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    Home » Breads

    Whole Wheat Carrot Muffin Recipe

    Published: Sep 18, 2019 · Modified: Feb 26, 2020 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 20 Comments

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    Turn to this whole wheat carrot muffin recipe when you need a healthy snack in less than 30 minutes. They're perfect for quick breakfasts, too! Only 178 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP.
    Turn to this whole wheat carrot muffin recipe when you need a healthy snack in less than 30 minutes. They're perfect for quick breakfasts, too! Only 178 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. #muffinrecipe #carrot #wholegrain #weightwatchers

    There is one very good reason that I am sharing this carrot muffin recipe today. Today marks 20 years since I married the love of my life, Steve. It was a gloriously sunny, but cool Vancouver day, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Surrounded by family and friends, we pledged to love and honor each other, we wined and dined together, we danced together and we soaked it all in together.

    And then we ate carrot cake. Perfectly tender, generously iced, spiced carrot cake.

    Fast forward 20 years to present day. We both still adore carrot cake, but we tend to opt for healthier options on a day-to-day basis. So, it only made sense to come up with a muffin that reminded us of that perfect carrot cake that we shared at our wedding 20 years ago, but had zero "Ugh, I'm never going to fit into my jeans if I keep eating this" kind of guilt attached to it.

    The texture was so "right on" that you would never guess that these muffins are low fat. That makes them perfect for on-the-go breakfasts and afternoon snacks. My kids might even find some of these tucked into their lunch boxes.

    I think it's safe to say that Steve and I will be enjoying these for at least another 20 years.

    Whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl, with a whisk.

    What you need for this carrot muffin recipe:

    These are the main components for this recipe (including affiliate links)...

    • Whole wheat pastry flour: I use this whole grain flour in almost all of my baked goods. It has the benefit of a higher fiber content than all-purpose flour, but produces a lighter textured baked good than regular whole wheat flour.
    • Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg encompass all of the warm flavors of autumn. For the nutmeg, you can certainly use bottled ground nutmeg, but I prefer to grate whole nutmeg on a microplane for optimum flavor.
    • Unsweetened applesauce: Mixing applesauce with yogurt allowed me to almost completely eliminate the oil from a standard carrot cake muffin recipe. Be sure to use an unsweetened variety.
    • Nonfat plain Greek yogurt: Along with the applesauce, this works in place of oil.
    • Mix-ins: Grated carrots (of course!), pecans and golden raisins. If you like your carrot cake with pineapple, feel free to swap out some of the raisins.

    Grated carrots, pecans and muffin batter in a mixing bowl.

    Tips for making this carrot muffin recipe:

    • This recipe follows a pretty standard muffin template: Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and spices), stir together the wet ingredients (egg, yogurt, applesauce and oil), then mix in the extras (grated carrots, pecans and raisins). If you have a good muffin formula, you can make almost any combination that suits your fancy!
    • Take care not to over mix the batter. Over mixing tends to produce tougher baked goods. When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix just until the dry ingredients disappear. When adding in the remaining mix-ins (carrots, etc.), just give the batter a few stirs to disperse the mix-ins.
    • I use a light coating of cooking spray to coat the muffins tins, but use butter or oil if you prefer.

    Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins...Only 178 calories and 6 Weight Watchers SP. These are great for a healthy on-the-go breakfast or afternoon snacks. #healthymuffins #healthyrecipes #wwfreestyle

    Can these carrot muffins be frozen?

    Absolutely! Let the muffins cool completely, then transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, just take out the number of muffins that you want. Either allow them to defrost at room temperature (I do this the night before if serving for breakfast) or give them a quick "zap" on the defrost mode of your microwave.

    This carrot muffin recipe get made at least once a month in our house. Make a double batch and freeze the extras. 178 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP #weightwatchers #breakfastrecipes #snackideas

    Other healthy muffin recipes:

    Whole Wheat Apple Spice Muffins {Cookin' Canuck}
    Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins {Cookin' Canuck}
    Healthy Spinach Breakfast Muffins {Love & Zest}
    Healthy Greek Yogurt & Honey Blueberry Muffins {Baker by Nature}

    Turn to this whole wheat carrot muffin recipe when you need a healthy snack in less than 30 minutes. They're perfect for quick breakfasts, too! Only 178 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. #muffinrecipe #carrot #wholegrain #weightwatchers

    Whole Wheat Carrot Muffin Recipe

    Turn to this whole wheat carrot muffin recipe when you need a healthy snack in less than 30 minutes. They’re perfect for quick breakfasts, too!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breads, Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Healthy Snack, Whole Wheat Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12 Servings
    Calories: 178.5kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoon canola oil
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup lightly packed shredded carrots
    • ⅓ cup golden raisins
    • ⅓ cup chopped pecans
    • 12 pecan halves
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat the muffin tin with cooking spray.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
    • In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, Greek yogurt, brown sugar, canola oil and egg. Stir together until the mixture is smooth.
    • Stir the dry ingredients into the applesauce mixture until combined. Stir in the carrot, raisins and chopped pecans.
    • Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups.
    • Bake for 7 minutes. Place one pecan half on top of each muffin. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, an additional 7 to 9 minutes.
    • Remove muffins from the pan and allow to cool. Serve.

    Notes

    Weight Watchers Points: 6 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 5 (Points+)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 178.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.2g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 6.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 15.9mg | Sodium: 126.9mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 14.8g
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    This carrot muffin recipe get made at least once a month in our house. Make a double batch and freeze the extras. 178 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP #weightwatchers #breakfastrecipes #snackideas

    This post was originally published on September 18, 2014 and was updated on September 18, 2019.

    Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Roger and Cindy Myers

        October 30, 2021 at 3:17 pm

        5 stars
        This is our second time to make and they were so good the first time. Thanks

        Reply
        • Dara

          October 31, 2021 at 12:15 pm

          I'm so glad to hear that! A double batch is always a must around here (the second for the freezer). They don't last long! 🙂

          Reply
      2. Wen

        September 13, 2015 at 3:37 pm

        How much salt are we supposed to use? The directions mention salt but it's not in the ingredient list. I used 1/8 teaspoon. Hope I guessed correctly!

        Reply
      3. Tasha @thatssoyummy

        August 03, 2015 at 9:20 am

        Awww Happy Anniversary! These carrot muffins look moist and melt in your mouth!

        Reply
      4. The Food Hunter

        April 28, 2015 at 9:13 am

        congratulations on 15 years

        Reply
      5. Shelley+@+Two+Healthy+Kitchens

        September 23, 2014 at 7:48 pm

        Awwww ... congratulations on 15 happy years! I just loved seeing your wedding photo (and loved, loved that your pup was in it, too! 😀 )! Mmmmmm ... and about these muffins? Awesome! They made me think of my mom right away, because she adores carrot cake - I'd love to make these for her! And ww pastry flour, Greek yogurt and applesauce? I am 100% totally in! Pinning for sure!

        Reply
      6. April @ Girl Gone Gourmet

        September 21, 2014 at 6:51 pm

        Congrats! Love your wedding pic with your dog and the muffins sound delicious!!

        Reply
      7. David Jenkins

        September 21, 2014 at 11:10 am

        Have a happy anniversary & thanks for sharing some of your life with us through delicious and interesting food!

        D

        Reply
      8. Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction

        September 19, 2014 at 8:58 am

        Happy Anniversary!! Love that you made carrot cake healthier in muffin form!

        Reply
      9. Shirley

        September 19, 2014 at 6:37 am

        Would it be OK to use 2% Greel yogurt? I am inclined to think there are ingredients in non-fat dairy that one really should avoid when possible. And/or use 'drained yogurt'? which we did before GY became so easily available (I have 2 Graham Kerr strainers foe that purpose that fit nicely over yogurt containers)
        Great recipe!
        Thank you

        Reply
      10. Julie @ Table for Two

        September 19, 2014 at 5:33 am

        Aww happy anniversary you two! Love the carrot cake muffins!

        Reply
      11. Taylor+@+Food+Faith+Fitness

        September 19, 2014 at 5:22 am

        Happy Anniversary Dara!! 15 years? SO great! I'm just coming up on 2 haha!
        And these muffins look absolutely perfect. We love Carrot Cake, so these are happenin'! Pinned!

        Reply
      12. Rachel+@+Baked+by+Rachel

        September 19, 2014 at 5:22 am

        Happy anniversary! I love that you're sharing this recipe because carrot cake is one of my absolute favorites!

        Reply
      13. Aggie

        September 18, 2014 at 5:59 pm

        Yay!! Happy anniversary!! Congrats!
        I love these muffins, and I know my fam would too. They look incredible, we are big carrot cake lovers around here 🙂

        Reply
      14. Laura+(Tutti+Dolci)

        September 18, 2014 at 3:31 pm

        I love these muffins, what a breakfast treat!

        Reply
      15. carolynne

        September 18, 2014 at 2:40 pm

        This looks good and I'll convert it and try it....can you do some gluten free recipes as well?

        Reply
      16. Anna+@+Crunchy+Creamy+Sweet

        September 18, 2014 at 10:05 am

        These muffins look so good! Pinned!

        Reply
      17. Erin+|+The+Law+Student's+Wife

        September 18, 2014 at 5:03 am

        HAPPY ANNIVERSARY you two!!! I hope you have a wonderful day. Also, I <3 WW pastry flour and these muffins. I have carrots in my fridge and now I know what I want to do with them 🙂

        Reply
      18. Joan

        September 18, 2014 at 4:54 am

        Oh my, these are tasty, dense, and beautiful!

        Reply
      19. Marla+Meridith

        September 18, 2014 at 4:08 am

        LOVing these muffins Dara!!

        Reply

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