Vegan Carrot Muffins with Chocolate Chips
These vegan carrot muffins with chocolate chips are soft, lightly spiced one-bowl muffins made with grated carrots, coconut yogurt, and a flax egg instead of dairy or eggs. They bake in about 12 to 15 minutes and give you all the cozy flavor of carrot cake in a smaller, grab-and-go portion. Carrots and chocolate? It might sound weird, but trust me, this combo is simply amazing.
If you’ve ever tried vegan carrot cake, I can bet you’re going to love these muffins. They have all the benefits of a carrot cake but come in an easy-to-pack portion that works for both snacks and breakfast. I love these because they make it so easy for me to sneak in some more vegetables, and they’re super fun to make. I always like it when I can divide a dessert into smaller pieces, the way muffins let you. I added chocolate chips to the mixture for good measure, because I absolutely love chocolate in muffin recipes.
What you’ll need to bake these
The ingredient list is short and forgiving. Carrots are the star here, so grate them fresh on the fine side of a box grater rather than reaching for the pre-shredded bags, which tend to be dry and woody. You want roughly two packed cups, which keeps the muffins moist as they bake.
The two tablespoons of flaxseed meal, soaked in four tablespoons of water, become the flax egg that binds everything together in place of eggs. Coconut yogurt adds tang and tenderness, while melted coconut oil keeps the crumb soft. For sweetness I reach for maple or agave syrup, and I always like it when I can turn the sugar down a notch, you know? It’s hidden in just about everything anyway, so I might as well control the portion while making something sweet at home. The warm pairing of powdered ginger and nutmeg is what gives these that carrot-cake spice. As for the crunch, I went with walnuts, but if you feel like opting for something else, I highly recommend bits of pecan or hazelnut.
One bowl, a few minutes, done
Start by stirring the water into your flaxseed meal and letting it sit while you measure everything else, so it has time to thicken into a gel. Whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg, then toss the chocolate chips through the dry mix before you add the carrots and walnuts. That little step is worth doing: coating the chips in flour first helps keep them suspended through the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.
From there, add the wet ingredients and stir just until everything comes together. You only need one bowl to mix it all up, so extra time for you because you won’t have to do the dishes afterward, something which, I’m sure, we all hate. I love easy desserts you can whip up in a few minutes, and these are exactly that.
Tips for the best texture
The single biggest thing to watch is overmixing. Once the flour is wet, stir only until you no longer see dry streaks. Working the batter too much develops the gluten and gives you dense, tough muffins instead of a tender crumb. A few lumps are fine.
Fill the muffin cups about three-quarters full so they have room to dome, and bake at 170 degrees C for 12 to 15 minutes. They’re ready when the tops are golden and spring back to a light touch, or when a toothpick comes out clean with just a chocolate smudge. Because ovens vary, start checking at the 12-minute mark so you don’t dry them out. Let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before moving them to a rack, which lets the crumb set so they don’t crumble.
Why cooked carrots work so well here
I know we’ve all grown up with the notion that fruits and vegetables are always better raw because cooking diminishes their vitamins. With carrots, though, gentle cooking actually softens the cell walls and makes some of their nutrients, like beta-carotene, more available to your body. Baking the grated carrots into the batter also releases their natural sweetness and moisture, which is part of why these muffins stay so soft. And if you have kiddos, I’m sure these muffins will be of real help. They make for a really fun breakfast, and I’m yet to hear of a kid who doesn’t love muffins. If yours are picky, this is a tasty way to slip in a serving of vegetables, much like these other vegan recipes for kids.
How to serve and store them
I love having these vegan carrot muffins for breakfast, next to a big, steamy cup of coffee and my favorite book. Sometimes I serve them with a bunch of fresh fruit on the side, such as berries, or even a granola parfait. As I mentioned, they’re amazing as a snack too, so easy to grab one and go. They also pair beautifully with a warm drink if you’re slowing down for the afternoon, so I’ve left a few of my favorite healthy coffee drinks for you to browse.
As you probably know by now, I really love any recipe I can make a big batch of and then store in the freezer. I’m all about convenience, and I’m pretty sure you are too. Once fully cooled, keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days, or in the fridge for up to five. To freeze, wrap them individually and stash them for up to three months, then thaw at room temperature or warm one gently before eating. If chocolate is your weakness like it is mine, you might also enjoy these chocolate chip coconut muffins or a browse through my vegan chocolate recipes.
If you bake a batch, I’d love to know how they turned out for you. Rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me whether you stuck with walnuts or swapped in pecans, and how those chocolate chips behaved in your oven.
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Vegan Carrot Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 2 cups carrots grated
- 1 cup coconut yogurt
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp powdered ginger
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup maple or agave syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add 4 Tbsp of water to your flaxseed meal and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix them in before adding the carrots and walnuts.
- Add the rest of your ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour batter into muffin cups and bake at 170 degrees C for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are fully vegan. Instead of eggs they use a flax egg made from flaxseed meal and water, and the dairy is replaced by coconut yogurt and melted coconut oil. The sweetness comes from maple or agave syrup, so every ingredient is plant-based.
Any thick, unsweetened plant-based yogurt works well, such as soy or almond yogurt. The goal is the tang and moisture it adds, so pick one with a similar creamy texture. Avoid thin, runny yogurts, as they can make the batter too loose.
Stir 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal into 4 tablespoons of water and let it sit while you measure the other ingredients. After a few minutes it thickens into a gel that binds the batter the way an egg would. Let it rest until it looks gloopy before mixing it in.
The most common cause is overmixing the batter. Once you add the wet ingredients, stir only until the dry flour disappears, leaving a few lumps. Overworking the batter develops gluten, which gives you a dense, chewy muffin instead of a light, tender one.
Yes, they freeze beautifully, which makes them great for batch baking. Let them cool completely, wrap each muffin individually, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or warm one gently before eating.
Absolutely. You can skip the walnuts for a nut-free version or swap them for pecans or hazelnuts if you prefer a different crunch. The chocolate chips are optional too, though they add a lovely contrast to the spiced carrot base.
Yummy! Loved them for breakfast with a big glass of almond milk!