliato). Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the carrot cream mixture into the flour mixture, mix with a fork or a spatula just until the mixture has no streaks of flour visible.
- Preheat the oven to 340°F/170°C. Place the parchment muffin cups in a muffin tin.
- Fill the cups almost up to the brim.
- Bake in the preheated oven for the first 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325°C/160°C and bake for another 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden and have formed the classic dome. You can also check with a toothpick inserted in the center, it has to come out clean.
- Take out of the oven and let cool slightly on a rack. Take the muffins out of the muffin tin, let cool completely, then sprinkle with icing sugar, if you want.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Jessica says
I love, love love that I was able to put carrots in these for my kids! If I can sneak any kind of veggie in for breakfast, I will!
Yes, it's a great way to sneak in some veggies, and they taste amazing, too!
Helene says
These carrot muffins are worth trying them. The recipe is slightly different from the classic recipe, but the orange zest and almond bring a lovely flavor.
Thanks! Orange zest, carrots, and almonds is the perfect flavor combination ;).
megane says
These look so delicious! I have all the ingredients ready to go for today. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome, enjoy! They are amazing!
Veronika says
I just made these muffins and they came out amazing! Was so easy to prep and I loved the flavors 😉
Thanks! Yes, quite easy to make and so delicious!
Bernice says
You are completely right. It is carrot season right now. Although, this is the first that I've heard carrot desserts are popular around Spring...I love them any time of the year. Maybe I just don't pay attention.
I LOVE how these photos look, the colours are perfection.
Thank you! Natural colors, natural beauty. Really you don't notice that in our food blogging world? You need to pay more attention ;).
Ann says
I am a huge carrot cake fan, but have not tried carrot muffins before. Not really sure why, but you talked me into it now!
I find them to be way better than a slice of carrot cake. Try, them, thank you!
veenaazmanov says
Definitely healthy and nutritious. Love the orange and Almond flavor to it. A must try recipe for Tea Time party.
They would be so great for a tea party! Thank you, Veena!
Elaine says
My cookie jar is empty and there are no more muffins in my kitchen, which means only one thing - I am making these!!
Yay! Thanks, Elaine, hope you love them as much as we do!
Zhen says
Never tried almond flour with carrots before but they were perfect!
Thanks! Happy you tried and loved them!
Tammy says
They look so light and moist! What a perfect muffin for breakfast or dessert!
Thank you! Yes, we love them for breakfast, snack, and dessert 😉 .
Lauren Michael Harris says
These carrot cake muffins turned out really tasty. They have been perfect for grab-and-go breakfasts this week. Will make again!
Thank you! Happy you made them! I think they're perfect, yes! 😉
Sharon says
These carrot muffins are so sweet and the perfect on-the-go breakfast or afternoon treat.