Enjoy the flavors of carrot cake with these one-bowl flaxseed carrot muffins. Made with ground flaxseeds, almond flour, oat flour and of course, carrots! Wholesome ingredients that are gluten-free, dairy-free and naturally sweet!
Love healthier carrot cake inspired recipes? Then try my carrot cake bliss balls and oatmeal carrot cake cookies next.
why i love these flaxseed carrot muffins
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber - These flaxseed muffins offer many nutritional benefits from the flaxseeds, including healthy fats and fiber.
- No refined ingredients - The base of the muffins is made with almond flour, oat flour and ground flaxseeds and is lightly sweetened with coconut sugar.
- Carrot cake flavor - You get the classic, warm flavors of carrot cake, but in a healthy muffin form.
- Filling - Thanks to the fiber rich and protein forward ingredients, these muffins are actually super filling!
Springtime screams bright colors, warm temperatures and all things carrots (see my air fryer baby carrots). I wanted another clean eating carrot cake inspired recipes, so I'm introducing these flaxseed carrot muffins.
I tested these muffins numerous times to bring you the best texture and flavor. And while these don't taste exactly like carrot cake (remember, these are actually good for you), they do a pretty darn good job of coming close. You get wholesome ingredients in a filling, spring inspired muffin!
Just like my blackberry almond flour muffins, gluten-free banana oat muffin recipe, and fluffy pumpkin almond flour muffins, these are a better-for-you muffin you can grab for breakfast, pack in lunches, or take along for a quick grab-and-go snack.
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Ingredient Notes
- Ground flaxseeds - Flaxseeds come in ground and whole forms. Be sure to use ground flaxseeds (also called flaxseed meal).
- Almond flour - Use almond flour, not almond meal.
- Oat flour - If making for someone with a gluten sensitivity, use certified gluten-free oat flour. I recommend you make your own oat flour, but store-bought also works. Try my healthy oat flour pancakes if you have extra oat flour.
- Carrots - Please shred the carrots yourself - they add more moisture and bake into the muffins much nicer than pre-shredded carrots.
- Applesauce - I always use unsweetened (and organic) applesauce, but you do you!
- Coconut oil - You will need some oil for these carrot flaxseed muffins. I use melted coconut oil, but a neutral oil, like avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil can be used.
🤍 Sara's clean food tips: I recommend organic almond flour and organic oat flour.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
Add-ins & variations
- Chopped nuts- Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter.
- Unsweetened coconut - Some unsweetened shredded coconut would be a tasty addition! Have more coconut? Try these coconut chocolate peanut butter balls.
- Raisins or cranberries - If you like raisins in your carrot cake, feel free to add ½ cup raisins, or unsweetened dried cranberries, into the muffin batter.
- Drizzle with glaze - If you'd like a sweet topping, drizzle with a coconut butter glaze (it's dairy-free and refined sugar-free).
step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients, including the carrots, and whisk until combined.
- Step 3: After mixing the wet ingredients, fully incorporate the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients. Batter will be on the thick side.
- Step 4: Evenly divide the batter between a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan.
- Step 5: Bake at 350-degrees F for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
top tip
Use a ¼ cup cookie scoop to help create a nice, rounded muffin top.
sara's tips and notes
- Spoon and level the flours. If you pack the flour, or scoop directly into the measuring cup, you'll have too much flour.
- Use room-temperature eggs. Room-temp eggs mix into the batter better and help the muffins to rise and create a fluffier texture.
- Don't over mix the batter or you could end up with dry and flat muffins.
- Make large muffins. For larger muffins, make 9 muffins instead of 12.
- Skip the muffin liners! Muffin liners just stick to the muffins and I find it much easier to lightly grease the pan and bake right in the pan.
Flaxseed Carrot Muffins recipe FAQs
Flaxseeds are a nutrient-dense powerhouse and one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They are high in fiber and one of the richest known sources of lignans (plant nutrients). A small amount goes a long way, making them an easy, nutrient-dense addition to everyday recipes.
Ground flaxseeds (also called flaxseed meal) because your body can't fully absorb the nutrients from whole flaxseeds. You can easily find them pre-ground at most grocery stores.
I recommend freshly grated carrots for the best moisture and texture. Pre-shredded carrots tend to be drier and thicker, which can affect the overall muffin texture.
A few common reasons your muffins may not be as moist as you'd like could be due to too much flour (make sure to scoop and level flour when measuring) or overmixing the batter.
Storage
Storing: Store carrot flaxseed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Store in the fridge to extend freshness for a few days.
I like to warm them in the microwave slightly before eating (especially if they are stored in the fridge).
Freezing: These muffins freeze great (so do my date brownie protein balls). Store in a freezer-safe container (I like Stasher bags) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or overnight in the fridge.
more spring inspired recipes to try
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Flaxseed Carrot Muffins
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Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 12-cup muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup ground flaxseeds (also called flaxseed meal)
- 1 ¼ cup (135g) oat flour (certified gluten-free if needed)
- ¾ cup (75g) almond flour
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups freshly grated carrots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flaxseeds, oat flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.1 cup ground flaxseeds, 1 ¼ cup (135g) oat flour , ¾ cup (75g) almond flour, ¾ cup coconut sugar, 1 tbsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. fine sea salt, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground ginger, ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the remaining ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients together first and then fully mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix the batter.2 large eggs, room temperature, ¼ cup coconut oil, melted, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract , 2 cups freshly grated carrots
- Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. You'll use about ¼ cup batter per muffin.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Notes
- Do not pack flour when measuring - it's best to spoon and level so you don't end up with too much flour. You can also use a kitchen scale and go by the grams listed.
- Use room-temperature eggs. They mix into the batter better and also help the muffins to rise and create a fluffier texture.
Nutrition
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Sara says
Just warmed one of these from the freezer and had with some eggs. A healthy and easy breakfast. Love the clean, wholesome ingredients and having a healthy baked good for breakfast!