Oil-Free Carrot Cake Muffins (Healthy Breakfast Idea)

These Oil-Free Carrot Cake Muffins give you a wholesome, feel-good breakfast that’s naturally sweet, light, and meal-prep friendly — perfect for anyone craving a healthier start without refined sugar or added oils.

For more healthy make-ahead breakfasts, check out our banana oatmeal muffins, apple cinnamon overnight oats, protein apple muffins, and Greek yogurt chia pudding.

Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

• Carrots: Freshly grated carrots keep the muffins extra moist and naturally sweet. Store-bought pre-shredded carrots also work, but they’re a bit drier, so the muffins won’t be quite as soft.
• Flour: All-purpose flour gives the best texture. Swap for half whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or a gluten-free blend if needed.
• Rolled oats: Use old-fashioned oats for structure. Quick oats also work, or try oat flour for a softer crumb.
• Eggs: Help bind the batter and create a soft, fluffy crumb. You can substitute 1 tablespoon chia seeds stirred with 3 tablespoons water, let it sit for 10 minutes, and it will thicken into a gel.
• Honey: Naturally sweetens these honey sweetened muffins while keeping them moist. Maple syrup or agave nectar work the same way. If you don’t have honey or want a more budget-friendly option, replace it with ½ to 1 cup brown sugar, depending on your preferred sweetness.
• Milk: Any dairy or non-dairy milk keeps the batter light. Almond, oat, or soy are all great. You can also use half milk and half plain yogurt for a creamier crumb.
• Baking powder & baking soda: Make the muffins rise. If you’re out, use only baking powder (they’ll still rise well).
• Cinnamon & spices: Add warmth and classic carrot cake flavor. We use cinnamon, ground ginger, all spice, and nutmeg. Try pumpkin spice or cardamom for variation.
• Raisins or nuts: Optional for texture. Swap with chopped dates, cranberries, or seeds for an allergen-friendly no oil muffin recipe.

Heat your oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Because wholesome carrot cake muffins tend to stick, you can lightly mist the liners with a little oil spray — it makes a big difference when removing them later.

Step 2. Grate the Carrots

Finely grate the carrots using the small holes of a box grater so they melt into the batter as they bake. Freshly grated carrots are best because they’re softer and more flavorful than pre-shredded ones, which can be dry. A food processor works too. Set aside.

Step 3. Mix the Wet and Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, honey, salt, and vanilla.
In a second bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, baking powder, and baking soda. Keeping wet and dry ingredients separate helps ensure fluffier, lighter meal prep breakfast muffins.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently until you no longer see streaks of flour. Don’t overmix.

Fold in the grated carrots and raisins. A few lumps in the batter are perfectly fine — overmixing leads to dense, gummy muffins.

5. Fill the Pan and Bake

Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Their flavor gets sweeter and warmer once fully cooled.

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If you tried this oil-free carrot cake muffins recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!