These protein banana carrot muffins are soft, moist and lightly spiced, with ripe banana, finely grated carrot and protein powder mixed through the batter. They're naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup, freezer-friendly, and easy to prep for breakfasts, lunchboxes or afternoon snacks.
I always felt iffy about carrot cake growing up, but how much I enjoyed these shows how much my taste buds have changed. It's especially useful because I find it difficult to get in my "5-a-day" as I have a massive sweet tooth!
Thankfully, some amazing person invented carrot cake which sneaks in some extra veg to those sweet treats. I've made carrot cake overnight oats and carrot cake baked oats for breakfasts, and sweet treats like my single serve carrot cake and carrot cake loaf just to sneak in that little bit of extra veg.
TL;DR
- Servings: 10 large muffins
- Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes
- Meal prep: Keep as a snack on its own, or combine with some yogurt and fresh fruit for an easy on-the-go breakfast
- Counter storage: 3-5 days (depending on climate)
- Fridge storage: 7 days (may dry out slightly)
- Freezer storage: 3 months (wrap tightly)
- Customise: Add mix-ins of choice including sultanas, choc chips, an extra swirl of cinnamon or some nuts.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
Breakfast or snack. Have on its own as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or bulk it out with some yogurt and fresh fruit for a filling breakfast.
Secret veggies. If you're like me and struggle to get your 5 serves in, try my carrot cake protein balls or zucchini chocolate muffins.
Higher-protein. Because I developed these specifically with a higher protein amount in mind, they're fantastic for those who need to add in a bit more to their diet.
Ingredients
Carrots. You'll want to peel them and 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 naturally 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, you can substitute for equal amounts white sugar.
Nutmeg and Cinnamon. These can be measured to taste depending on how strong you want the flavours to come through.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
What protein powder works best?
I use a neutral vegan protein powder for my muffins because it is relatively versatile and acts very similar to flour.
Whey and other types of protein powder can work (I've personally tried whey), however, they can sometimes create a funny aftertaste and don't act the same as flour which is why I frequently recommend vegan.
If you don't mind the funny aftertaste of whey, you can use it, just note it will make the muffins slightly denser and more rubbery. I also find they vary a lot more brand to brand so I don't feel comfortable developing my recipes around it.
Note: protein amount will vary depending on the protein powder used. The nutrition estimate is based on the API within the application that I use which is approx. 30g per scoop (or 2 tbsp).
Added protein is completely optional and can be replaced with equal amounts flour.
Substitutions and variations
Banana. Substitute with apple sauce or apple puree. Note that this will change the banana undertone of the muffins.
Sugar. I like to use maple syrup for my muffin recipes because it adds another dimension of flavour. You can also substitute for equal amounts honey but note this can make it stick to the wrapper (if using).
Both maple syrup and honey can make for a denser muffin so if you prefer a light and fluffy muffin, substitute for equal amounts white or brown sugar (lightly packed).
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
Lauren's Top Tips
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.
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.
How to make protein muffins moist, not dense
A lot of protein muffins and protein baked goods that you buy from the store are quite dry, rubbery and have that weird protein taste to it. I don't like that so I have specifically developed these to have a moist texture that doesn't leave your mouth feeling all dry.
I've also made these for about 50 people and have had nothing but compliments so I definitely think that's a positive!
Here are my top tips:
- Use very ripe bananas for sweetness and moisture.
- Grate carrot finely so it blends into the batter.
- Squeeze out excess carrot moisture, but do not dry it completely.
- Mix only until just combined.
- Do not overbake - pull them when a skewer has a few moist crumbs.
- Use vegan protein powder if you want a more flour-like texture.
- If using whey, expect a slightly different texture and possible aftertaste.
How to meal prep banana carrot muffins
If you haven't caught on already, I love a good sweet treat (and a sweet breakfast). These muffins are great for a meal prepped breakfast because they are higher in protein - but I still wouldn't recommend it on its own.
I personally like combining it with some yogurt and fresh fruit, but you could also halve it, toast it and pop on some homemade raspberry chia jam for a little bit of extra indulgence (and fibre).
Storing
Before popping the lid on the container you're storing them in, let them cool properly otherwise the moisture will cause the top of the muffin to go soggy.
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.
Can you freeze protein muffins?
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.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQ
Dense muffins are usually caused by overmixing the batter or using too much protein powder. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until they're just combined, and remember that protein powder can make muffins heavier than a standard bakery-style muffin.
Protein muffins can dry out if they're overbaked, if the batter is too thick, or if the protein powder absorbs a lot of moisture. Pull them from the oven when a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs, not when it's completely dry.
Yes, lightly squeeze out the excess moisture so the muffins don't become soggy or gummy. You don't need to wring it completely dry - a little moisture from the carrot helps keep the muffins soft.
Other snacks you might like
Or, you can have a browse through my Snacks category for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Banana Carrot Muffins (with Protein Powder)
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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 ml (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
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon, adjust to preferences
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, adjust to preferences
Extras (optional)
- ½ cup Sultanas, or other toppings, see note 7
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F).
- Finely grate 100 g (1 cup) carrot and remove excess liquid with a paper towel. Note - no need to go hard on this step as some liquid will help with the texture of the muffins. Just squeeze out excess.
- Mash 130 g (½ cup) banana .
Mix ingredients
- In a large bowl using a stand mixer, hand mixer etc. 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.
- Mix in 2 eggs, 130 g (½ cup) banana , 60 ml (¼ cup) milk, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg
- Stir 150 g (1 ¼ cups) flour and 90 g (¾ cup) vegan protein powder flour and protein powder until JUST combined (otherwise they can go dense)
- Gently fold in 100 g (1 cup) carrot and ½ cup 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 🙂
Anonymous
Great recipe, muffins came out great! I subbed the maple syrup for 1/4c sf syrup and 1/4c brown monk fruit. ONE QUESTION: *How did you get 10g of protein per muffin?* I used whey isolate protein powder (25p/110cal) and mine comes out to 6.7g protein per muffin.
athletelunchbox
Thank you so much for your comment - I'm glad you enjoyed the muffins!
The protein is automatically calculated on the recipe card based off the inputs. How many muffins did yours make? My 10 were quite large and the milk (full-cream) would also add additional protein.