Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Muffins
These are some of my all-time favorite muffins! They’re supremely moist and tender with lots of sweet carrots and cozy spices, and the soft yet hearty oats help keep me full all morning. I always feel like I’m sneaking carrot cake for breakfast whenever I eat these! Leftovers will keep for at least 4 days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they also freeze well.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (75g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tbsp (8g) ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- 2 ¼ cups (236g) freshly grated carrots (about 3-4 large, peeled first!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 13 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 13 muffins cups with liners and coat them with cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, Greek yogurt, 6 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg whites, and stevia. Stir in the oat mixture, mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining ¾ cup of milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 29-32 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's extremely important to measure the oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will make your muffins turn out dry. This is especially true of the oats; they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture.
IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to make the batter. This will result in rubbery, gummy, dense, or tough muffins. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For sweeter muffins, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
IMPORTANT CARROTS NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots). They’re too thick and dry, and they don’t soften properly while baking.
OATS NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, so they soften faster (which gives these muffins their moist and fluffy texture!). They only include one ingredient — oats! — just like old-fashioned rolled oats. You can find instant oats right next to the traditional old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store. (They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal!)
In a pinch, to make your own, add ¾ cup (75g) of old-fashioned rolled oats to a blender or food processor, and pulse until they’re ⅛ to ¼ of their original size.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.
SPICE NOTES: I prefer Saigon cinnamon (I buy it online here!) because it tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. The allspice and nutmeg round out the spice flavor and add both richness and warmth.
EGG WHITES NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: The muffins require 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the muffins maintain their shape and texture while cooling. Without both egg whites, the muffins will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 large eggs AND decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon (15mL) to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.
STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, use the same liquid stevia that I do. I buy it online here (← that’s the best price I’ve found!), and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. (It's one of my favorite ingredients!)
However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the muffins, substitute 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar AND reduce the milk to ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150mL). You may also substitute 1 cup (240mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND reduce the milk to 2 tablespoons (30mL) instead. The baking time may vary slightly with either of those substitutions as well.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats. For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.
HOW TO STORE: Store the fully cooled muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least 4 days, if not longer.
FREEZING TIPS: Peel off the paper liners before freezing. (It’s harder to peel them off after thawing or reheating the muffins!) I like to thaw individual muffins in the microwave on 50% power until they’re warmed all the way through. They almost taste freshly baked like that!
{gluten-free, nut-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.