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These paleo carrot muffins have a layer of pecan and cinnamon topping piled on top. The muffin base is filled with shredded carrots,  cinnamon and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas.

paleo carrot muffin on a cooling rack

Paleo Carrot Muffins

Muffins are a favorite around our house, especially with our busy toddler. These paleo carrot cake muffins sneak in veggies and are naturally sweetened with banana. They’re grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free! The topping is a mixture of nuts and cinnamon and we love them for every week, but especially occasions like Easter and Mother’s Day brunch.

What You Need

For the muffins

  • Coconut flour: we don’t need to use a ton in this recipe because coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture. A little goes a long way!
  • Leavens: baking soda and baking powder help these muffins rise.
  • Cinnamon and salt: for flavor! Add a pinch of nutmeg too, if you want!
  • Bananas: make sure they’re extra ripe bananas. Those have the most flavor and are easiest to mash. If you want yours sweeter you could add a couple of tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.
  • Eggs: these are a necessary binder to hold the muffins together. I haven’t tested it, but you could probably use unsweetened applesauce or 
  • Coconut oil: refined is best for a mild coconut flavor.
  • Almond milk: we used an unsweetened variety, but if you have coconut milk, oat milk or another plant-based milk, that will work well.
  • Vanilla extract: every baked good needs this!
  • Almond butter: we always have this on hand and it is a great fat for the base of this muffin recipe. You could also use cashew butter!
  • Shredded carrot: this is the star of the show and makes these muffins delicious, orange and packs in extra nutrients. We buy the pre-packaged shredded carrots to save time.

For the cinnamon streusel

  • Coconut sugar: this is an unrefined sugar that has a sweet, butterscotch taste. Grab it in the baking section of any grocery store.
  • Almond flour: we’re using blanched almond flour in the carrot muffins, which means the almonds are peeled prior to grinding. They’re more mild in color.
  • Coconut oil: grab a refined coconut oil for a mild flavor.
  • Cinnamon and pecans: for flavor and crunch.

It’s the paleo version of the crumb topping in these homemade blueberry muffins and coffee cake muffins.

cinnamon streusel paleo carrot muffin cut in half to see the moist inside

How to Make Paleo Carrot Muffins

Make the cinnamon streusel topping

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until combined and crumbly. Don’t be afraid to double this if you love extra topping, like me!

Make the carrot muffins 

  1. Combine the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 
  2. Add the mashed bananas, eggs, melted coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, almond butter and shredded carrot to a large bowl and whisk to combine. You can throw the carrots in a food processor or blender quickly if you want them chopped into small pieces.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and fold gently, being careful not to over-mix.
  4. Spray muffin liners in a muffin tin then fill them 3.4 of the way full with batter and top with streusel. The more, the merrier!
  5. Bake for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
topping paleo carrot muffin batter with cinnamon streusel

FAQs

Can I use an egg replacer?

Keep these vegan by using an egg replace, like Just Egg. You’ll use 1 tablespoon per egg. I haven’t tested it, but flax eggs or even applesauce could work.

Can I substitute the almond flour or coconut flour?

I don’t recommend swapping the almond or coconut flour in this recipe. Their unique protein structure is important to the texture of the muffins. Check out our other bread and muffins if you need another recipe for muffins with different flour options.

Storage and Freezer Instructions

  • To store: Allow them to cool completely then store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • To freeze: Repeat the same steps as above and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
three paleo carrot muffins stacked on top of each other

If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating  below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!

More Paleo Muffins

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4.78 from 9 votes

Cinnamon Streusel Paleo Carrot Muffins

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 16 minutes
Total: 31 minutes
These paleo carrot muffins have a layer of pecan and cinnamon topping piled on top. The muffin base is filled with shredded carrots,  cinnamon and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas.

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Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

Cinnamon Streusel

  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup almond flour packed
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup pecans finely chopped

Paleo Carrot Muffins

  • cup + 1 tablespoon coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large ripe bananas mashed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or other dairy free milk of choice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cup creamy almond butter
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
  • Combine the streusel ingredients in a small bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until incorporated and crumbly then set it aside.
  • Whisk together the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, melted coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, almond butter and shredded carrot until combined and no yellow streaks remain.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
  • Fill the prepared muffin tins 3/4 of the way full with batter then top each evenly with the prepared streusel topping.
  • Bake for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in the muffin tins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Notes

  • To store: Allow them to cool completely then store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • To freeze: Repeat the same steps as above and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Vegan: Keep these vegan by using an egg replace, like Just Egg. You’ll use 1 tablespoon per egg. I haven’t tested it, but flax eggs or even applesauce could work.

Equipment

  • Muffin tin and paper liners

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.8g | Protein: 5.1g | Fat: 17.3g | Cholesterol: 46.5mg | Sodium: 167.8mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 10.4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. Kimberly Carter says:

    Absolutely DELICIOUS! Had to use peanut butter instead of almond, and my kiddos LOVED it! We will be using this for my soon-to-be-four year old’s birthday cake! Thank you!

    1. Molly Thompson says:

      That’s so cool, Kimberly!! Glad you guys liked it!