If you like banana bread and carrot cake, you are going to love these banana carrot muffins. These muffins use ripe bananas and freshly grated carrots to add a ton of flavor an moisture.
Why I Love This Recipe
If banana bread and carrot cake had a baby, their baby would be these moist banana carrot muffins. I am a big fan of banana bread and carrot cake, so naturally I’m a total sucker for these.
Overly ripe bananas and brown sugar give these muffins the hallmark moisture and banana-y flavor you get with a good slice of banana bread. Shredded carrots and spices give these muffins the tenderness and flavor you would expect from a piece of carrot cake.
These muffins bake up with impressively tall tops. A simple vanilla glaze is drizzled on top of each muffin, making them that much better. Carrot and banana muffins make a great grab and go breakfast, or Easter treat.
Tools I Recommend
For this recipe I find the following tools quite handy (Amazon affiliate links):
Tips for Making Carrot Banana Muffins
- Use room temperature ingredients – When making these muffins use room temperature eggs and butter. Room temperature ingredients will bind together better than cold ingredients, resulting in a lighter and taller final product.
- Measure the flour – In order to avoid dry muffins, make sure your flour is measured out correctly. To do this, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off, ensuring it doesn’t become packed, or weigh the flour for exact measurements.
- Use fresh ingredients – The combination of baking soda and baking powder in this recipe is necessary to leaven the muffins. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh for the best results.
- Whisk the dry ingredients – Whisk the dry ingredients separately to ensure the baking powder is evenly distributed before adding it to the wet ingredients.
- Don’t over mix the batter – Over mixing the batter can can cause too much gluten development, resulting in muffins that are tough and rubbery. Avoid over mixing to keep your banana and carrot muffins light and tender.
Commonly Asked Questions
- Do I need to peel the carrots before grating them? It isn’t necessary to peel the carrots before grating them. Just be sure to wash them well and trim any imperfections before grating.
- Can I use bananas that have been frozen? If using frozen bananas you will still need to mash them up, but don’t worry about defrosting them first. When using frozen bananas you may need to increase the baking time by 3-5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Should I mash the bananas completely or leave some chunks? I mash the bananas until mostly smooth, but leave some chunks for texture. Mash the bananas to your preferred consistency.
- Do I need to drain excess moisture from the grated carrots? It’s not necessary to drain excess moisture from the grated carrots, but you can lightly squeeze them if they seem very wet.
- Should I use paper liners or grease the muffin tin? I prefer to bake muffins in paper liners, but you can use paper liners or grease the muffin tin, depending on your preference.
The Secret to Muffins With Tall Tops
The secret to getting muffins with tall perfectly domed tops, is to bake them at a higher temperature initially and then drop to the temperature to finish baking them. The higher temperature, 400°F (204°C) for this recipe, encourages the muffins to rise quickly and sets the edges.
Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at this higher temperature before dropping the temperature, 350°F (177°C) for this recipe, to finish baking. Dropping the temperature after the edges have set and the initial rise is encouraged, helps to finish baking the muffins all the way through without burning them.
How to Store Banana and Carrot Muffins
These banana carrot muffins will stay moist for days if stored properly. Because of the bananas and carrots in the batter it is best to keep the leftovers chilled and not store them at room temperature. Keep the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
If you want to make these muffins ahead of time you can freeze them. Store them in an air tight container after they have completely cooled and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready, pull them out of the freezer and allow them to thaw fully before serving.
More Recipes to Try
- Banana Bread with Streusel Topping
- Strawberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Cherry Cinnamon Rolls with Homemade Filling
- Chocolate Blueberry Cake
Banana Carrot Muffins
12-14
servings25
minutes55
minutesIf you like banana bread and carrot cake, you are going to love these banana carrot muffins. These muffins use ripe bananas and freshly grated carrots to add a ton of flavor an moisture.
Ingredients
- Muffin Batter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
8 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large bananas, overly ripe
1 1/4 cup shredded carrots, about 2 large carrots
- Vanilla Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnut pieces, for topping
Directions
- Mix the Batter
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves until evenly mixed. Then, set the bowl aside.
- Using an hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the brown sugar and butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes or until it is fluffy and aerated, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the eggs to the creamed butter-sugar mixture one at a time, beating until each addition is fully incorporated.
- Whisk in the vanilla, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until fully combined and you achieve a thick, lump free batter. Be careful not to over mix the batter or your muffins could turn out tough.
- Fold the mashed banana and shredded carrots into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Bake
- Place paper cups in, or grease, a standard 12-muffin pan. Fill each cup completely with approximately 1/4 cup of batter.
- Place the muffins on the lower center rack of a 400°F (204°C) preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes, then drop the temperature oven the oven to 350°F (177°C) for an additional 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Avoid over baking to keep them moist.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack for complete cooling. Repeat the baking process with the remaining batter.
- Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until a thin glaze forms.
- Once fully cooled, spoon the vanilla glaze onto the tops of the muffins and sprinkle with walnut pieces before serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: When making these muffins use room temperature eggs and butter. Room temperature ingredients will bind together better than cold ingredients, resulting in a lighter and taller final product.
- Measure the flour: In order to avoid dry muffins, make sure your flour is measured out correctly. To do this, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off, ensuring it doesn’t become packed.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Whisk the dry ingredients separately to ensure the baking powder is evenly distributed before adding it to the wet ingredients.
- Getting muffins with tall tops: The secret to getting muffins with tall perfectly domed tops, is to bake them at a higher temperature initially and then drop to the temperature to finish baking them. The higher temperature, 400°F (204°C) for this recipe, encourages the muffins to rise quickly and sets the edges. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at this higher temperature before dropping the temperature, 350°F (177°C) for this recipe, to finish baking. Dropping the temperature after the edges have set and the initial rise is encouraged, helps to finish baking the muffins all the way through without burning them.
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