5 servings of vegetables is difficult to get in every single day. Which is why I like to find ways to incorporate hidden vegetables into snacks like these protein banana carrot muffins. I've made these in small batches and in large batches for some presentations and gifting and they are definitely a winner!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Carrot cake. I always felt iffy about carrot cake growing up, but how much I enjoyed these shows how much my taste buds have changed. Other similar recipes include my coconut carrot cake loaf and single serve carrot cake.
Secret veggies. If you're like me and struggle to get your 5 serves in, try my carrot cake protein balls or carrot cake overnight oats.
Muffins. Muffins are the perfect snack and are great for a breakfast meal prep. If you're a fan, make sure you try my eggless blueberry muffins as well.
Ingredients
Carrots. Make sure to grate this super fine so you don't get that "heavy" carrot taste.
Banana. The riper (the blacker) the better. This will increase the sweetness of the muffins.
Maple Syrup. I use maple syrup in a lot of my protein muffin recipes instead of white or brown sugar because I love the flavour. Especially in these, it adds an extra layer of flavour which really compliments the cinnamon and nutmeg. This can make the muffins slightly denser in texture, so if you prefer a light and fluffy muffin, see substitutions and variations below.
Protein. I use a neutral vegan protein powder for my muffins because it is relatively versatile and acts very similar to flour.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Banana. Substitute with apple sauce or apple puree.
Sugar. I like to use maple syrup for my muffin recipes because it adds another dimension of flavour. But it can make the muffins slightly denser in texture. If you prefer a light and fluffy muffin, substitute the maple syrup for white or brown sugar.
Dairy-free. To make these muffins dairy-free, use a dairy-free butter (e.g. nuttelex) or oil (e.g. olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil). Substitute the milk for a plant-based alternative such as soy, almond or oat, or you could use water.
How to make carrot and banana muffins
Step 1: In a large bowl, using a stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk and beat together butter and maple syrup.
note - if you're in a cold climate, you might have to heat up the bowl. You may also be left with small solids (this is okay).
Step 2: Mix in eggs, mashed banana, baking powder, vanilla, spices and salt.
Step 3: Stir flour and protein powder until JUST combined. It should be thick and creamy.
Step 4: Fold in grated carrot and any optional extras.
Step 5: Line a muffin tray with muffin liners and add mixture using either a spoon or an icecream scoop. I use 2 icecream scoops for each muffin. Top with walnuts (optional).
Step 6: Bake for 7 minutes at 210C (410F), and 17 minutes at 175C (350F) or until dry skewer. Baking at a higher temperature to begin with helps the muffins rise to get the bakery style muffins
My Top Tips
Add-ins. Add in your choice of sultanas/raisins, coconut, walnuts, dried apricots or even choc chips. Mix-and-match between your batches to keep it interesting.
Don't overfill. If you want that perfect muffin top, don't overfill your liners. Add to halfway so they continue to rise to get the hill top.
Storing Carrot Muffins
You can store these either on the bench or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days (up to a week in the fridge).
If you live in a hot climate, I would recommend keeping these in the fridge otherwise they will sweat at room temperature and may spoil.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQ
Yes! I haven't noticed any difference in freezing protein powder muffins and non-protein powder muffins.
You can freeze these protein carrot cake muffins for up to 3 months in a ziplock bag or wrapped in aluminium foil. Avoid using a container as this will leave too much air and could cause freezer burn which will impact the texture.
You can store sweet vegetable muffins on the bench in the airtight container or in the fridge for up to 5 days (or a week if they're in the fridge).
This depends on your version of "healthy". Hidden vegetables in muffins is a way of get in an extra serve of vegetables if you struggle day-to-day.
Other snacks you might like
Or, you can have a browse through my Snacks category for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Protein Banana Carrot Muffins Recipe
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Equipment
- Muffin Tin, moderate depth
- Silicone Muffin Liners, optional
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer, optional (or hand-mixer)
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, See Note 1
- 160 g (½ cup) maple syrup, See Note 2
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 130 g (½ cup) banana , mashed, approx.1, See Note 3
- 60 g (¼ cup) milk, See Note 4
- 100 g (1 cup) carrot, approx.2, See Note 5
Dry ingredients
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) flour, all purpose
- 90 g (¾ cup) vegan protein powder, vanilla or neutral, See Note 6
- 10 g (3 teaspoon) baking powder
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 5 g (2 teaspoon) cinnamon, adjust to preferences
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) nutmeg, adjust to preferences
Extras (optional)
- 80 g (½ cups) Sultanas
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F).
- Finely grate 100 g (1 cup) carrot and remove excess liquid with a paper towel.
- Mash 130 g (½ cup) banana .
Mix ingredients
- In a large bowl, mix together 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter and 160 g (½ cup) maple syrup. note - in cold climates, you might have small amounts of solid and may need to warm up the bowl in the microwave. Small amounts are fine, but if it's not mixing, it'll need to be warmer.using a stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk and beat together butter and maple syrup. Add eggs, mashed banana, milk, baking powder, vanilla, spices and salt.
- Mix in 2 eggs, 130 g (½ cup) banana , 60 g (¼ cup) milk, 10 g (3 teaspoon) baking powder, 3 g (1 teaspoon) salt, 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract, 5 g (2 teaspoon) cinnamon, 3 g (1 teaspoon) nutmeg
- Stir 150 g (1 ¼ cups) flour and 90 g (¾ cup) vegan protein powder flour and protein powder until JUST combined.
- Gently fold in 100 g (1 cup) carrot and 80 g (½ cups) Sultanas
Baking
- Line a muffin tray with muffin liners and add mixture to half way.
- Bake for 7 minutes then decrease heat to 175°C (350°F) for 17 minutes. You should get a mostly dry skewer with a couple of wet crumbs. Allow to cool once removed for 10 minutes.
Lisa
The 1/4 cup milk was not used in the recipe. ????
athletelunchbox
Hi Lisa, thank you for your comment. This should be added alongside the rest of the wet ingredients. I have fixed it up on the recipe card 🙂