These Banana Carrot Muffins are a delicious grab-and-go breakfast or snack. They are sweet and satisfying with a great texture. This recipe is made gluten-free and dairy-free with a vegan option. Both kids and adults love these!

banana carrot muffins served on a plate.

Make these healthy Banana Carrot Muffins this weekend for an instant pick-me-up!

Family members always love the smell of muffins baking in the oven, and these gluten-free muffins can be served as an easy breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Babies, toddlers, and adults all love these moist and sweet muffins.

Why You Need This Recipe

They are reminiscent of carrot cake and banana bread, but not so sweet and made without frosting. This recipe is also great because it’s gluten-free and includes a serving of vegetables!

If you have picky-eaters in the house, you might try giving him or her one of these muffins. They’ll never guess that there are shredded carrots inside. See my list of the best vegetables for picky eaters.

Each Banana Carrot Muffin has approximately:

  • 185 calories,
  • 7 grams of fat,
  • 3 grams of fiber,
  • 4 grams of protein,
  • and 11 grams of sugar.

Whether you’re planning a weekly meal plan or you just want to bake something healthy and delicious, then you are going to want to make these muffins ASAP.

Ingredients

ingredients for banana carrot muffins.
  • All purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend – Be sure to use a gluten free flour that contains xanthan gum since it helps give the muffin a gluten-like texture. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1 Gluten Free All Purpose Flour for its taste and texture. If you aren’t on a gluten free diet, simply use regular all purpose flour or white whole wheat flour in its place.
  • Shredded carrots – The shredded fresh carrots soften as they bake. They add natural moisture and great flavor to baked goods and taste delicious in these muffins.
  • Mashed banana – Mashed bananas are a healthy way to sweeten muffins and cakes. Bananas are naturally very sweet with a creamy texture perfect for muffin batter. Just make sure your bananas are ripe!
  • Coconut oil – Coconut oil keeps the muffins moist and tender. You can use butter, ghee, light olive oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil if you prefer.
  • Maple syrup – A half cup of maple syrup alongside the mashed banana is all this recipe needs to be perfectly sweet.
  • Eggs make the muffins moist and fluffy. You can use an egg-replacer like a flax egg or chia egg if you need to avoid eggs.

See the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Steps

how to make muffin batter.

Step One

The first step in making these muffins is to shred your carrots.

If you have a food processor with a shredding plate, then this step will only take a few minutes. If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll need to use a cheese grater to shred the carrots.

You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups of tightly-packed carrots from 3 or 4 medium carrots for this recipe. Place them in a large mixing bowl.

Step Two

Next, add your flour to the shredded carrots and stir them together.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Step Three

Combine your wet ingredients in a separate bowl, including the mashed overripe bananas, eggs or flax eggs, vanilla extract and the other ingredients.

Stir them into the dry ingredients.

Step Four

Divide the batter between the wells of a muffin tin. I used paper liners in the muffin cups, but you don’t have to.

Bake the muffins for between 25-28 minutes. They will turn a golden brown on top when they are done.

Let the muffins cool in the muffin liners for a few minutes on a wire rack before enjoying warm or at room temperature.

As mentioned above, these healthy muffins make for a super delicious snack, dessert, or even a great breakfast. They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days.

I hope you love this banana carrot muffin recipe as much as I do! They use wholesome ingredients and are something the whole family can enjoy.

banana carrot muffin served on a plate.

Recipes Tips

  • Store any leftover baked Banana Carrot Muffins in a tightly-sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, place any leftovers in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. 
  • Use coconut oil instead of ghee for dairy-free diets.
  • You can substitute applesauce for the mashed bananas, if you prefer.
  • Don’t use pre-shredded carrots from the store for this recipe (they will be too dry). Shred your own using the shredding disk on a food processor (or a large cheese grater).

Recipe FAQs

Can these muffins be made vegan? 

Yes, just replace the eggs with flax or chia eggs, and be sure to use melted coconut oil and not ghee. 

Can you make these Banana Carrot Muffins into a bread loaf?

Yes, you can! Just increase the baking time to 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Can I make this with regular flour instead of gluten-free flour?

Yes! Just swap out the gluten-free flour with all-purpose flour or regular whole wheat flour. You can also use oat flour or almond flour (see my article on almond flour substitutes).

Can I freeze these banana muffins?

Yes! Place them into a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost leave on the counter until they reach room temperature or microwave in ten second intervals until warmed through.

Are banana carrot muffins good for toddlers?

Yes! This muffin recipe is toddler approved. It’s the perfect way to get them to eat vegetables without them even knowing it.

a plate of banana muffins.

More Healthy Muffin Recipes You Might Like

Or, check out all of my healthy muffin recipes.

Don’t Miss These Banana Recipes!

Dairy-Free Banana Pudding From Scratch

Easy Air Fryer Banana Chips Recipe with Cinnamon

Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Banana Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Almond Flour Banana Muffins Without Milk

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

And, consider following me on social media so we can stay connected. I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!

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banana carrot muffins served on a plate

Banana Carrot Muffins (Gluten-Free Option)

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4.5 from 4 reviews

Print Recipe

These Banana Carrot Muffins are a delicious grab-and-go breakfast or snack. They are sweet and satisfying with a great texture. This recipe is made gluten-free and dairy-free with a vegan option.

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 3/4 cups gluten-free baking flour
  • 1 1/2 cup tightly-packed shredded carrots (from 4 or 5 medium carrots)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs, beaten (use two flax eggs or chia eggs for vegan*)
  • 1 cup mashed banana (from 3 medium-sized ripe bananas)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil or ghee, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spray a muffin tin lightly with nonstick oil and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and shredded carrots. Stir to combine.
  3. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Stir and set the bowl aside.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, mashed banana or applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil or ghee. Stir to combine.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 
  6. Divide the batter between the muffin wells. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  7. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them from the muffin tin. Serve warm, or at room temperature. 

Notes

  1. Store any leftover baked muffins in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, place any leftovers in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. 
  2. *To make 2 flax or chia eggs, combine 2 tablespoons of ground flax or chia seeds in a bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of water. Stir and then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using.
  3. If you aren’t on a gluten-free diet, you can use regular all-purpose flour instead.
  4. Use coconut oil instead of ghee for dairy-free diets.
  5. You can substitute applesauce for the mashed bananas, if you prefer.
  6. Don’t use pre-shredded carrots from the store for this recipe. Shred your own using the shredding disk on a food processor (or a large cheese grater).

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 185
  • Sugar: 11.1 g
  • Sodium: 130.7 mg
  • Fat: 7.4 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27.9 g
  • Fiber: 2.9 g
  • Protein: 3.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 31 mg

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is a certified holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.