Carrot Cake Muffins with Ginger Crumble
Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins! Fluffy, moist, and oil-free, these plant-based muffins have a ginger and brown sugar crumble topping and are perfect to batch for breakfasts all week.
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👩🍳 Kristina’s recipe notes
EASE: Easy, only 25 minutes, simple ingredients
PROS: Decadent, great way to use up old carrots
PREP? Lasts 5 days, but or freeze for 1 month
PLAN IT: Make a batch for a week of quick breakfasts
DIETITIAN NOTES: Only plant-based ingredients, oil-free
👉 Ingredient notes
Be sure to check out the full ingredient list in the recipe card below
- Shredded carrot: you’ll need fresh grated carrot for this recipe, as the moisture releases to create a fluffy muffin (no dry carrot shreds!)
- Flour: all purpose white flour is what I used, but all purpose wheat (or a combo of the two) will work as well; use gluten free all purpose flour for gluten free muffin
- Sugar: a mixture of white and brown granulated sugar yields the best muffins, but you could use all of one or the other in a pinch
- Baking essentials: baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Flax egg: ground flax seed and hot water are mixed to create a flax egg, which helps muffin retain texture
- Spices: cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg are what I used, but you can also get creative and try new flavors
- Wet ingredients: plant-based milk (I used oat), applesauce to make it oil-free (use a neutral oil if you don’t it), vanilla, and apple cider vinegar
- Crumb topping: optional, but worth it; a little bit of flour, sugar, cinnamon, melted vegan butter, and fresh minced ginger
- Recommended tools: 12-count muffin tin, muffin liners, mixing bowls, cookie cooling rack
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
Below are step-by-step photos with short instructions of how to make zucchini muffins. For the full recipe and ingredients, see the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
1️⃣ Step One: Preheat oven and prep muffin tin
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin liners. Then shred your fresh carrots, if you haven’t already – I used a food processor, but you can also hand grate them (it’s an arm workout!).
2️⃣ Step Two: Make flax egg
Add ground flax seeds and hot water to a small bowl and mix until well combined, then let sit 5 minutes to thicken.
3️⃣ Step Three: Mix dry ingredients
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, then add white granulated sugar, brown granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk to combine.
4️⃣ Step Four: Add wet ingredients and let sit
Add the shredded carrots, thickened flax egg, plant-based milk, applesauce, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix to combine.
👉 Batter consistency note: The mixture may seem very dry, but continue to mix until it is as combined as possible and then let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes until the shredded carrot releases its water. The moisture from the carrots will help hydrate the ingredients and after sitting you can mix a bit more to make sure the batter is well mixed.
5️⃣ Step Five: Make crumb topping
Add flour, sugar, fresh grated ginger, and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix to combine. Then add melted vegan butter and use your fingers to mix it into the flour mixture to create a crumb-like texture.
4️⃣ Step Six: Bake muffins
Add batter to the muffin tin until each is about 2/3 filled, and sprinkle with the ginger crumb topping (if using).
Place tin in the oven and bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork comes clean. Then remove muffins to a cooling rack to cool, then store or enjoy!
💡 Recipe Tips
- What type of flour is best for muffins? For the most moist and fluffy muffins, use white all purpose flour. All purpose wheat flour will work as well, but it will make a denser muffin – you could also do a mix of white and wheat (I have not tested this yet, so please let me know if you do).
- How can you make these muffins gluten free? To make these muffins gluten free, use all purpose gluten free flour instead of traditional all purpose.
- What type of plant-based milk should you use? A creamy plant-based milk like oat milk is best, but any type of plant-based milk will work well.
- Can you use oil instead of applesauce? These muffins are oil-free by using applesauce, however you can use a neutral oil in place of applesauce if you don’t have it.
🧊 How to store and reheat
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days, and in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days.
- Freezer storage: Freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container for up to 1 month.
- Reheat instructions: To thaw, remove from the freezer into the refrigerator for 24 hours before eating, or zap in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
👉 More plant-based muffin recipes
Want more vegan recipes? Try Vegan Zucchini Bread Muffins and Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. Want to try these muffins as a bread? Make this Ginger Carrot Cake Bread.
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Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins with Ginger Crumble
Equipment
- 1 muffin tin
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 cooling rack
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Muffin Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded carrot freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plant-based milk
- ½ cup applesauce or neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Ginger Crumble Topping Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prep muffin tin: First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin liners. Then shred your fresh carrots, if you haven’t already.1 cup shredded carrot
- Make flax egg: Add ground flax seeds and hot water to a small bowl and mix until well combined, then let sit 5 minutes to thicken.1 tablespoon ground flax, 3 tablespoons hot water
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, then add white granulated sugar, brown granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk to combine.2 cups all purpose flour, ⅓ cup white granulated sugar, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add wet ingredients and let sit: Add the shredded carrots, thickened flax egg, plant-based milk, applesauce, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix to combine. The mixture may seem very dry, but continue to mix until it is as combined as possible and then let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes until the shredded carrot releases its water. The moisture from the carrots will help hydrate the ingredients and after sitting you can mix a bit more to make sure the batter is well mixed.¼ cup plant-based milk, ½ cup applesauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Make crumb topping: Add flour, sugar, and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix to combine. Then add melted vegan butter and use your fingers to mix it into the flour mixture to create a crumb-like texture.⅓ cup all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- Bake muffins: Add batter to the muffin tin until each is about 2/3 filled, and sprinkle with crumb topping (if using). Place tin in the oven and bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork comes clean.
- Cool and enjoy: Remove muffins from the tin and let cook on a cooling rack. Then store or enjoy!