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Carrot apple muffins on a wire rack.

Apple Carrot Muffins With Oats

Moist and delicious Carrot Apple Muffins full of fresh apples, carrots, and oats. This is the perfect wholesome snack for kids or a sweet breakfast treat on a chilly fall morning.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 16
Author: Michelle

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Oat Topping

  • 2/3 cup quick oats (not instant)
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark brown sugar works
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted but not hot

Muffin Batter

  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 1/2 cups (6.5 oz) all purpose flour. Measure the flour by spooning into a measuring cup and leveling off. For most accurate results, weigh the flour.
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (1 medium/large) peeled and grated apple
  • 1 cup (1 medium) carrot, shredded

Instructions

To make the topping

  • Combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Give the ingredients a quick stir to mix everything together.
  • Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients. Stir until all the ingredients are well coated and moistened. Set the topping aside and make the muffin batter.
  • Preheat the oven to 400° and line 16 muffin cups (two pans) with paper liners. Spray the top of each muffin tin with cooking spray, so the muffin tops don't stick to the pan during baking

To make the muffins

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the quick oats, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside. Melt the butter in a separate bowl until just melted, and set that aside too.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce and sugar. Add in the egg and the vanilla and whisk until well incorporated. Drizzle the melted butter into the applesauce and egg mixture. Whisk while you drizzle to evenly distribute the butter into the wet ingredients.
  • Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir the batter until almost fully mixed. Leave the batter lumpy with streaks of flour showing.
  • Add the grated apple and carrots to the lumpy batter. Fold the carrots and apples into the batter until evenly distributed and no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.

Top and bake the muffins

  • Divide the batter between 16 muffin cups. Top each muffin with the oat topping made earlier.
  • Bake the muffins at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
  • After baking, let the muffins cool just enough to be handled, then remove the muffins from the pan. Removing the muffins from the pan while they're still warm will keep the tops from sticking. Finish cooling on a wire rack and enjoy!

Notes

Note: This recipe has been updated with less sugar and uses quick oats instead of food-processed old-fashioned oats. (Original: 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats, processed; 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar.)
 
Cuisine Muffins
Course Breakfast

Nutrition

Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1536IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg