One Bowl Carrot Muffins
If there was a breakfast food I could eat for life, it would be muffins! My One Bowl Carrot Muffins feature fresh grated carrots, spicy ginger root, and a cinnamon-spiced crumble topping that is non-negotiable. They are incredibly moist, easy to mix, and the perfect grab-and-go start to a crisp fall morning.
Why You'll Love This One Bowl Carrot Muffins
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The Texture: High-heat baking creates a perfect rise with a tender, moist crumb inside.
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Simple Prep: As the name suggests, you only need one large bowl, keeping cleanup to a minimum.
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The “Pizzazz”: Fresh ginger root and carrots provide a cozy flavor profile that elevates these beyond basic bakery muffins. If you love these, be sure to check out my Chocolate Chip Muffins and Lemon Raspberry Muffins for more breakfast favorites.
Key Ingredients You'll Need
- Fresh Carrots and Ginger Root. Freshly grated carrots and ginger root are the foundation of flavors in these carrot ginger crumble breakfast muffins. Sure, it takes an extra step to grate the ingredients but the carrots add moisture – not like I need extra after my milk mistake- plus ginger adds spice. When I say spice I don’t mean heat, the spice I am talking about has pizazz. Ginger root is exceptional for our health, aids in reducing inflammation and greta for the gut! To peel ginger root, use the tip of the spoon and scrape down the side to reveal the guts. The smell will hit you in your face, don’t worry, it smells like a crisp yet cozy Fall day! Try my Carrot Cake Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats.
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Eggs: The structure builder.
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Granulated Sugar: For the perfect level of sweetness.
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Whole Milk: Whole milk is used in almost all of my baking recipes because of the fat content yielding in a richer taste and soft crumb. You will find when you swap milks, like brown sugars, the color of your baked item changes. In this case, whole milk provides lactose and sugar turning your baked items brown. You can use whatever milk you love best. Almond milk would be ideal because it is similar in fat content where oat milk is not. Add a squirt, like 5 drops haha to your milk to sour the milk and create a buttermilk type of liquid. This really tenderizes your baked goods! Note, I have yet to test this recipe with a dairy free milk!
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All-Purpose Flour: The base of your muffin batter. Mostly everything you see on this website can be swapped for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
- Crumble Topping: A crumble topping is similar to a cinnamon streusel layer. You can see what I mean in my Coffee Cake With Crumble Topping And Cinnamon Swirl Filling. The difference is reduced butter and increased flour to create more textural experience rather than a soft filling. If you wanted to get fancy you can swirl the cinnamon filling into each muffin cup and then layer with a crumble! *Drooling* However, this was not the case with these muffins! I used my same crumble topping that I actually had left over from my coffee cake that I just folded peaches into and made a peach coffee cake! Find the recipe below- you won’t want to skip this step for your One Bowl Carrot Ginger Crumble Breakfast Muffins.
How to Make One Bowl Carrot Muffins
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Prep: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease two 12-cup standard muffin tins thoroughly. Because these are oven-baked, ensure your oven is fully calibrated—similar to my Oven Baked Chicken Wings, timing is everything.
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Mix Base: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, fresh ginger, clove, and melted butter. Whisk until smooth.
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Add Carrots: Fold in your freshly grated carrots as shown above.
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Combine: Pour in the milk and flour. Gently fold to combine—do not overmix, as this keeps the muffins tender.
- Bake: Evenly fill each muffin cup about halfway. Distribute the crumble topping over the batter. Bake for 11–12 minutes. Remove immediately and run an offset spatula around the edges to release them from the pan.
Simple one bowl carrot ginger muffins with quick dark brown sugar crumble recipe!
Stacie’s Tricks & Tips
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Grating Matters: Use the fine side of your grater for both the carrots and the ginger. This ensures they melt into the batter rather than creating large, woody chunks.
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Don’t Overbake: These muffins bake quickly at high heat. Set your timer for 11 minutes and check them—they should be set but soft. Residual heat in the pan will finish the cooking process.
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Crumble Consistency: Use your hands to mix the crumble topping with the butter; the warmth of your fingers helps the dark brown sugar and flour form those delicious, crunchy clumps.
Storage & Meal Prep
- Keep these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 months.
One Bowl Carrot Ginger Crumble Breakfast Muffins
Equipment
- Measuring cup For evenly dividing up batter
- One large bowl For mixing
- Small bowl For crumble
- Whisk
- 2x 12 cup standard muffin tins
- Non-stick Spray
Ingredients
For The Muffins
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tbsp Fresh ginger grated, or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground clove
- 1 stick Butter melted
- 1/4 cup Carrots Grated
- 1 3/4 cups Milk I used whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
For The Crumble
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 + 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- Pinch All-spice
Instructions
For The Muffins
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease two 12 cup standard muffin tins, set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, clove and melted butter.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add and combine freshly grated carrots.
- Pour in milk., add baking powder, baking soda, and flour.
- Fold to combine.
- Evenly fill each cup about half way, using all the batter for all 24 cups.
For The Crumble
- Add all ingredients into a bowl with hands or a fork. Evenly distribute among 24 cups.
- Bake 11-12 minutes. Immediately remove from the oven.
- Run an off set spatula around each muffin to carefully remove the muffin from the tin.
- Allow muffins to cool completely or enjoy warm!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use gluten-free flour in these One Bowl Carrot Muffins?
Yes, you can substitute a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour for the all-purpose flour. Keep in mind that gluten-free flour usually absorbs moisture differently, so I recommend reducing the baking time by 1–2 minutes to ensure the muffins stay soft.
How long do One Bowl Carrot Muffins last in the fridge?
One Bowl Carrot Muffins keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Let them cool completely before storing to prevent condensation from making the crumble soggy. Reheat in the microwave for 10–15 seconds before serving.
Can I make One Bowl Carrot Muffins the night before?
Yes, you can prep the dry and wet ingredients separately the night before, then combine and bake them in the morning. Alternatively, you can bake the muffins fully, let them cool, and store them in an airtight container to enjoy the next day.
Can I make these One Bowl Carrot Muffins dairy-free?
You can make these One Bowl Carrot Muffins dairy-free by substituting whole milk with almond milk, which works best due to its similar fat content. You must also ensure the butter used in the muffin base and the crumble topping is replaced with a plant-based butter alternative.
Why did my One Bowl Carrot Muffins turn out dense?
The most common cause is overmixing the muffin batter. Once you add the flour, fold the mixture just until you no longer see white streaks of flour; overmixing develops the gluten, which makes the muffins tough instead of fluffy.
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