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Golden baked carrot banana muffins on a plate with one broken open to show the moist carrot-flecked crumb

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Carrot Banana Muffins with Crunchy Walnut Tops

Recipe by Ailene

These bakery-style carrot banana muffins pair a tender, warmly spiced oat bran and whole-grain crumb with sweet plumped raisins and a sparkling turbinado-walnut crunch lid. Finely grated carrots and ripe bananas keep every bite moist for days using just a quarter cup of oil.

  • Total Time50 minutes
  • Yield18 muffins (serves 18) 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Muffin Batter

  • ¾ cup (115 g) raisins
  • 1 cup (95 g) oat bran
  • ¾ cup (90 g) whole-wheat flour
  • ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (55 g) toasted wheat germ
  • 2 ½ teaspoons (7 g) ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt
  • 4 large egg whites (120 ml), at room temperature
  • ¾ cup (165 g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup (225 g) mashed very ripe banana, measured by weight or cup (from about 2 medium bananas)
  • ½ cup (120 ml) whole or 2% milk
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil, such as avocado or canola oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups (190 g) finely grated carrots (from 3 medium-large carrots)

Walnut Sugar Crunch Topping

  • ½ cup (60 g) finely chopped walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons (25 g) coarse turbinado sugar

Instructions

  1. Prep the oven, pans, and raisins: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Grease 18 cups across two standard 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray or line them with paper liners. Place the raisins in a small heatproof bowl, cover with hot drinking water (drawn cold and heated in a kettle or saucepan), and let stand for 10 minutes to soften while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  2. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat bran, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, toasted wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt until uniform and lump-free.
  3. Mix the wet base: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites for 30 to 45 seconds until lightly foamy. Add the dark brown sugar and whisk vigorously until no sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the measured mashed banana, milk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Fold the batter: Drain the soaked raisins thoroughly and pat them dry with a paper towel so excess water does not thin the batter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a silicone spatula until only a few flour streaks remain. Add the grated carrots and drained raisins, folding just until evenly distributed.
  5. Portion and top: Divide the batter evenly among the 18 prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. In a small bowl, toss the chopped walnuts with the turbinado sugar, scatter the mixture evenly over the muffin tops, and press lightly so the pieces adhere to the batter.
  6. Bake and cool: Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the domes are deep golden brown, fragrant with warm spice, and spring back immediately when pressed lightly in the center. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins directly to the rack to cool until warm or room temperature.

Notes

  • Why it works: Grating whole carrots on the fine holes of a box grater and plumping the raisins beforehand allows both to release steady moisture into the absorbent oat bran and wheat germ during baking, keeping the crumb tender without heavy oil.
  • Avoid pre-shredded carrots: Bagged matchstick carrots are too thick and dry to soften during a quick bake; freshly grated carrots on the small holes of a box grater melt cleanly into the batter.
  • Storage and freezing: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container lined with a paper towel at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze in an airtight bag for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

Nutrition (per serving — estimates)

Calories: 205 | Total Carbs: 33g (Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 17g) | Fat: 6g (Saturated: 1g) | Protein: 5g

Nutritional values are approximate, based on standard reference data (USDA FoodData Central). Actual values vary by brand and exact measurements. For precision, use a tracker like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cooling Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Baked Goods, Breakfast, Snack
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 205
  • Sugar: 17g
  • Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 1g
  • Carbohydrates: 33g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 5g

Find it online: https://foodtrackergirl.com/2026/10/05/carrot-banana-muffins-with-crunchy-walnut-sugar-tops/