Banana Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

Banana Carrot Oatmeal Muffins are the perfect healthy little breakfast or snack! Kid's love them, and they are a great way to sneak in extra fruits and veggies! Plus they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free so they are an allergy friendly snack that can be taken to school!

• The Perfect Snack for School - My kids need to bring a nut-free snack to school each day, and I struggle to come up with ideas that aren't always something pre-packaged. These nut-free muffins are the best! Disguised as a kid-friendly treat, the ingredient list is almost completely healthy, including a big amount of fruits and veggies. They are high protein muffins with extra eggs and oats instead of flour. And my kids love them, especially with a few white chocolate chips on the top! The kind of muffin that you can say, "Yes, you can have another!"

• Carrots From the Garden - I love growing carrots in the garden.  There is something so satisfying about the grand pull from the dirt, not quite knowing what will be on the other end.  The kids love to pull them as much as I do, and are much more eager to eat what they've pulled with their own hands. These Banana Carrot Muffins are our favorite healthy and delicious way to eat them!

• If you Love Healthier Muffins, try my Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Apple Banana Bread Muffins, Morning Glory Muffins, and these Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Carrots - I use two regular sized carrots, washed well, but there's really no need to peel them. You could also use an equivalent amount (about 12) of baby peeled carrots from the bag.

• Bananas - This is great for using up over ripe bananas on the counter and provides a nutritious base for the muffins.

• Regular Rolled Oats - These are flourless Gluten-Free Carrot Banana Oatmeal Muffins, because they use a base of regular rolled oats. Pureed in the food processor, it really becomes like oat flour, you can't really taste the texture of the oats in the finished muffin. Quick oats would also work.

• Baking Powder - These are a nutrient packed and therefore denser muffin, but the baking powder helps them rise.

• Salt - A little bit of salt enhances the flavor in baked goods, don't skip it!

• Cinnamon - Cinnamon gives you that warm spiced almost pumpkin-like flavor!

• Coconut Oil - Muffins need a bit of fat so they don't become dry. Coconut oil is a healthier option, but melted butter can also be substituted if you aren't worried about having dairy-free muffins.

• Maple Syrup - These are refined white sugar-free muffins, with the sweetener instead being real maple syrup. This is a more natural and healthier sweetener. Not much is needed since the muffins get some sweetness from the ripe bananas and carrots. Honey would work as a substitute.

• Eggs - Extra eggs make these high-protein muffins filling and substantial as a snack or breakfast.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

These Banana Carrot Oatmeal Muffins are super quick and easy to make! The batter is made in the food processor in under 10 minutes, hiding lots of nutritious ingredients!

Step 1 - Add banana and roughly chopped carrots to a food processor. Wash them well, but no need to peel.

Step 2 - Puree until smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

Step 3 - Add all other ingredients.

Step 4 - Process until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Step 5 - Fill 12 lined muffin cups with batter, a portion scoop works great to get them evenly sized. Muffins can be topped with a sprinkling of rolled oats and white chocolate chips or left plain.

Step 6 - Bake at 425° for about 20 minutes. Don't peek, opening the oven door before the muffins are set can cause them to sink instead of rise!

Tip: Really let the food processor puree first the banana and carrot, and then the batter as smooth as you can get it. This makes for a beautiful orangey color and transforms those healthy ingredients into a tasty treat! Great with a Smoothie for breakfast!

Equipment

• A food processor works great for this recipe. It really blends up those carrots, bananas, and oats for an orange, cake-y textured super nutritious muffin. A high speed blender would work well too.

• If you don't have a food processor, you can make these muffins without! Just mash your bananas with a fork and shred your carrots with a box grater. Add the rest of the ingredients as is and mix with a whisk. This is going to give you a different textured muffin, but the flavors will be just as good!

Storage

• Storage - Store muffins in an airtight container on the counter a day or two, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

• Freezer - Muffins can also be frozen for up to 4 months. I like to freeze a few muffins in small individual containers so I can pull them out and send with the kids for snack time at school.

If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it!  Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

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