These Apple Carrot Muffins (also known as Sunshine Muffins) are full of carrots, apples, coconut, cinnamon & nutmeg. Your house will smell amazing after baking a batch of them!
These Carrot Apple Muffins are the best muffins to wake up to, hence their nickname “Sunshine Muffins”! They’re soft and full of delicious flavor. They’re one of my favorite muffin recipes. This recipe originally came from my sister, Nicole, but I’ve been making it for my family for years. It’s one of those recipes that everyone loves!
We go through a LOT of cereal at my house. I try to buy the better-for-you cereals but they end up sitting in the cupboard, uneaten, for weeks. What my kids really like are the super sweet kinds that are void of any real nutrition and full of artificial flavors and sweeteners. They can eat bowl after bowl and be hungry again less than an hour later!
Instead, I’ll whip up a batch of these muffins for breakfast and my kids with devour them! They taste so sinfully good. They’re super moist from the grated carrots and apples and have a yummy, spicy flavor from the nutmeg and cinnamon. It’s a sneaky (but awesome) way to get my kids to eat carrots and apples (without bribery) and keep them full longer. Plus it helps keep my cereal shelf full longer, too. 😉
And if you’re thinking, “no way can these taste good with carrot AND apple in them”, then let me set you straight. You’re dead wrong! Here’s why these Carrot Apple Muffins are one of my favorite:
- The carrots and apples make these muffins incredibly moist and tender.
- The addition of cinnamon and nutmeg in these muffins will have your house smelling like heaven, no joke! Seriously.
- They freeze well and with a quick microwave thaw, taste like they’re fresh from the oven.
- They’re practically a mom WIN because you’re getting a vegetable AND a fruit in a breakfast muffin. 😉
I made these last week when I had a few of my son’s friends over. Of course after I pulled them out of the oven, I got curious kids coming into the kitchen asking if they could try one. Mostly because the smell of apples, cinnamon and nutmeg went all through the house. These Sunshine Muffins are so easy to throw together for a quick breakfast. Whether you have kids or not, these muffins will be a hit at your breakfast table!
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Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup apple peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional
- 1/4 cup coconut optional
- coarse sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with wooden spoon.
- Fold in remaining ingredients: carrots, apple, nuts and coconut.
- Scoop into 12 regular-sized greased muffin tins and sprinkle a little coarse sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. ENJOY!!
YUM!!! These look so good!
Hi! Everyting on here looks DELISH! New follower here from the GFC hop! Happy to be connected to you! Would love a follow back over at Moms Surviving Kids.
hugs,
Megan@ http://www.momssurvivingkids.com
I have never met a muffin named sunshine that I didn’t love. love this.
Aloha,
Following ya now from the sweet GFC blog hop. We’re riding the wave of life at Local Sugar Hawaii and I’d so love it if you’d join us for the adventure.
xo,
Nicole
localsugarhawaii.com
Yay!! I love muffins! They’re the bestest! And if you can squeeze healthiness in, all the better! These are going on my “must try” list! Glad I saw you at Tasty Tuesdays 🙂
~April @DimplesandDelights
Oh they look super delicious! I just love the ingredient combo!
Thank you for sharing this at Wednesday Extravaganza – I hope I see you there again this week 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great day and come back real soon!
Miz Helen
The makers of candy cereal should be tortured! Thanks for sharing such a lovely breakfast alternative.
These muffins are so full of healthy goodies. They’d make a great school morning breakfast (as much as I’m not ready to think about back-to-school!)
Love this recipe….second time I have made them. I used organic apples and grated skin and all…they melt right in. My choice for the oil was coconut and it works beautifully. These muffins are delicious….everyone loved them. Thanks!
Linda
Shediac Bridge, NB
Canada
Hi Linda! I’m so happy you liked them! They’re a favorite of ours! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
the muffins do look delish. the rule in my house as my girls were growing up was that sugary sweet junk cereal was for weekends only. or dont even buy it. you can’t eat what’s not there.
SO TRUE!!!
I absolutely love this recipe! But needing some help. I have a vegan friend visiting. What could I substitute the eggs with? Should I just increase the oil? ?
Hi Sara!! You can use a chia egg in place of a real egg! Check out this website for more info! https://minimalistbaker.com/make-chia-egg/
I know this recipie has been posted for quite some time but, has anyone tried substituting the apple for applesauce?
I have and they are so delicious.
The Grandchildren loved the sunshine muffins. They smelt incredible and moist . Very easy to prepare.
Yay! They’re so good, right?!
Hi Jen, these muffins look delicious. Is it possible not to use apples and use 3 cups of carrots instead of 2? Thanks : ) , Summer
Hi Summer! I haven’t tried it but I’m betting it will turn out fine since you’re keeping the same amounts. If you do try it, let me know how you like them!
Hi
Is the flour used in apple carrit muffins plain or self raising.
Thanks
Lis
Hi Lis! It’s all-purpose flour. I hope you give them a try! Thanks!
I’m going to make these today!! Do you think I could use Monk sugar and gluten flour instead. My daughter can’t have wheat or sugar?
I haven’t tried it but I’m sure it would be just fine to switch those out! Let me know how they turn out!
These turned out perfectly! Very moist and delicious. We opted for adding walnuts, but not coconut. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
I’m so glad you liked them!!
These look delicious. I love the apple carrot combo. I make a similar muffin with whole wheat flour. YUM!!
Delicious!!
Thank you Jen!! I’m so happy you liked them!
These are sooo delicious!
Question though… what kind of apples did you use? My grated Gala apples turned green after baking, is that normal?
Hi Nancy! Hmmm that’s weird. I usually use fuji apples and that doesn’t happen. Maybe try those next time and let me know how they turn out!
Can you substitute oat bran for the flour or some of it?
Hi Sara! I haven’t tried it before but I’m sure you can sub oat bran for part of the flour! This is a pretty versatile, easy recipe. Let me know if you do try it!
Hi can I use unsweetened apply sauce instead of apples thx
I pureed cooked, softened carrots and used applesauce instead of shredded apples. They came out great! Alot like carrot cake only in muffin form. I will make these again for sure!
Nutritional vaues please
Done.