Orange carrot muffins, made with old fashioned oatmeal, make a great healthy snack! They’re studded with orange zest, grated carrots, and chopped cranberries for maximum flavor and nutritious pops of color. With easy adjustments, these muffins can also be suitable for baby led weaning and toddlers.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.
It’s fa-la-la-la-Friday! And I’m coming atcha with a festive recipe that captures some of the season’s best flavors.
These healthy orange carrot muffins feature fresh cranberries and fiber-rich flour made from ground old fashioned oats. My goal when making them was to highlight the unbeatable flavor combo of orange and cranberry while still adding a veggie!
The final result is oh-so-delicous! The grated carrots make the batter perfectly moist, while the tart cranberries contribute amazing flavor. I’m in love!
They’d be a great addition to a Christmas morning brunch. But you can also totally make them for weekly meal prep at any time of the year (spoiler: you can use frozen cranberries if fresh aren’t available). Plus, I included tips for modifying the recipe for babies and toddlers. Enjoy these wonderful muffins with the whole family!
How to Make Orange Carrot Muffins
For the full ingredients list and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post. Here’s a preview of the recipe, followed by my expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
- Prepare the ingredients. Ground the rolled oats into a flour using a food processor. Grate the carrots using a hand grater and roughly chop the cranberries in the food processor or with a knife.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients, and whisk until combined.
- Fold the grated carrots and chopped cranberries into the batter. Mix well.
- Spoon the batter into a muffin pan. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Expert Tips and FAQ
- Use a food processor with the S blade or high-powered blender with food processor functions to make the oat flour. Use 2 cups of old fashioned oats (AKA rolled oats) to yield 1 and ¾ cups ground oat flour. You can also purchase pre-made oat flour if desired.
- If needed, you can use frozen cranberries instead of fresh. They will add some extra moisture to the batter but it shouldn’t be a problem. Chop them in the same way you would the fresh cranberries—with a knife or in the food processor with the S blade.
- I like to use a hand grater to make finely grated pieces of carrot for this recipe. It’s easy to pack in a lot of carrots if they’re in tiny pieces, and they get evenly distributed throughout the batter this way. You could also shred the carrots in the food processor with the shredding blade (if using, since you will already have it out).
- After they cool completely, store orange carrot muffins in an airtight container. I like to put them in the fridge to extend their shelf life to about 5 days (if they even last that long!). If you store them at room temperature, they will spoil more quickly.
- Be sure to use certified gluten free oats if you need these muffins to be gluten free.
- If you have made any of my recent muffin recipes, then you know that I am smitten with my silicone muffin tin from Target. It makes baking muffins SO easy. They pop right out, and clean-up is a breeze.
Can you freeze orange carrot muffins?
Yes, these muffins freeze very well. After baking, let them cool completely. Wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, or reheat from frozen in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds until warmed through.
Can you make them vegan?
This recipe is not vegan due to the use of eggs. However, I imagine that flax eggs would work very well as a substitute. To replace the 2 eggs, mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken, then add it to the batter.
Are these baby-friendly?
You can make these oatmeal orange carrot muffins suitable for baby led weaning with a couple adjustments. Since added sugar and salt are not recommended for babies until after their first birthday, replace the maple syrup in this recipe with the same amount of mashed banana and omit the salt. For toddlers over a year old, the recipe should be suitable as written.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
Love these oatmeal orange carrot muffins with cranberries? Check out these other muffin recipes:
- Vegan Carrot Banana Muffins
- Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Muffins
- Spinach Banana Muffins
- Sweet Potato Blueberry Flax Muffins
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Oatmeal Orange Carrot Muffins with Cranberries
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats - AKA rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup maple syrup - can sub honey
- ¼ cup avocado oil - can sub canola oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons orange zest - from about 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups grated carrots
- 1.5 cups roughly chopped cranberries - fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. If not using a silicone muffin tin, prepare a muffin tin with liners or nonstick spray.
- Add the oats to a food processor with an S blade and pulse until ground into a fine flour. The 2 cups of oats should yield about 1 and ¾ cups oat flour. You can also use pre-made oat flour in this amount.
- Add the oats to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl: eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, avocado oil (or other neutral-tasting oil), orange zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
- Prep the grated carrots and roughly chopped cranberries if you didn't do it before starting. I use a hand grater for the carrots and roughly chop the cranberries in my food processor, since I already have it out. You can also chop the cranberries with a knife. Fold the carrots and cranberries into the muffin batter, and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin pan. I like to use an ice cream scoop. You will fill each cup almost all the way to the top.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes in the muffin pan. Enjoy them warm, or pop them out and transfer to a wire rack to finishing cooling.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- If you need these to be strictly gluten free, use certified gluten free oats.
- To make these for babies under 1 year of age, omit the salt and replace the ⅓ cup maple syrup with ⅓ cup mashed banana.
- Let the muffins cool completely before storing. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge (to prolong shelf life) for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, let the muffins cool then wrap each one in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or in the microwave (unwrap the muffin first) for 30 to 60 seconds on high.
- To make vegan, use flax eggs in place of the eggs. Combine 2 tablespoons milled flaxseed with 5 tablespoons water. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken before adding to the batter.
Nutrition
Happy baking! – Lizzie
Ruth
I am trying to get more veggies and fruits into my grandchildren and I came upon this site and went crazy looking at all the great recipes. This recipe was great. I didn’t have fresh cranberries so I soaked 1/2 cup dried cranberries in warm water for 15 minutes and then mixed in a 1/2 cup of raisins before adding to batter. I can’t wait to for the grandchildren to eat them. Of course I will not tell them what is in them.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so happy you are enjoying my website and finding the recipes helpful for you and your grandchildren! It sounds like you made some great modifications. Thanks so much for your comment!
Linette
Amazingly delicious. Thanks for a fabulous recipe.
It’s going into my personal recipe book for future repeat makings.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Linette, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe and will be making it again! Thanks for leaving a review!
Greta
These sound delicious, . I would need to use dried cranberries for this recipe. Would they work as well as the fresh cranberries ? The cinnamon, ginger and orange zest combined sounds yum….Thankyou
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Yes, you can use dried cranberries for the recipe. They would probably be a little sweeter but still delicious!