Healthy Pumpkin Carrot Pecan Muffins
Pumpkin carrot pecan muffins with chia seeds, grated carrot, and topped with pepita seeds. These texture filled muffins are so moist!

These Pumpkin Carrot Pecan Muffins are one of my favorite muffin recipes to date. Though they definitely fall into the category of pumpkin baked goods, they’re good enough to make year-round!
They are a light adaption of these pumpkin spelt muffins that I shared a long time ago. However, I’ve added a few more add-in’s, such as chia seeds, coconut oil, and have topped them off with pumpkin seeds.


These muffins are packed with lots of freshly grated carrot (one and a half cups to be exact!). I love the added texture that the grated carrots add, and although these muffins taste like pumpkin muffins, they have a lot more dimension.
They are ridiculously moist and flavorful.



Healthy Pumpkin Carrot Pecan Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (60g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60g) whole wheat pastry flour
- 1½ tablespoons chia seeds optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch ground allspice
- pinch ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) melted coconut oil or vegetable oil at liquid state, canola, or safflower oil
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ cups coarsely grated carrot roughly 2-3 carrots
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
- ¼ cup zante currants or raisins optional
- pumpkin (pepita) seeds for topping (roughly 1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with 9 paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, chia seeds, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, melted coconut (or vegetable) oil, and vanilla unti smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until all of the dry ingredients are just absorbed. Fold in the grated carrot, pecans, and currants (or raisins, if using).
- Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop, distribute the batter among the 9 muffin cups. The batter should reach close to the top of each cup. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins evenly with pumpkin seeds.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the muffins top spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and set on. a rack to cool completely. Muffins are best served slightly warm or at room temperature.
61 Comments on “Healthy Pumpkin Carrot Pecan Muffins”
I am probably the only person in the world who likes the carrot cake part more than the frosting – these muffins are my dream!
I think I’m that person too, actually! 🙂 Thanks Lynn!
Isn’t Fall THE best? I’m so glad you’ve started baking with pumpkin because I just adore the stuff. These muffins look delicious and healthy and well, I’m kind of in love.
Love, love, love fall! And these muffins 🙂
Well you don’t have to tell me twice! Truth be told, I broke out the pumpkin this weekend also. It just felt right.
Mhm, yes, mhm. Yes, I’m all for it. And I’m right with you on the pumpkin train. Everyone and their mother is posting about pumpkin and it’s making me so excited!
Thanks so much Sarah! Me too!
I’m so excited about all the pumpkins out on display!! I’m already baking up a storm – and now I have these to add to the list!! LOVE!
ME TOOOOO! 🙂 Thanks Megan! Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Ha! Ha! You can totally steal it. Don’t think I didn’t do the same! And yes, BUTTERBEER cupcakes, and I made little chocolate witches hats to put on the top of them (idea stolen from Pinterest, of course). If we are in my hometown around our anniversary, I always order a dozen of them for us to splurge on too. I’m totally not that kind of blogger that’s like “Hey! I know you don’t know me and we just met, but go to my blog!”, but I did link the post to my wedding photos to this comment if you’d like to check them out.
Too cute! Just checked them out!
I am still in that weird mode where I am drifting back and forth between buying summer and autumn ingredients.
This looks delicious! It’s packed with so much healthy goodness.
I totally know what you mean! I was just thinking this myself the other day–I’m really craving fall foods, but also desperately clinging to any summer fruits and other veggies that are still available!
Thanks so much Karishma!
Hooray for pumpkin season *throws confetti*. I’m totally an avid pumpkin lover, and I have to have it in my life year round. I’m definitely the girl drinking pumpkin pie smoothies for breakfast in June. I’m also the girl who had pumpkins lining both sides of the aisle during our late October wedding as well as pumpkin (and butterbeer!) cupcakes and a build your own caramel apple bar. Aaah…memories.
Hahaha! I love that *throws confetti* reference! That might be my new favorite saying.
And OMG! Your wedding sounds like my dream wedding!! BUTTERBEER?!
These photos are next level awesome. And I would smash a batch of these muffins, because carrots = more brownies later.
Thanks so muc h Sarah! So true.
I thought this was a bit early, but YUM anyway! I remember those muffins from years ago, so if these are better, I’m ready, for the muffins, not the colder weather!
They are similar, just adapted to the regular muffin tin and easier to find flours!
I love the photo with the chia seeds!
Thanks Pips!
Yum! Love the pepitas and the raisins in these… lots of yummy rich dark fall flavors 🙂
Thanks Medha! So glad you like them!
Your photos are gorgeous – these muffins HAVE to be eaten year round – simply decadent!!
Thanks Shashi! Means a lot. I would totally eat these year round, I have to say 😉
What beautiful photos!! I love how much good stuff you crammed in these! They look perfect! And the pumpkin seeds on top – just lovely!
Thanks so much Annie! They are definitely healthy, but if you can’t find some ingredients, most of the extras are totally optional too!
These are almost too pretty to eat!
Thank you Rachel! Almost being the operative word, right? 🙂
I want one of these right now!
Yay! Thanks!
So much good stuff in these muffins! Love!
Thanks girl! 🙂
Fall and spices. You just reminded me of how awesome those things are combined.
Gorgeous photos, L! Love your current photography style 😉
nom nom nom…
-k
Thank you so much!!!
I am with you, ugly pumpkins are the best. I just think they are so unique and cute!
Loving these muffins! I am trying to wait till closer to fall for pumpkin on the blog, but I have totally been baking with it at home. So I cannot wait to try these!
The ugly ones are amazing! I laugh at myself for just how much I love them. Thanks Tieghan! Let me know if you try them!
DEFINITELY will not hate you for getting a head start on pumpkin recipes. In my opinion, you can never have too many or start too early. These look wonderful. LOVE that they are chockfull of healthy stuff. These are muffins you can definitely have for breakfast without feeling guilty!
Yay!! Good to hear that. I’m in this weird end of summer/beginning of fall limbo period when it comes to recipe cravings.
And these muffins are perfect for breakfast! Thanks Rivki!